Are you making these 5 NYC Parking Ticket Mistakes?

Last Updated on November 27, 2019 by Lawrence Berezin

Correcting NYC parking ticket mistakes takes relentless repetition

I enjoy speaking to many members of our NYC driving community about their parking ticket experiences. The same myths and mistakes keep popping up. Let’s go over a few.

1. Every nook and cranny of New York City is a tow away zone. No signs or notice is required. In other words, if your car is issued an itsy bitty, tiny weeny, orange parking ticket for expired meter, it can be towed. If you never received a parking ticket in 40 years of driving, and get one in NYC; your car can be towed.

• If you have $101 in parking ticket judgments, and your car is issued a parking ticket, it will be towed. If you have $350 in judgment, your car can be towed; even without a parking ticket being issued.

2. If a Muni-Meter is broken, you must still locate a working Muni- Meter, pay for parking, and display your receipt. Parking in a space regulated by a Muni-Meter, and not paying for the time because the Muni is broken is “One way ticket to Palookaville.” [Terry Malloy]. Here’s what the DOT has to say:

“When a Muni-Meter is out-of-order, you must purchase a parking receipt from another Muni-Meter on the same block or within the same Municipal Lot. If all of the Muni-Meters on a block are broken or missing, New York City law permits motorists to park for the posted maximum parking time.”

3. If you get a NYC parking ticket for “expired meter” the parking ticket warrior must enter the meter number, the time limit, and attest it was operational. If these required elements are omitted, misdescribed, or illegible, your parking ticket will be dismissed upon application.

4. You can never stop your car in a crosswalk to pick-up or drop-off a passenger, even for a “NY minute”

5. A bus stop zone begins at the bus stop sign, and ends at the next parking sign, or if no next parking sign, the end of the block (in the direction of the arrow(s) on the bus stop sign). This is a very difficult parking ticket to defeat (regardless of the legality of your activity in the bus stop zone). Please try your best to avoid stopping, dropping, and vamoosing .

Commentary

You’ll find a little button “Take a Quiz” on the Home page and Larry’s Blog page of our website. It is a quick, 3 question quiz. But, your answers help me provide tips and other information about the whims and caprices of NYC parking ticket land.

For example, most respondents still believe that NYC is NOT a tow-away zone.

What areas of the NYC parking ticket rules and regulations present the most confusion? Fire away and I’ll try to shed some light on your inquires.