Fight a not-my-vehicle parking ticket in Phoenix
You were not the registered owner of the vehicle at the time of the violation (e.g., it had already been sold, gifted, or transferred), the vehicle was stolen, or you are one of several jointly-registered owners disputing sole responsibility for this particular citation.
the statement
Copy, customize, submit.
To: Phoenix Municipal Court — Civil Traffic Division Re: Notice of Violation — Complaint No. [COMPLAINT NUMBER], Charge No. [CHARGE NUMBER] Plate: [PLATE] ([STATE]) Date/Time: [DATE], [TIME] Location cited: [LOCATION] I plead Not Responsible to this violation and respectfully request a trial/hearing before the Court. I was not the registered owner of the vehicle bearing plate [PLATE] on [DATE], the date of the violation cited above. [SELECT AND COMPLETE THE APPLICABLE SCENARIO: (a) I had already sold, gifted, or otherwise transferred the vehicle before that date, as shown by [ARIZONA MVD TITLE/REGISTRATION TRANSFER DOCUMENTATION OR BILL OF SALE]. / (b) The vehicle had been reported stolen before or at the time this Notice of Violation was issued, as shown by [POLICE REPORT NUMBER AND DATE]. / (c) The vehicle was jointly registered to me and [OTHER REGISTRANT'S NAME], and the evidence below shows [OTHER REGISTRANT'S NAME] — not me — was responsible for this particular citation.] Under Phoenix City Code § 36-133, a registered owner (or, for jointly-registered vehicles, all owners jointly and severally) is only prima facie — that is, presumptively, not conclusively — responsible for a parking violation. The evidence attached rebuts that presumption by showing I was not the vehicle's owner, or was not the responsible joint registrant, as of the violation date. I ask that this Notice of Violation be dismissed on that basis. Attached: [Arizona MVD title/registration transfer documentation or bill of sale showing the vehicle left my ownership before the violation date; or the police report of theft; or documentation of the correct registered owner as of the violation date, or of my specific role among joint registrants — as applicable]. 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 Notice of Violation (NOV) left on your windshield (or the civil traffic Summons and Complaint, if one has already been mailed to you) to find the Complaint Number (upper left corner), the Charge Number(s) (listed vertically down the left side), the violation, the sanction amount, and any printed court date.
- 2Decide your plea. To contest the ticket, do not pay it — instead you will enter a plea of "Not Responsible" and request a trial/hearing.
- 3Note the timing: if you pay the sanction OR request a hearing within 21 calendar days of the violation date, Phoenix City Code Section 36-156.02(B) entitles you to a $20 'discounted sanction' if later found responsible; requesting a hearing after day 21 is still allowed, just at the full (non-discounted) sanction amount.
- 4Submit your "Not Responsible" plea and trial/hearing request in writing by mail, fax, or email to the Phoenix Municipal Court — this cannot be done online; phoenixcourt.gov only supports making payments and looking up case information, not filing a plea. Mail: Phoenix Municipal Court, PO Box 25650, Phoenix, AZ 85002-5650. Fax: 602-534-3628. Email: court@phoenix.gov.
- 5Include in your written request: the Complaint Number, the Charge Number(s) you want included in the hearing, your name, full address, daytime phone number, date of birth, and any interpreter needs for you or witnesses. Call 602-262-6421 to confirm the Court received your request.
- 6If the citation is not paid or otherwise resolved within 50 calendar days of the NOV date, Phoenix City Code Section 36-156.02(C) requires the City to mail you a civil traffic Summons and Complaint with a set court date (service is complete upon mailing). Once that happens, you must submit your trial/hearing request at least 7 days before that court date, through the same mail/fax/email channels.
- 7Appear at your scheduled trial/hearing as ordered. A Hearing Officer or Judge (not a prosecutor) will question you, the citing officer, and any witnesses, and will decide based on a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard whether you are 'Responsible' or 'Not Responsible.'
- 8If found 'Responsible,' you must pay the imposed fine that same day; once a Summons and Complaint has issued, the Court cannot suspend any part of the applicable civil sanction. If you disagree with a citation and ignore it entirely, a civil default judgment can be entered against you for the sanction plus fees.
bring receipts
Attach this evidence.
- ✓Arizona MVD title/registration transfer documentation or a bill of sale showing the vehicle left your ownership before the violation date
- ✓A police report, if the vehicle was reported stolen before or at the time of the citation
- ✓Documentation of who the correct registered owner was as of the violation date, if different from you
- ✓Proof of your specific role among joint registrants, if the vehicle was jointly registered to multiple people
what Phoenix rules say
The rule this rests on.
Phoenix City Code 36-133 — Presumption in reference to illegal parking; joint registration
Phoenix City Code Section 36-133 makes the registered owner (or, for jointly-registered vehicles, all owners jointly and severally) only 'prima facie' — that is, presumptively, not conclusively — responsible for a parking violation. Phoenix Municipal Court does not publish a standalone 'common reasons for dispute' catalog the way some cities do; you rebut this statutory presumption by presenting your evidence at the trial/hearing you request from the Court under the general 'Not Responsible' plea process described in the Municipal Court FAQ.
if this doesn’t work
Your next move.
If the Hearing Officer or Judge finds you 'Responsible,' you must pay the imposed civil sanction that same day; once a civil traffic Summons and Complaint has issued, Phoenix City Code § 36-156.02(C) bars the Court from suspending any part of that sanction. If you disagree with the citation and take no action at all, a civil default judgment can be entered against you for the sanction plus additional fees, including collection fees, and registered owners with three or more unpaid, defaulted parking tickets are subject to the Court's pre-boot notice and, ultimately, the City's Boot and Tow Program.
questions people ask
FAQ.
Is it enough to just tell the Court 'that's not my car'?
No. Phoenix City Code § 36-133 only makes the registered owner presumptively (prima facie) responsible — not conclusively. That presumption is rebuttable, but you have to actually rebut it with documentary evidence at the trial/hearing you request, not just deny ownership verbally.
What if the vehicle was jointly registered to me and someone else?
Section 36-133 makes joint registrants jointly and severally presumptively responsible, meaning either owner can be held liable by default. To dispute your individual responsibility for this specific citation, bring proof of your role among the joint registrants (e.g., who was driving or in possession of the vehicle at the time).
Where does Phoenix list its accepted 'not my vehicle' reasons?
Unlike some cities, Phoenix Municipal Court doesn't publish a standalone catalog of dispute reasons. This defense instead follows from rebutting the statutory presumption in § 36-133, and it has to be raised and proven with evidence at the trial/hearing you request under the general 'Not Responsible' plea process.
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