Fight a meter-payment parking ticket in Phoenix
You were cited for a metered-parking violation (no payment for a metered space, or parking beyond a sign-posted time limit), but you actually operated and paid the meter or pay station for the cited space and time.
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. On [DATE], I parked at [LOCATION] and paid for the metered space using [PAYMENT METHOD — legal U.S. coins / credit card / mobile parking app]. My receipt or payment confirmation shows payment covering [PAID TIME WINDOW], which includes [TIME], the time this Notice of Violation states the violation was recorded. I operated and paid the meter for the corresponding parking time used at the cited space. Phoenix City Code § 36-154 defines this violation as parking in a metered space without operating the meter using legal United States coins, credit cards, or other acceptable forms or methods of payment for the corresponding parking time used. Because I paid for and operated the meter covering the cited time, that element of the charge is not satisfied. I ask that this Notice of Violation be dismissed on that basis. Attached: [meter or pay-station payment receipt showing the space number, date, and paid time window covering the citation time; or credit-card/mobile-app payment confirmation; or a time-stamped photo of the meter display showing time remaining]. 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.
- ✓Meter or pay-station payment receipt showing the space number, date, and a paid time window that covers the citation time
- ✓Credit-card or mobile parking-app payment confirmation for the metered space, if no physical receipt was issued
- ✓A time-stamped photo of the meter display showing time remaining, if taken near the time of citation
what Phoenix rules say
The rule this rests on.
Phoenix City Code 36-154 — Parking meter violations
Phoenix City Code Section 36-154 defines the meter violation itself as parking in a metered space 'without operating that meter using legal United States coins, credit cards, or other acceptable forms or methods of payment for the corresponding parking time used,' or parking beyond the time limit shown on the meter's accompanying sign. Proof that you did operate/pay the meter for the cited period directly negates that element of the charge. Note the ordinance provides no exception for a meter that was broken or malfunctioning (only an exception for vehicles displaying a State 'Disabled Parking' or 'Purple Heart Medal Recipient' placard, good for up to one hour past meter expiration) — this ground applies only where you can show you actually paid, not merely that the meter was out of order, which is why 'broken-meter' is not listed as a Phoenix-recognized ground here.
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.
What if the meter was broken instead of me forgetting to pay?
Phoenix's meter ordinance (City Code § 36-154) provides no exception for a broken or malfunctioning meter — the only built-in exception is for vehicles displaying a State 'Disabled Parking' or 'Purple Heart Medal Recipient' placard, good for up to one hour past meter expiration. This defense applies only where you can show you actually paid, not merely that the meter was out of order.
What proof do I need that I paid?
A meter or pay-station receipt showing the space number, date, and a paid window covering the citation time is strongest. Credit-card or mobile-app payment confirmations work if no physical receipt was issued, and a time-stamped photo of the meter display can help corroborate.
Does a photo of the meter display by itself prove I paid?
It helps corroborate your account if it's time-stamped close to the citation time and shows time remaining, but it's strongest paired with an actual payment receipt or app confirmation rather than standing alone.
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