Last Updated on September 27, 2023 by Lawrence Berezin
Do you know which elements of a parking ticket the Evil Empire does not require?
I frequently received telephone calls and comments from wonderful members of the NYC driving community asking questions about required elements. For example:
- Is the “VIN” number a required element?
- How about “color?”
- What does “N/S” (“Not Shown”) or “N/A” (“Not Applicable”) mean?
The NYC driving community needed some help separating the required elements from the elements that the Evil Empire didn’t require. Likewise, they wanted to have a better understanding of the difference between vehicles registered in NY State and out-of-state vehicles (such as “body type.”)
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
What is a required element?
A required element is a bite-size bit of information that the Evil Empire requires a warrior to enter in those tiny boxes on a parking ticket.
Meanwhile, Substantial evidence is required. No charge may be established except upon proof by substantial credible evidence. See 39-08 (3).
Moreover, a parking ticket establishes a prima facie case if all the required elements are entered correctly. In other words, no required elements can be omitted, misdescribed, or illegible.
For Example
In a trial under criminal law, the prosecution has the burden of presenting prima facie evidence of each element of the crime charged against the defendant. In a murder case, this would include evidence that the victim was, in fact, dead, that the defendant’s act caused the death, and evidence that the defendant acted with malice aforethought. If no party introduces new evidence, the case stands or falls just by the prima facie evidence or lack thereof.
However, the Prima facie evidence need not be conclusive or irrefutable: At this stage, evidence rebutting the case is not considered, only whether any party’s case has enough merit to take it to a full trial [Source: Wikipedia].
A parking ticket “trial”
A judge conducts the trial in person, by mail, or online. But, the rules do not require a parking ticket warrior to personally appear at a trial. Most importantly, the parking ticket is your adversary.
Therefore, if the warrior omitted, misdescribed, or entered a required element illegibly, the judge will dismiss the parking ticket for failure to establish a prima facie case against you (yea!). See 39-02(a)(3).
Here’s the Evil Empire’s detailed view of the required elements.
Likewise, the required elements are parking ticket gold.
For example, here’s what happens when you click on the “Required Elements” tag
Larry’s Money Saving Registration and Inspection Cheat Sheet
Larry shares helpful information for each subsection of the status violations rule related to registration and inspection—a veritable plethora of money-saving insights.
New York City treats out-of-state vehicles differently than vehicles registered in New York State.
For example:
Commentary
An omitted, misdescribed, or illegible required element is parking ticket gold! Required elements are wonderful, tiny, bite-size bits of data that will set you free! Please, I beseech you always check the front of your parking ticket for these tiny gold nuggets. Remember, once you find your “get out of jail free” card, you must present the proper proof, properly to win a dismissal of your parking ticket.
I am sorry to report those parking ticket warriors rarely, if ever, enter the name of the operator of a vehicle (when present behind the wheel), despite a legal requirement to do so. What’s worse is that parking ticket judges would rather have their fingernails pulled off than dismiss a parking ticket for failure to enter the name of the operator.
The Evil Empire requires a warrior or cop to sign the ticket. However, the signature does not have to be readable. ‘X’ marks the spot.
Hi Larry,
Thank you for your helpful advice. I do have a question regarding a parking ticket I received today that was missing some information.
I was ticketed in NY and my car is registered out-of-state in CT. The ticketing officer did not write down the make of the car when issuing the ticket. According to your chart above, this means that I may have this ticket dismissed. Is this correct? Your chart said “Yes” but I wanted to confirm if it applied to out-of-state cars.
Thank you!
Hi Maggi,
Good morning.
You’re a winner. Yea!
The make of your chariot is a required element, and must be entered on the parking ticket. When you fight the parking ticket, you may wish to submit:
1. A copy of your registration showing the make
2. Photographs of your car, if the make is displayed anywhere on the vehicle.
Please let us know the outcome of your good fight.
Best,
Larry
Hi Larry,
About a month and a half back I had written to ask you about a parking ticket that I had received that was missing the make of my car. I am happy to say that I submitted an online hearing request (with a copy of my registration) and got my decision last week. I received a “Not guilty” verdict. Your advice was vital in helping me fight the ticket! Thank you so much!
Maggie,
Wow. What wonderful news!
Thanks so much for fighting the good fight and sharing the results with all of us.
Be safe.
Best,
Larry
I got a ticket with my motorcycle on 5/14. They wrote for the make NS, when the bike is a suzuki and is clearly labeled as such in more than one place on the motorcycle. Does the make requirement apply to motorcycles as well?
Hey John,
Good morning.
Is your bike registered in NY?
I’ve beaten this parking ticket for our wonderful motorcycle customers by taking photographs of the bike showing that the “make” was clearly visible to the warriors “naked eye” on the date/time the parking ticket was issued. I like to certify that the photographs show your bike exactly how it appeared on the date/time the parking ticket was issued. Otherwise, a parking ticket judge may wiggle out of a dismissal by claiming there is no proof offered that this is how the bike looked on the date the ticket was issued.
You may wish to submit a copy of your registration with your defense certification and photographs.
Let us know the outcome.
Regards,
Larry
Larry, the make is clearly visible in at least 6 spots on the bike, not least of which is painted on the fender directly under the license plate the TEA had to copy the number from. Thanks for the advice, I will let you know the outcome.
And yes it is registered in NY.
Hi Larry, thanks for breaking this down, it’s very helpful. I see that the ‘color’ of the car is not required information, but what if the ticketing officer put down an incorrect color? Is it possible that could help get the ticket dismissed?
Dear Ben,
Good afternoon.
I love your question.
It shows a lot of thought because sometimes a simple twist of fate, can elevate a defense from a pay-the-man defense to a winning defense.
First, the direct answer to your question is sadly, no. Color is not a required element. Whether it’s entered incorrectly or simply omitted, doesn’t provide us with a get out of jail free defense.
Plate type is a required element. If it’s shown on an out-of-state plate, it must be entered on the parking ticket as it appears on the plate. If not, we win, case dismissed. However, if an out-of-state plate doesn’t display the plate type, but the warrior misdescribes it, then I would argue the misdescription results in a dismissal. If the warrior entered “NS” instead of a misdescription, the ticket would not be dismissed.
Another scenario occurs when a warrior leaves the tiny box under a required element blank (empty) instead of inserting “NS” or “NA.” Blank is a winning defense, where “NS or “NA” results in pay-the-man. But, remember, the item must be a required element to qualify for a dismissal. Items such as color or year aren’t required elements.
Thanks for the excellent question.
Regards,
Larry
Hi Larry, well, it was worth a try — either way, I really appreciate the timely response. It was so timely that you got to me before I was able to send a follow up about booting.
Thank you so much for your time.
Hi again, I’ve read through your site (it really is a great resource), and in addition to my question about the incorrect color of the vehicle on the ticket, I’m trying to make sense of the NYC boot laws — I see you’ve covered this a few times.
The car in question (via Car2Go) was ticketed and booted. I already fell into the trap of paying to have the boot removed (given the 2 hour notice on the windshield), but I’m trying to understand why it was even booted in the first place. Yes, the car was parked in a ‘no standing 7am – 10am’ zone in Brooklyn, but does that constitute a boot? I also ran the plate of the car and there is not more than $350 in outstanding tickets issued. Any thoughts?
Thanks.
Hey Ben,
You caught me in between naps.
Booting strikes a raw nerve with me.
What began as a benign pilot program as a kinder alternative to a ticket and tow has morphed into a double dipping money grab for the Evil Empire.
Booting has become the swiss army knife for the Evil Empire. Use it, abuse it, and rake in the dough. For example, when satan created the boot, it was first used to immobilize scofflaws who had more than $350 in unpaid parking ticket judgments. Now, a warrior or cop will slap a boot on your chariot with a 2-hour warning to remove it or face a tow. The unfortunate soul who parked and went to work is going to be stuck with a ticket, boot fee, and tow fee. Nasty.
I see no legal basis for this gremlin after midnight transformation. I’ve written the Evil Empire, DOT, Police Department, and Councilman Yanis Rodriguez and CouncilMan David Greenfield without receiving a meaningful response. Next step, alert the media.
Best,
Larry
Thanks for fighting the good fight, Larry! It’s pretty disgusting knowing they’re abusing this program for their benefit. Fortunately I got out of a tow because I rushed to the Brooklyn Navy Yard to pay the de-boot fee. Still, that took time and money on a day that was supposed to be a vacation day, ha.
In thinking about this a bit more, the only possible reason I can think of for getting the boot was because it was a Car2Go vehicle. Although the particular car in question didn’t have $350 in fines, perhaps it’s a company-wide penalty. I checked a few other Car2Go cars/plates that are parked in my neighborhood and a few actually had a couple thousand in unpaid tickets.
Anyway, thank you again for your time. Enjoy your naps.
-Ben
I received a ticket for an expired inspection, ,which, unfortunately, it was. However, the location is incorrectly written. There is no such street. The street is Steinway and it says stairway. What do you think?
Thanks so much, what a treasure you are!
Dear Leslie,
I am sad to report (after dedicating 6 years, 7-days-per-week with two months off for my heart attack) that I will no longer be answering questions on Larry’s Blog. You’ll find a treasure trove of information in the 746 Blog Posts and growing, F.A.Q.’s, and comments.
If you need help, you may wish to check out of service offerings. Here’s a link
https://newyorkparkingticket.com/passenger-vehicles/
I received a “NO Parking” summons even though the posted signs are “NO Standing”. Plus the vehicle vin# was entered incorrectly, then crossed out and re-entered.
Dear Dan,
I am sad to report (after dedicating 6 years, 7-days-per-week with two months off for my heart attack) that I will no longer be answering questions on Larry’s Blog. You’ll find a treasure trove of information in the 746 Blog Posts and growing, F.A.Q.’s, and comments.
If you need help, you may wish to check out of service offerings. Here’s a link
https://newyorkparkingticket.com/passenger-vehicles/
Hi Larry I received a double parking ticket today in the Bronx.NYC.. Under Expiration date on the ticket it says N/S Rain and no vehicle year. Is that required. Thank you Frank
Dear Frank,
Good evening.
I always fight a parking ticket when the warrior enters N/S Rain. However, the ultimate outcome will depend on whether the judge hearing your case likes the rain. Good luck. Regards, Larry
ok. Sorry not sure what your saying , is the ticket good or not. I mean good for me. Thanks Again
You have a 50-50 chance of winning.
Hi Larry,
I have NJ plates, with expiration sticker clearly on window.
I received a parking ticket for “No Std Commercial Meter Zone) 8am-4pm.
Things I noticed on ticket:
– Exp Date listed as N/A (but its clearly on windshield)
– Body Type listed as 4dsd but I have an SUV
– VIN only has last 4 digits – not complete?
– Comment states “no driver…” but I was here when he ticketed me at 8:08am, waiting in the car. I had told him I was just waiting for someone to bring a package out of the building and shouldn’t be longer than 2-5min
What are my chances to dispute this to get it dismissed and what would I need to submit as proof? Thank you.
Dear Pia,
I am sad to report (after dedicating 6 years, 7-days-per-week, with two months off for my heart attack) that I will no longer be answering questions on Larry’s Blog. You’ll find a treasure trove of information in the 746 Blog Posts and growing, F.A.Q.’s, and comments.
If you need help, you may wish to check out of service offerings. Here’s a link.
https://newyorkparkingticket.com/passenger-vehicles
Hi Larry,
I hope this question finds you well.
I bought a motorbike last Wednesday, parked it correctly on the street and was going to go and register it on Thursday morning, but it was already gone – towed away for missing plates… Catch 22, as I could not have registered it sooner since I didn’t have he title for it yet. I had naively left a sign on it sayin “Awaiting registration. Please don’t tow”, which I think may have only given me away Anyway, the ticket has no plate number on it, of course, only the VIN, which is incorrect. Would that be sufficient basis for fighting it? Everything else seems to be on the ticket.
Thanks for your help!
Greg,
Sorry about your parking pain.
VIN is not a required element. Sadly, you are not entitled to a dismissal if it’s missing.
Regards,
Larry
This blog just saved me $125.00. Thank you.
The story:
I traveled to NYC from my home in MA over Xmas 2016. The day after Xmas, I was visiting a friend in Chelsea when I saw what appeared to be a parking space. Yes, there was a fire hydrant nearby, but I figured those metal poles on either side of the fire hydrant were there to help you know how close you could park. Imagine my surprise when I returned to find a $115.00 ticket on my car.
I was so sure those poles were meaningful that I took a picture of my wife with the car and the fire hydrant showing that I was no where near them. When I told my NYC friends about this and showed them the picture, they laughed and laughed. Everyone in NYC knows that you have to park 15 feet away from a fire hydrant. I was nowhere near the poles, but I was clearly within 15 feet.
I took the ticket home and was about to pay it but decided to do some online research, just in case. I came across your helpful blog, looked up the extremely sharp and legible version of my ticket online and checked the required elements. Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles — my Subaru Forester was listed as a Mitsubishi.
More than 30 days had passed and I live out of state, but I figured that $115 plus the late fee was worth some effort. I requested an online trial, retrieved my MA vehicle registration from the MA RMV, uploaded it and wrote a polite note explaining that one of the required elements was incorrect.
3 days later, my ticket was dismissed, no fees.
I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your public service to those of us who were stupid enough to think that those metal poles around the fire hydrant were meant to be helpful. I wish you every success as you fight the good fight for your clients — thanks for helping us little guys as well.
Hi SDK,
I am totally touched by your gracious comment. Kudos for not paying an unjust ticket, “no questions asked.”
Thanks for sharing your inspirational experience with all of us.
Regards,
Larry
Hi Larry,
I received a parking ticket for OBSTRUCT DRVWY/PEDESTRIAN RAMP while there was no visible driveway nor was there any posting of a driveway is there anywhere I can check on public records if its a legal driveway?
Thank you
Hi Joel,
Good morning.
The violation you referred to is either:
-A driveway violation or
-A pedestrian ramp violation
Here’s a way to check out whether a curb cut for a driveway is legal…http://www1.nyc.gov/nyc-resources/faq/410/how-do-i-know-if-a-curb-cut-is-legal
Regards,
Larry
Hi Larry,
Thanks for your response
I was able to verify that there is a legal driveway on the property (it says on the C/O *open space uses ______One (1) car -153 sq. ft.______*) however there is no sign noting that there is a driveway nor is the driveway visible from the street is this a good defense?
Thank you
Joel
Joel,
Good morning.
I applaud your hard work and passion.
Ummm….Do you have a photograph from the street? If so, send it to me and I’ll take a look.
Generally speaking, parking violations are “offenses” that do not require intent to violate. For example, some judges have found drivers guilty of violating the fire hydrant rule even though the fire hydrant was covered with a large construction cone.
On the other hand, another judge found my client not guilty when a fire hydrant was completely covered by garbage.
Regards,
Larry
Hi Larry,
Thanks again for your response where can I send you pictures?
I’m sending you here the address of occurrence 1612 48th Street Brooklyn NY 11204 and a link to Google Street view 1612 1612 48th St https://goo.gl/maps/6E3Gx5L1UXx where they have very recent updated Street pictures and you can see there is no sign
Thank you
Joel
Hi Larry,
I recently received a parking ticket in NYC. The “NY” bubble is filled in under the “County” designation, but the warrior failed to fill in the “State” designation. Please note that the location of the violation is indeed completed. Since “State” is a required field of completion, do you think I can fight this ticket? Or is the inclusion of “County” enough information on the ticket to imply “State”?
Thanks so much for the help and looking forward to your reply!
Best,
Alex
Hi Alex,
Good morning.
You may have a winning defense.
The “State” designation refers to the state in which your chariot was registered. The “NY” bubble, as you correctly stated, refers to Manhattan (the County) where the parking ticket was issued.
If the State was completely blank (No NS or NA entered), you have a winning defense.
Best,
Larry
Hi Alex,
Good morning. Great observation.
-The “NY” entered in the bubble, refers to the county in which the ticket was issued (Manhattan)
-The “State” refers to the state of your chariot’s registration. The State is a required element. It must be entered correctly, or an NS or NA must be entered, if appropriate. But, it cannot be left blank.
If it was left blank, you have a winning defense upon application and presenting the proper proof, properly.
Regards,
Larry
Hi Larry,
This website is a great resource! I unfortunately received a parking ticket in Manhattan this weekend while moving out of my apartment. I have 2 possible defenses, and wanted to know your thoughts.
First, there was an officer issuing tickets on my block, so I approached him and asked him if I could park in a “No Standing Anytime” zone for the move. He said yes and continued without issuing me a ticket. About 45 minutes later, as I walked outside to continue loading our rental truck, I found a different officer issuing me a ticket! She said the ticket was already processed, and there was nothing she could do even though another officer had authorized me to park there.
Second, upon inspecting the front of the ticket, I noticed that the place of occurrence is incorrect – it says “Opposite 224 W 47th Street”, which is indeed a no standing anytime zone (in front of an entrance to the Morgan Stanley building in Times Square) but is 2 avenues from where I was actually parked.
Should I argue both defenses, or just go with one of them, and if so, which one?
Thanks in advance for your insight. Looking forward to your reply!
Adam
Hi Adam,
Good morning.
First, a warrior or cop cannot authorize you to park in a legal or illegal parking space. I urge our friends never, ever to rely on a warrior or cop for parking advice. It will be very costly.https://newyorkparkingticket.com/who-else-wants-answers-to-these-nyc-parking-ticket-questions/
Second, How can you prove that the place of occurrence was misdescribed? Especially if the parking violation you were charged with regulated the place of occurrence entered on the parking ticket?
My experience over the years is that it is almost impossible to win,”you said_warrior said” argument in Parking Ticket Court.
Were there any other defects?
Larry
Hi Larry,
Thanks for all the helpful info. I got a ticket recently for overtime parking (issued 7 minutes after receipt expired). The warrior wrote place of occurrence as 60ft West of X St. I was parked at least 150ft from that street, however, confirmed with Google Maps. There was also a parking lot entrance about 25 feet long right behind my car. The first parking sign is 20′ from X St and then another one right after the curb cut, where I was parked. I took some photos of where my car was, but will it be enough to have the ticket dismissed (since position 20′-125′ of the street was still parking space, even though I was past 150′ point)?
Hi Nick,
Sorry for the delay in replying, but I just returned from a visit with my children and granddaughter in Seattle.
Sadly, I’m an old guy and confused by numbers and distances.
You must be able to prove that you complied with the rule regulating the parking space located 60 feet West of X Street. Did you park longer than the time limit permitted for your parking space?
Regards,
Larry
Hi Larry,
Hope you had a nice visit.
So I was never parked at 60 feet West of X Street.
I was parked 150 feet West of X St.
I took pictures showing my car 150ft W of that street.
I did park about 10 minutes longer than I had paid for because I’d forgotten about it.
Will this defense work?
Hi Larry,
Hope you had a nice visit.
So I was never parked at 60 feet West of X Street.
I was parked 150 feet West of X St.
I took pictures showing my car 150ft W of that street.
I did park about 10 minutes longer than I had paid for because I’d forgotten about it. Will this defense of wrong “Place of Occurrence” by warrior work?
Nick,
Taking a photograph of your car isn’t enough to win because the judge is simply going to state that you moved the car. Further, when you get in you said-Warrior said conflict, who do you think the judge is going to believe.
In order to win the defense you propose, you’ll need some kind of independent, compelling evidence that you did not move your car prior to taking the photographs.
Good luck.
Regards,
Larry
Hi Larry,
Hope all is well. I found a parking ticket on my car which may be defective. The Complainant on the ticket was “Mazumder, M.” but the Signature of the Complainant clearly reads, “A. A.” They don’t match.
Do you think that makes it defective?
Thanks in advance.
Dan,
Good morning.
Interesting question.
Parking ticket judges are totally loathed to dismiss a ticket for the absence of the warrior’s signature. However, this is different because your defense will be the claimant and signature don’t match….Ummm.
I’m happy to take a look at the ticket. Please take a photograph and email it to me at larry@newyorkparkingticket.com
I’ll take a look and let you know what I think.
Regards,
Larry
Hi Larry!
I recently received a Traffic Ticket for violation of VTL 381-7 (goggles/face shield requirement for motorcycle operators). I believe the ticket is defective for failure to indicate the City, County, or Precinct (i.e., none of those three bubbles is checked and the officer did not write in a City, County, or Precinct), in the box immediately below the Place of Occurrence box.
In the Place of Occurrence box, the officer wrote: “W/B W39th + 5th Ave”
I read in another of your posts that County and Precinct are NOT required elements, but is it not required that the officer *at least* identify the City (or even Borough)?
For example, there are at least two “39th Street” that cross a “5th Ave” — one in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn (moreover, traffic runs westbound on both the 39th Street in Manhattan and the 39th Street in Brooklyn)
Would love to get your thoughts — and I hope you find this to be an interesting one!
In any event, thanks for all of the wisdom you’ve shared here over the years — it has been incredibly useful (and effective!).
Hi, OB,
I only work on parking tickets, sorry.
Regards,
Larry
Ah, too bad (though I probably should have gathered as much from the site name!)
Thanks anyway, Larry. Great blog!
Thanks, OB!
Hi Larry,
I received a NYC violation notice for obstructing the intersection. It stated that I failed to answer to a summons issued to me on Feb 9, 2018.. I was never issued a summons. I was approached by the Traffic Officer who ran my plate and asked for my license which I gave to him. Once he saw that one part of my vehicle (rear) was in the intersection not blocking other vehicle from proceeding he stated “try not to block the intersection anymore”. I said ok and went on my way. (no summons was issued). Yesterday April 5th I was shocked to receive a failure to answer to a summons notice. I was even more shocked when I viewed this summons online for the first to find that the drivers section where it states name of driver, the comment (Refused Name) I noticed further that the color of the vehicle in the Summons was marked as (BLK). My vehicle is a light gray no mistake about that. I also have a witness that was in my vehicle at the of this incident. Can this summons that I never received me dismissed? Thanks
Hi, Mac,
Good afternoon.
I’m sorry you got killed by the blocking the box beast.
The Warriors never write down the driver’s name on the ticket like they’re supposed to and
simply write, “Refused Name.” Sadly, the judges accept this lie as the truth.
Since you did block the box a tiny bit, you don’t have a substantive defense to the violation.
Your best bet is to check for omitted, misdescribed, or illegible required elements. If you find
one or more, you can beat the ticket (as long as you present the proper proof, properly).
Otherwise, you may wish to pay the fine and be done with it.
Regards,
Larry
Hi Larry,
Today I was driving on a heavily congested street in NY. The traffic ahead of me was moving as I approached the green light so I continued through the green light following the moving traffic. The traffic then slowed down and eventually stopped, all at this time the light was still green. The light eventually turned red and the tail of my car was stuck in the intersection. Before I could successfully maneuver my car to the side of the car in front of me, a parking officer stepped in the way preventing me from pulling forward, then telling me i was getting a ticket for obstructing an intersection. The Violation I received is 4-08(e)(12) – which implies that i was ‘parking, stopping or standing’, in a ‘general no stopping zone’, and ‘obstructing an intersection’. I was clearly in drive, stuck in traffic with no way to predict that the traffic in front of me would eventually stop moving and not further move while my light went from green to red, so I was not “stopped” in this zone by choice or waiting for anything, I simply could not proceed forward. It says that I “refused name” when I was not asked for my name or license. I am wondering if this is something I can dispute given that I did not stop my car, nor could I have predicted that traffic would stop causing my back end to be in an intersection.
Erin,
Good morning.
Blocking the box tickets are tough to beat. The rule unrealistically requires a driver to make observations across the intersection and only proceed on a green light if there is sufficient space on the opposite side for your car to fit. The Evil Empire doesn’t care that we’re not Carnac.
I’ve fought a bunch of these tickets and won my fair share and lost my fair share. What I’ve learned is that you have to prove a very big, unexpected event occurred while you were driving through the box. Not easy to do. Also, if you were making a turn, the box rule doesn’t apply.
The Warriors and cops always insert “Refused” so a judge will not allow the defense of improper service. Judge’s always wink at this outright lie.
I would check for omitted, misdescribed, or illegible required elements. if you find one or more, you win, subject to presenting the proper proof, properly.
Good luck, Erin
Hi Larry,
thanks for your good work. i have a ticket that is almost totally illegible. i would prefer to mail it in as a trial via email but im afraid of giving up the piece of evidence that supports my claim. even if i made a copy they could say the original was legible .( which it is not).
am i better off having a trial in person? of course i prefer not to do that.
thanks
Hi, Saul,
Good morning.
Great question.
The “official” copy of any parking ticket is the one that appears online. When you raise the illegible ticket defense, the judges look at the online ticket to reach their decision.
So, even if you appear in person, the judge is still going to pull up the online image on his computer to make a decision.
Regards,
Larry
Hi Larry,
I have NJ plates and just found out that I have a double parking ticket in NY on 4/26. I was in in NY on that date, but never double parked and never received an actual physical ticket. Online the ticket has does have my plate number and making and color. But nothing else. I was in the area that the ticket was issued. And saw a few parking meter officers while being there issuing tickets to other cars that were doubled parked. But I was not one of them. Being that I was parked. Is there any way I can argue this ticket. The VIN, Insurance exp areas on the ticket were left blanked. And if it wasn’t because I was checking my wife’s car and decided to check my plates why at it. I would have never known of such tickets. I don’t understand, how with just plates and color and model is enough to issue a ticket. When that is something that anyone can just see off of any car and write 20 tickets a day. I do not believe this is right!! What do you advice me to do?
Hi, Jonathan,
I’ve been ranting about this injustice all of parking ticket fighting days, with no change in the process.
It is very difficult to prove a negative, especially when you have to prove your car wasn’t double parked on a day you were in NYC.
I’m afraid I don’t have a magic defense that beats these types of stupid tickets. You gotta be creative and figure out why your car couldn’t possibly have been double parked on that street at that time of day.
Good luck, Jonathan.
Regards,
Larry
Hi Larry,
I hope all is well. I received a NYC violation notice for obstructing the intersection under 4-08(e)(12).
The thing is, i didn’t drive that day as i was at home and my father in law drove my vehicle to run a errand. My father in law has a foreign driver license from another country that allows him to drive in NYC, the summons on the driver’s section where it states name of driver, the comment shows (Refused Name). Can this summons be dismissed as i wasn’t the driver of the vehicle when the summon was issued or is this violation consider to be on the car and the car owner is liable? Thank you.
Warmest regards,
Zack
Hi, Zach,
Good morning.
Great question.
A blocking the Box violation can be either a parking ticket or moving violation. It appears that your FIL was issued the parking ticket version.
There are no points, but the driver and owner are jointly liable for payment of the fine. The Evil Empire will accept the payment from either your pocket or your FILs pocket.
Ultimately, the owner of the vehicle is always liable for any parking violation issued to an authorized driver while driving your car.
Regards,
Larry
Hi Larry,
Thanks for running this blog, its very helpful. I got a parking ticket for parking in front of a pedestrian ramp. After looking at the ticket, I noticed the officer put the ‘model’ of the car as the ‘make’ on the ticket. Is this sufficient to get a dismissal?
Regards,
Mo
Hi, Mo,
Good morning.
Good thought, but it may not be sufficient to beat the ticket because:
-NY VTL requires MAKE OR MODEL
-NYC Rules 39-02(a) requires a description of the vehicle
With that said, I would take a shot and dispute the ticket by raising your defense. I would simply say it’s not the MAKE of your car and submit a copy of the registration and photograph of the sticker on the windshield.
Good luck.
Regards,
Larry
I want to thank you for your advise I’ve gotten many tickets dismissed due to this golden information only thing is I feel like they are catching on. When they are writing you a ticket does it show why the previous ones were dismissed? Because the recent tickets I have received are absolutely flawless now haha. Does the Judge look at previous dismissed tickets as well when deciding your fate?
Hi, Anthony,
Good morning.
Thanks for your kind remark.
Hahaha, I know the feeling you described.
Yes, the Evil Empire eventually catches on.
For example, they made a mistake when they redesigned the “No Standing except Trucks loading and unloading sign” to “Trucks Loading Only,” and after many months corrected their mistake by changing the Rule to match the wording on the sign.
Judges are not supposed to look at your prior parking tickets when reaching their decisions. Most judges are great and really give you a fair chance to beat the ticket. However, there are still some rogue
judges who spend their time trying to figure out a way to find you guilty. I hate those judges! For example, in one case, I argued that the Rule was misdescribed. I offered screen grabs from the Official DOT Parking Regulations Map proving that according to the official records, a no standing rule did not regulate the place of occurrence.
However, the rogue judge adjourned the case and asked for additional evidence, which would be onerous to acquire, while stating that Google Map Street View was not usable. But, I didn’t use Google Map Street View.
The judge obviously knew that but wanted to make fighting the ticket so burdensome, that we would just pay the fine. Hogwash! We’re going to continue our fight and appeal this stupid judge’s decision if he finds us guilty.
Good luck.
Regards,
Larry
Dear Sir,
I got a parking violation (parking within 6 feet of a fire hydrant) in Brooklyn. My plate is from out of state. The VIN number on the ticket is incorrect. Other information is accurate. Should I dispute this ticket? Do I have a chance of winning?
Appreciate you!
Best regards,
L
Hi Lusi,
Good morning.
Sorry to learn about your parking pain.
I’m afraid a VIN number is not a required element. In other words, you can’t beat a ticket for a misdescribed VIN #.
Did you take photos to prove you parked your chariot more than 15 feet from the fire hydrant? If so, I would fight the unjust ticket.
If not, and there were no other mistakes on the front of the ticket, I’m sad to say that I can’t figure out a winning defense for you.
Sorry, Lusi.
Regards,
Larry
Hi, I received two parking tickets. One for 1163(A) Improper Turn and the other for 4-03 (A) (1) Failed to Yield To Vehicle/Pedestrian-NYC.
There are a couple mistakes on the ticket. (1) The plate # is incorrect. The first letter of the license plate is wrong. (2) The “Registration Expires” has been left blank.
Can I dispute these tickets? Thanks for your help
Hi Deepa,
Good afternoon.
I’m sorry to hear about your driving pain.
But, I’m afraid I don’t handle moving violations (only parking tickets, 4-08).
However, you may wish to get in touch with a terrific friend and colleague, Matthew Weiss, Esq. Matt’s law firm is dedicated to making traffic tickets “easy.”
Here’s a link to his website.
Good luck, Deepa.
Regards,
Larry
Hi Larry,
I received a ticket for expired parking meter (8 minutes over ugh). I’m an out of towner (NJ plates) and the ticket lists “Exp. Date” as “N/A.”
The month and year of the expiration of my state inspection is listed on my front windshield. Would that be considered to be the same as the “vehicle registration expiration”?
The ticket was also in VC: 37, but is blank under “operational.” It looks like “operational” is a required element with VC 37?
Would you advise disputing this ticket?
Appreciate your time and thoughts.
Hi Drew,
Sorry to learn about your parking meter pain. Excellent questions.
-I’m afraid that the “Exp. Date” refers to the registration expiration date, which is not displayed on the plate or the windshield of an NJ car. The date on you inspection sticker is not the same as “vehicle registration expiration.”
-VC37 is the code for overtime parking. Here’s what the Evil Empire has to say about the required elements for a VC37
If the metered zone is in effect for certain times, those times must be accurately indicated on the ticket.
Hi Larry,
Thanks so much for your response and for these details. Really do appreciate it.
The meter # is a match to the meter I paid for parking at. Looks like I should just pay the man.
Hi Larry,
Hope you are doing well!
I have received a parking ticket in NYC for 4-08(1)(3)(ii). I parked, bought a ticket from the meter but did not see that it was a commercial only zone at the time of the incident.
Anyway, the ticket states N/S for the Exp. Date of vehicle. It was a fleet vehicle from Alabama with a sticker on the plate stating 2027 (I do have a picture). After doing some research, all AL fleet vehicles are always due for renewal in November. So, in this case it should be 11/2027 which was visible for the ticket writer. But was is actually required to be filled out correctly?
What do you think, should I try to fight this ticket or better just pay?
I appreciate your thoughts!
Best, Sebastian
Hi Sebastian,
Well-done.
A warrior or cop is required to enter the registration date of expiration on the parking ticket if it is displayed (both 11/2027) on the plate(s). Meanwhile, “NS” is not sufficient.
When you fight the evil ticket, be sure to include a time-dated photo showing the stickers attached to the plate (a view of the entire plate attached to the car and a closeup of the stickers). And proof that Alabama requires the stickers.
Let us know when we can pop a bottle of champagne to celebrate your victory!
Regards,
Larry
Hi Larry,
Thank you so much for your nice article.
I recently noticed that the camera tickets that I receive have the wrong plate type on it.
My plate type is PAS and it says on the violation SRF.
Is this a win?
In addition what are the required element on camera tickets?
Thank You,
Menachem
Hi Menachem,
Good afternoon.
Great question.
However, I don’t know the answer 100%.
You get a notice of liability for a camera violation, not a “parking ticket.” Although a camera violation is treated like a parking ticket for insurance and record keeping (by DMV).
With that said, I would fight the ticket and raise your defense of misdescribed plate type.
Please let us know the outcome if you fight the good fight.
Good luck, Menacham.
Regards,
Larry
Hi my expired parking meter ticket in nyc leaves the Operational box blank?
is that grounds for dismissal? if so what is the nyc source?
Hi OD,
Good afernoon.
“Operational” can be left blank for an expired meter ticket.
However, did you check the Zone/Meter number?
For an expired meter ticket (VC37), the entry must be a seven digit number for the meter number. Not, a six digit number for a zone number.
Good luck.
Regards,
Larry
Yes i see its only 6 digits!
But question up thread you listed all essential elements and one of them was “operational”?
“Operational Yes for VC33, VC34, VC37”
Hi OD,
Thanks for sending me the heads up! I really appreciate it.
Meanwhile, I initially wrote the post in 2013 and last updated it in 2022 (I also viewed the post today to look at the up thread you referred to). When I originally wrote the post in 2013, I was winning a dismissal for the omission of a “y” for those violation codes.
However, some time ago, the Evil Empire published a page on their Website that discussed the required elements in detail. However, the omission of a “Y” for those violations was not listed. Likewise, I noticed the “Y” was not included on the ticket, which is why I no longer offer the adice that omission of a “Y” is a winning defense.
I try to update my blog posts when appropriate. However, I am sad to say, that until your great heads up, I failed to notice the omitted “Y” needed an update. My bad! But, I will shortly.
Thanks again, OD.
Please let me know the good news when your expired meter ticket is dismissed.
Regards,
Larry