How to Fight Parking Tickets in the City of Boston

Let's be honest: keeping track of administrative vehicle maintenance is a chore. Between oil changes, registration renewals, and insurance payments, it is incredibly easy to let your annual state inspection slip through the cracks. Unfortunately, in the City of Boston, forgetting that trip to the mechanic results in more than just a guilty conscience—it usually results in a bright orange envelope tucked under your wiper blade.

If you are driving a car registered in Massachusetts, you are required to have a valid inspection sticker displayed on your windshield at all times. The "No Valid Certificate of Inspection" violation is exactly what it sounds like. A Parking Clerk officer checked your windshield and saw that your sticker was expired, missing, or perhaps displayed a rejection status (a red "R") that had passed its allowed repair window. While this feels like a moving violation, Boston enforces it on parked cars regularly.

The financial damage starts at a base fine of $40.00. While this might not seem like a bank-breaker compared to some other city fines, it is an annoyance that can grow. If you put the ticket in your glovebox and forget about it for 21 days, the City of Boston adds a $13.00 late fee. Ignore it longer, and you risk being flagged at the Registry of Motor Vehicles, which prevents you from renewing your registration or license until the debt is settled.

The good news is that you don't necessarily have to accept the fine without a conversation. There are valid reasons to dispute this ticket. Perhaps you actually had a valid sticker, but glare or snow obscured it from the officer's view. Maybe the vehicle was parked on private property rather than a public way (though this depends heavily on specific zoning). In some rare cases, you might have been getting the inspection done the very same day the ticket was issued. While there are never any guarantees when dealing with city parking enforcement, presenting a clear, evidence-backed case is your best bet.

This is where Busted comes in. You don't need to download a new app or mail a physical letter to City Hall. Our web app allows you to handle the entire process from your browser. If you choose to dispute the ticket, we help you gather the right information and formulate a professional defense to send to the city. If you prefer to just pay it and move on, our platform handles that securely as well.

Dealing with parking tickets is never fun, but it doesn't have to ruin your day. whether you missed your inspection month by a few days or a few months, Busted provides a modern way to resolve the issue without the headache of navigating government websites or standing in line.