Fight a Minneapolis parking ticket for a sold or stolen vehicle
You were not the owner or lessee of the cited vehicle at the time of the violation — most commonly because you had already sold or transferred the vehicle before the citation date, or because the vehicle was stolen at the time.
the statement
Copy, customize, submit.
To: Hennepin County Violations Bureau & Hearing Office Re: Citation No. [CITATION NUMBER] Plate: [PLATE] ([STATE]) Date/Time: [DATE], [TIME] Location cited: [LOCATION] I am submitting this written statement in connection with my Hearing Officer conference on this citation and respectfully request that it be dismissed for the reasons below. I was not the owner or lessee of the vehicle bearing plate [PLATE] on [DATE], the date of the violation cited above. [SELECT AND COMPLETE THE APPLICABLE SCENARIO: (a) Sold vehicle — I sold this vehicle on [SALE DATE], before this citation was issued, as shown by the attached title-transfer paperwork or bill of sale. / (b) Stolen vehicle — this vehicle was stolen before the violation date, as shown by the attached police report filed on [REPORT DATE].] Under Minn. Stat. § 169.34, subd. 2, liability for a stopping, standing, or parking violation attaches to the vehicle's registered owner or, for a leased vehicle, the lessee — but the owner or lessee may not be fined where the vehicle was stolen at the time of the violation, or where another person is convicted of or pleads guilty to the violation instead. I ask that this citation be dismissed on that basis, and that my name be removed from it. Attached: [title-transfer paperwork or bill of sale showing the sale date, or the police report of the theft; any confirmation from MN Driver & Vehicle Services of the title transfer, if available]. 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 citation number (a preprinted number, typically 12 digits, at the top-left corner, right side, and below the barcode of the ticket) and confirm the violation, date, time, and location printed on it. Check whether the ticket itself says "District Court" or "Violations Bureau" — if neither appears, it is likely a separate "administrative" citation handled by City of Minneapolis Administrative Hearings instead of the process below.
- 2Wait for the citation to be filed with the court (law enforcement typically files within about 7 business days) and look it up on the Minnesota Court Web Payment System (webpay.courts.state.mn.us) to confirm the amount due; a "No Records Found" result usually just means it hasn't been entered yet.
- 3Decide whether to pay or contest within 30 days of the date the citation is entered into the Minnesota Court Information System (MNCIS) — this clock runs from MNCIS entry, not from the date the ticket was issued.
- 4To contest, call the MN Court Payment Center (Metro (651) 281-3219, outside the metro 1 (800) 657-3611) to schedule a Hearing Officer appointment (a video conference on Zoom, available by appointment or as a same-day walk-in at the Hennepin Co. Government Center). There is no general online dispute-submission form; two situations have dedicated shortcuts instead of a hearing: (a) a defective/malfunctioning electronic pay station — report the meter and ticket numbers directly to the Traffic Violations Bureau at (612) 348-6000, and if confirmed defective the citation is canceled outright; and (b) a valid payment receipt for the same space/date/time — email, fax, or mail a copy of the receipt and citation to the Violations Bureau for review (about 2 business days).
- 5At the Hearing Officer meeting, bring your driver's license and any evidence supporting your case. This is an informal settlement conference, not a formal evidentiary trial ("It is not possible to have a trial with evidence at this meeting because a trial can only take place in court with a judge") — the Hearing Officer can offer a reduced fine, a payment plan, community work service, or a continuance for dismissal; roughly 85-90% of people who meet with a Hearing Officer settle without going to court.
- 6If you're not satisfied with the Hearing Officer's resolution, you may ask that the case be set for an in-court hearing before a District Court judge — unless you've already waived that right under Minn. Stat. § 169.91, subd. 3 by not responding/appearing within 30 days (most parking violations are petty misdemeanors, and a missed 30-day window is treated as a guilty plea).
- 7If you miss a scheduled Hearing Officer appointment, call the Court Payment Center before the appointment time to request a continuance; otherwise you must appear as a walk-in at the downtown Minneapolis location, and the citation remains "open" (continuing to accrue late-fee and license-suspension risk) until a hearing is held.
bring receipts
Attach this evidence.
- ✓For a sold vehicle: title-transfer paperwork or a bill of sale showing the transfer date, and the buyer's name/address if available
- ✓For a stolen vehicle: a police report of the theft filed before the violation date
- ✓Any confirmation from MN Driver & Vehicle Services (DVS) of the title transfer, if available
- ✓The citation number
what Minneapolis rules say
The rule this rests on.
Minn. Stat. § 169.34, subd. 2 — Violation; penalty for owner or lessee
Under Minn. Stat. § 169.34, subd. 2, liability for a stopping/standing/parking violation attaches to the vehicle's registered owner or, for a leased vehicle, the lessee — but the owner/lessee may not be fined if the vehicle was stolen at the time of the violation, or if another person is convicted of or pleads guilty to the violation instead. For a vehicle you'd already sold, the Hennepin Violations Bureau's guidance is to get the title transferred at DVS and bring/send that paperwork to the court so your name can be removed from the citation once the sale date is confirmed — you should still act within the 30-day window while sorting out the paperwork rather than let the citation go delinquent.
if this doesn’t work
Your next move.
If you're not satisfied with the outcome of your Hearing Officer conference, you may ask that the case be set for an in-court hearing before a Hennepin County District Court judge — unless you've already waived that right under Minn. Stat. § 169.91, subd. 3 by not responding or appearing within 30 days of the citation's entry into the Minnesota Court Information System (MNCIS). Most parking violations are petty misdemeanors, so a missed 30-day window is treated as a guilty plea and a waiver of the right to a court hearing.
questions people ask
FAQ.
I sold the car but never told the court — does that matter?
Yes. Get the title transferred at MN Driver & Vehicle Services and bring or send that paperwork to the court so your name can be removed from the citation once the sale date is confirmed. Act within the 30-day window while you sort out the paperwork rather than let the citation go delinquent.
Is the registered-owner rule automatic — can I ever get out of it?
Minn. Stat. § 169.34, subd. 2 attaches liability to the registered owner or lessee, but you may not be fined if the vehicle was stolen at the time of the violation, or if another person is convicted of or pleads guilty to the violation instead.
What if my vehicle was stolen when the citation was issued?
Attach a police report of the theft filed before the violation date. Minn. Stat. § 169.34, subd. 2 specifically exempts an owner or lessee from being fined when the vehicle was stolen at the time.
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