How to Fight Parking Tickets in the City of Boston

Driving in Boston often feels like navigating an obstacle course designed two centuries ago. Between the one-way streets, the construction detours, and the aggressive rush-hour traffic, finding a legal place to pull over can feel like a miracle. Sometimes, in a moment of desperation or hurry, you might double park just to drop someone off or run a quick errand. Unfortunately, if you do this in a "Zone A" area, you are likely to return to a bright orange ticket on your windshield.

In Boston, a Double Parking (Zone A) violation is taken seriously because Zone A designates areas with high traffic volume or commercial density. When you double park here, you aren't just taking up space; you are effectively shutting down a lane of travel and creating a bottleneck that ripples through the neighborhood. Because of this impact on traffic flow, parking enforcement officers are vigilant about writing these citations. The base fine for this violation is $55.00. While it might not be the most expensive ticket in the city, it is certainly enough to ruin your day.

It is vital to handle this ticket sooner rather than later. The City of Boston is strict about deadlines. If you leave the fine unpaid for 21 days after the issuance date, a $15.00 late penalty is added to the total. If you continue to ignore it, the city can notify the Registry of Motor Vehicles to prevent you from renewing your license or registration, and your vehicle could eventually be booted or towed.

However, receiving a ticket doesn't automatically mean you have to pay it. There are valid reasons to dispute a double parking citation. For example, if your vehicle was disabled due to a mechanical failure and you could not move it to the curb, you may have a valid defense. You would generally need to provide a towing receipt or a repair bill as evidence. Similarly, documented medical emergencies can sometimes lead to a dismissal. You should also inspect the ticket closely for factual errors. If the officer recorded the wrong license plate number, or identified your silver sedan as a red SUV, the ticket may be dismissed due to a "defect."

If you believe your ticket was issued unfairly or contains errors, you can contest it without the hassle of printing forms or mailing letters yourself. The Busted web app streamlines the entire dispute process. You simply upload a photo of your ticket and answer a few questions about your situation. Our system then generates a professional dispute letter and mails it to the City of Boston on your behalf. If you prefer to just settle the fine, you can also securely pay your ticket through our web interface. Whether you choose to fight or pay, Busted helps you resolve the issue quickly so you can get back on the road.