Most recently, I caught one in Denver for parking slightly outside the white parallel parking line — just a few inches, mind you.
I resisted at first because I was moving back to Florida. Who cares if I have an unpaid parking notice in my soon-to-be former state?
The $25 citation climbed to $50. I know, I know. It was $25, but that’s valuable grocery cash for a recent grad. Then another reminder arrived at my Florida address.
Ugh, I paid.
But what would have happened if I’d simply rolled the dice and not paid? #rebel
What Happens When You Don’t Pay a Parking Ticket?
First things first, remember: parking tickets aren’t the same as moving violations.
John McCurley, owner of McCurley Law and legal editor at Nolo, explains the key difference: parking tickets do not appear on your driving record.
“Parking tickets also generally involve smaller fines and no risk of jail,” McCurley says. “Jail is a possibility for some traffic offenses.”
Phew: I wouldn’t have had to call my dad to come bail me out if I’d skipped paying.
But what about car insurance? McCurley says parking tickets won’t affect that either.
To be sure, I contacted my insurance agent, Tom Hendry of Tom Hendry Insurance Agency in St. Petersburg, Florida. He’s been in the business 31 years and has never seen a parking citation change insurance costs.
From there, things get less clear. Of course, with U.S. laws, nothing is straightforward.
Basically, the fallout depends on your city and state.
McCurley says common results include doubled or tripled fines, boots (not the fashionable kind) or having the ticket referred to collections.
Now that I’m living in St. Petersburg, I reached out to Keith Glasgow, the city’s parking enforcement coordinator.
In his experience, parking fines here are normally $25. If unpaid within 14 days, the fee rises to $40.
After that, parking services issues reminders at 30, 60 and 90 days. If the city still hasn’t received payment, your citation is forwarded to a collection agency between 90 and 120 days.
You’ll also receive a hold on your license plate registration, meaning you can’t renew it and you may be stopped by police.
Glasgow adds: If you accumulate three or more tickets, your vehicle will be booted — and it won’t be released until you settle the debt.
However, the real problem arises when a ticket goes to collections.
Glasgow says he’s had people plead: “I’m trying to buy a house, but I have this parking ticket,” he imitates. “Can you please remove it?”
I figured this parking official was dramatizing the consequences for those of us who ignore fines, but outlets like NerdWallet and The Huffington Post back up these worries.
Glasgow’s recommendation to avoid trouble — and avoid awkward conversations with enforcement staff? Pay the ticket, for heaven’s sake — even if it’s in collections. This can help your credit score, according to Credit Sesame, although there are no guarantees.
Anthony Sprauve, senior consumer credit specialist at FICO, told the Chicago Tribune that paying it off shows lenders you fulfilled a debt. Still, it won’t vanish instantly. That can take time.
If you want to know how your municipality treats unpaid citations, you can likely find those details online by searching your city’s transportation or parking department.
How Can I Fight My Parking Ticket?
Yes, yes — the parking ticket you received the other day feels unfair. But what if it’s actually unjustified?
McCurley says another major distinction between traffic and parking violations is that parking disputes are usually handled by mail rather than appearing in court. (Thankfully.)
He explains you generally need evidence to prove you’re in the right — “items like photographs and copies of parking permits,” he says. “Explanations of why you violated the rule typically won’t suffice.”
Think: “But I was late for a job interview!” or “Seriously? I was parked for five minutes!”
You can also check whether your town offers a parking ticket chatbot to contest citations on your behalf.
In my case, McCurley says states often lack a mechanism to enforce out-of-state parking fines. So, I probably could have skated by without paying my ticket.
I’ll just call that $50 payment a farewell gift to my favorite city: Denver.
Your Turn: Ever tried to wiggle out of a parking ticket?
Carson Lane (@CarsonLane) is a junior writer at Savinly. After recently finishing graduate school, she concentrates on cutting costs — and surviving the move back in with her parents. She despises parking tickets nearly as much as she dislikes roaches.
