Fight a broken-meter parking ticket in Chicago
You were ticketed in a parking meter zone or space, but the meter was inoperable or malfunctioning through no fault of your own, and — per the posted directions on the meter — you reported it as inoperable or malfunctioning within 24 hours of parking there.
the statement
Copy, customize, submit.
To: City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings — Vehicle Hearings Division Re: Notice of Violation No. [TICKET/NOTICE NUMBER] Plate: [PLATE] ([STATE]) Date/Time: [DATE], [TIME] Location cited: [LOCATION] I am contesting this violation and requesting an administrative adjudication. I assert that I am NOT LIABLE for this violation and respectfully request that it be dismissed. On [DATE] at approximately [TIME], I parked at the metered space at [LOCATION]. The parking meter/pay station serving that space was inoperable or malfunctioning through no fault of my own: [DESCRIBE — e.g., blank screen, rejected every payment method I tried, displayed an error message]. Following the directions posted on the meter, I reported the malfunction within 24 hours of parking there, on [DATE OF REPORT] via [METHOD — ParkChicago app / phone number posted on the meter], reference/confirmation number [REFERENCE NUMBER]. Under Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-64-190, it is not a violation to park at a meter that does not function properly, provided the malfunction is through no fault of the operator and the operator reports it, per the posted directions on the meter, within 24 hours of parking there. I raise that defense here under the corresponding adjudication ground at Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-100-060(a)(4) — that the relevant parking meter was inoperable or malfunctioned through no fault of the respondent — and ask that this violation be dismissed on that basis. Attached: [date- and time-stamped photo(s) of the broken or malfunctioning meter, including any error message displayed, and the confirmation/reference number or record of my report made within 24 hours of parking there]. Respectfully, [YOUR NAME] [ADDRESS] [PHONE] [EMAIL]
This template is for informational use only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Square-bracketed placeholders must be replaced with your specific facts. Rules and deadlines can change; if your situation is urgent, complicated, or high-stakes, email info@imfrustrated.org for a free conversation with a volunteer attorney before you send it.
how to submit it
A few things before you send.
- 1Locate your ticket's 10-digit ticket/notice number and confirm the violation code, date, time, and location printed on the Notice of Violation.
- 2Act within 7 days of the date of issuance (for a parking, standing, or compliance violation): either pay the fine or request an administrative adjudication to contest it, per Municipal Code of Chicago (MCC) § 9-100-050(a). (Automated speed- and red-light-camera notices instead carry a 21-day window and are outside the scope of a parking ticket.)
- 3Choose how to contest: online via the eContest system at parkingtickets.chicago.gov/EHearingWeb (request a correspondence, virtual, or in-person hearing); by mail (a statement signed by the registered owner, setting forth the facts establishing your defense, plus copies of supporting evidence, with the ticket number on every document, sent to DOAH's Vehicle Hearings Division); or by calling 312.744.PARK (7275) to arrange an in-person hearing.
- 4Select the applicable ground(s) for contesting under MCC § 9-100-060(a) and gather the evidence that supports each ground (photos, receipts, a police report, vehicle registration, etc.).
- 5Submit your evidence: online you may upload up to 5 files per ticket (up to 1 MB each), and up to 3 tickets under the same notice number can be contested at once; by mail send copies (not originals) — documents will not be returned, and the hearing officer's decision is final, so include everything you want considered.
- 6If you miss the initial 7-day window, the City mails a Second Notice of Violation giving you 14 more days (from that second notice) to pay, contest, or prove compliance under MCC § 9-100-050(d)(1); missing that window results in a default determination of liability.
- 7Wait for the decision: a correspondence hearing gets a mailed determination from an Administrative Law Officer (MCC § 9-100-070(d)); an in-person hearing gets a determination at the hearing (MCC § 9-100-090(a)). If found not liable, no further action is required.
- 8If found liable, you have 25 days from the date of the determination to pay before the fine amount is subject to an additional late-payment penalty (MCC § 9-100-050(e)). If dissatisfied with the decision, you may appeal to the Circuit Court of Cook County (Daley Center, 50 West Washington St., Room 602) within 35 days of the Administrative Law Judge's decision under the Illinois Administrative Review Law.
- 9If a default determination of liability was entered because you never responded, you may petition in person within 21 days of that determination to set it aside — but only on the limited grounds in MCC § 9-100-090(c): you weren't the owner/lessee at the time of the violation, you already paid the fine, you had good cause for not appearing, or you were never properly served.
bring receipts
Attach this evidence.
- ✓Date- and time-stamped photo(s) of the broken or malfunctioning meter, including any error message displayed
- ✓Confirmation/reference number or record of your report of the broken meter, made within 24 hours of parking, through the method posted on the meter (e.g., the ParkChicago app or the phone number posted on the meter)
- ✓The ticket/notice number, written on every document you submit
what Chicago rules say
The rule this rests on.
MCC 9-100-060(a)(4) — Grounds for contesting a violation (meter inoperable or malfunctioned through no fault of respondent)
MCC § 9-64-190 defines the underlying defense: it is not a violation to park at a meter that doesn't function properly, provided the malfunction is through no fault of the operator AND the operator reports it, per the posted directions on the meter, within 24 hours of parking there. That factual defense is then raised at an administrative adjudication hearing under the separate ground in MCC § 9-100-060(a)(4) ("the relevant parking meter was inoperable or malfunctioned through no fault of the respondent"). Simply showing the meter was broken, without the timely report, is not sufficient on its own.
if this doesn’t work
Your next move.
If the Administrative Law Officer or Judge finds you liable, you have 25 days from the date of the determination to pay before the fine is subject to an additional late-payment penalty equal to the lesser of the fine amount or $250 minus the fine (MCC § 9-100-050(e)). If you disagree with the decision, you may appeal to the Circuit Court of Cook County (Daley Center, 50 West Washington St., Room 602) within 35 days of the decision, under the Illinois Administrative Review Law, subject to state filing fees; no legal aid is available for these appeals.
questions people ask
FAQ.
Is it enough to show the meter was broken?
Not by itself. MCC § 9-64-190 requires both that the malfunction was through no fault of yours AND that you reported it, per the posted directions on the meter, within 24 hours of parking there. Simply photographing a broken meter without a timely report is not sufficient on its own.
How do I report a broken meter in Chicago?
Follow the directions posted on the meter itself — typically the ParkChicago app or a phone number printed on the meter — and do it within 24 hours of parking there. Keep the confirmation or reference number as your proof of the timely report.
Which code section actually gets this ticket dismissed?
Two sections work together: MCC § 9-64-190 defines the substantive no-fault-plus-timely-report rule, and MCC § 9-100-060(a)(4) is the specific ground you raise at the DOAH hearing to invoke it.
Nervous about sending it yourself?
we’ll read it over with you.
Email the situation and a volunteer attorney will respond. No commitment, no invoice, no judgment — just an honest second pair of eyes from someone who actually understands the law.
info@imfrustrated.org