How to Fight Parking Tickets in the City of Boston

Waking up to find an orange envelope on your windshield is a surefire way to ruin a morning in Boston. If you have been hit with an Overnight Street Cleaning violation, you certainly aren't alone. The city takes its street sweeping schedule seriously, and while they luckily did not tow your vehicle this time, that $90 fine is still a painful hit to the wallet.

Boston's street cleaning program generally runs from April 1st through November 30th, though some main arteries are swept year-round. The "Overnight" designation is crucial here. Unlike the daytime schedules that force you to move your car for a few hours in the morning, these restrictions usually kick in shortly after midnight to clear the gutters while traffic is low. For residents and visitors alike, this often results in a confusing game of musical chairs with parking spots late at night.

The base fine for this violation is $90.00. It is steep, but it can get worse. If you ignore the ticket or simply forget about it for 21 days, the City of Boston adds a $30.00 late penalty. That turns a nuisance into a significant expense very quickly. It is always in your best interest to address the citation immediately, whether you plan to pay it or fight it.

Can you fight it? Sometimes. While street cleaning tickets are strict, errors happen. Common angles for disputing these tickets involve signage and factual mistakes. Was the street cleaning sign obscured by a tree branch, graffiti, or construction equipment? Was the sign missing entirely from the block? Additionally, check the ticket itself for accuracy. If the officer wrote down the wrong license plate number, make, model, or location, you might have valid grounds for a dismissal.

Dealing with the bureaucratic maze of city parking websites can be tedious. That is where Busted comes in. We have built a web app designed to make handling your parking tickets as painless as possible. You do not need to download anything; just access our platform through your browser to get started.

With Busted, you can pay your fine securely or, if you believe the ticket was issued unfairly, we can help you assemble your dispute. We guide you through the process, helping you present the right evidence to the City of Boston. While we cannot guarantee a dismissal, we make the attempt much easier than navigating the process alone. Don't let that $90 ticket sit there gathering dust and late fees—handle it today with Busted.