Fight a paid-parking citation in Dallas
You were cited under Sec. 28-107 for an expired paid-parking payment device (meter), or under Sec. 28-108 for a device displaying a 'violation signal,' but you actually paid for that parking session by telephone or the Internet (e.g., a City-accepted parking-payment app) and the parking time you purchased had not yet expired at the time of the citation.
the statement
Copy, customize, submit.
To: City of Dallas Parking Adjudication Office Re: Citation No. [CITATION NUMBER] Plate: [PLATE] ([STATE]) Date/Time: [DATE], [TIME] Location cited: [LOCATION] I deny liability for this citation and respectfully request that the Hearing Officer find me not liable at my administrative adjudication hearing. On [DATE], I paid for my parking session at [LOCATION] by [PAYMENT METHOD — telephone / Internet-based parking payment app] for my vehicle, plate [PLATE]. My payment's confirmed time window was [PAYMENT START TIME] to [PAYMENT EXPIRATION TIME], which had not yet expired at [TIME], the moment this citation states the payment device was showing expired or displaying a violation signal. Dallas City Code Sec. 28-108(b) provides that "It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a) that the person paid for the paid parking space using a telephone or the Internet and the parking time purchased by the payment transaction had not expired" — even where the physical payment device itself showed a violation signal at the time of citation, because Sec. 28-104(b) does not require time purchased by telephone or the Internet to display on the device. I ask that this citation be found not liable on that basis. Attached: [electronic receipt or app/text confirmation from my telephone or Internet payment transaction, showing my license plate, the location or zone, and the paid time window; a copy of the citation, to confirm the plate number and location match my payment]. 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.
- 1Read the citation carefully: Dallas parking citations already state your administrative adjudication hearing's date, time, and location -- by law that hearing must be set not later than 15 calendar days after the citation was issued (Sec. 28-130.2(b)(4)). There is no separate step of 'requesting' a hearing date; one is already on the ticket.
- 2Decide how you will 'answer' the citation before that date. Sec. 28-130.5(a) gives five options: (1) admit liability and pay the civil fine; (2) deny liability before a hearing officer, either at an instanter (walk-in) hearing any business day before the scheduled date, or at the scheduled hearing itself; (3) admit liability with an explanation at either of those hearings; (4) request permission from a hearing officer to adjudicate by mail; or (5) request to reset the scheduled hearing to a later date (allowed only once for free -- resetting again requires paying an amount equal to the fine as security, which is refunded if you are later found not liable).
- 3If you request adjudication by mail for good cause (e.g., you cannot appear in person), submit your written statement and documentary evidence (letters, affidavits, photographs, etc.); the mail adjudication must be completed within 90 calendar days of the citation date (Sec. 28-130.6).
- 4At an instanter or scheduled hearing, present your evidence. The parking citation itself is only prima facie (rebuttable) proof of the facts it states -- the issuing officer does not have to be present unless requested -- and the hearing officer decides based on a preponderance of the evidence, not the formal rules of evidence (Sec. 28-130.7(b)-(c)).
- 5The hearing officer rules immediately at the end of the hearing: either liable (with civil fine, penalties, and costs assessed, and notice of your right to appeal) or not liable (Sec. 28-130.7(d)).
- 6If you do not answer within 15 calendar days of issuance, or do not appear at a hearing you were required to attend, that is treated as an automatic admission of liability, and fines/penalties/costs are assessed against you without a hearing (Sec. 28-130.8(a)).
- 7If you are found liable and disagree, you may appeal to Dallas Municipal Court by filing a petition with the municipal court clerk, along with a $15 filing fee (refunded if you win), within 30 calendar days after the hearing officer's order is filed. The appeal is a trial de novo -- a fresh civil case, which you may request be heard by a jury -- and the municipal court's decision is final (Sec. 28-130.12).
bring receipts
Attach this evidence.
- ✓The electronic receipt or app/text confirmation from your telephone or Internet payment transaction, showing your license plate, the location or zone, and the paid time window
- ✓A comparison of the citation's date and time against your payment's paid-through/expiration time, showing your session covered the moment cited
- ✓The citation itself, to confirm the plate number and location match your payment
what Dallas rules say
The rule this rests on.
Dallas City Code Sec. 28-108(b) -- defense to a 'violation signal' citation for parking time paid by telephone or the Internet that had not yet expired
Dallas, Tex., City Code ch. 28, art. XI, div. 4, § 28-108(b)
Dallas Sec. 28-104(b) specifically provides that parking time bought by telephone or the Internet is not required to display on the physical payment device -- you instead get an electronic receipt or confirmation, and an officer or hearing officer can also look up phone/Internet payments on a handheld device. Because of that gap between what a device displays and what you actually paid for, Sec. 28-108(b) codifies an explicit defense: 'It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a) that the person paid for the paid parking space using a telephone or the Internet and the parking time purchased by the payment transaction had not expired' -- even if the device itself was showing an expired/violation signal at the moment of the citation.
if this doesn’t work
Your next move.
If the Hearing Officer finds you liable and you disagree, you may appeal to Dallas Municipal Court by filing a petition with the municipal court clerk, along with a $15 filing fee (refunded if you win), within 30 calendar days after the Hearing Officer's order is filed. The appeal is a trial de novo -- a fresh civil case, which you may request be heard by a jury -- and the Municipal Court's decision is final (Dallas City Code Sec. 28-130.12).
questions people ask
FAQ.
What if the meter showed a violation signal at the time?
That doesn't defeat this defense. Dallas Code §28-104(b) says parking time bought by phone or the Internet doesn't have to display on the physical device — you get an electronic receipt instead, and §28-108(b) makes it a defense that your purchased time had not expired even if the device showed a violation signal.
What counts as proof of payment?
Your electronic receipt or app/text confirmation showing your license plate, the location or zone, and the paid time window. A hearing officer can also look up phone/Internet payments directly.
Is the citation itself proof against me?
It's only prima facie (rebuttable) evidence under Sec. 28-130.2(c) — the Hearing Officer decides by a preponderance of the evidence under Sec. 28-130.7(c), so your payment records can outweigh 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