How to Fight Parking Tickets in the City of Providence
Parking with left wheels to curb
In Providence, you are required to park your vehicle in the same direction as the flow of traffic, ensuring your right-hand wheels are close to the curb. Parking with your left wheels to the curb indicates that you have parked on the wrong side of a two-way street, facing against traffic.
Guide to Fighting City of Providence Parking with left wheels to curb
Seeing a parking ticket tucked under your wiper blade is never the highlight of anyone's day, especially in a busy place like Providence. If you’ve received a citation for "Parking with left wheels to curb," you might be scratching your head wondering what exactly went wrong. Essentially, this violation means you parked facing against the flow of traffic. In the United States, we drive on the right, which means we must also park on the right. If your left wheels are against the curb, it usually implies you crossed over the center line to park on the wrong side of the street.
While it might seem like a harmless convenience to snag a spot on the opposite side of the road without turning around, the City of Providence enforces this rule for safety reasons. Pulling out from a spot facing the wrong way forces you to cross oncoming traffic blindly, creating a hazard for yourself and other drivers. Because of this, the city issues these tickets regularly to keep traffic flowing safely and predictably.
The base fine for this violation is $42.00. While that might be manageable for some, the real danger lies in ignoring the ticket or forgetting to pay it promptly. Providence has a very aggressive late fee structure. If the ticket remains unpaid after 14 days, the fine doubles to $84.00. If you let it slide for 28 days, that original fine triples to a staggering $126.00. Time is literally money in this scenario, so addressing the citation immediately is the best way to protect your wallet.
If you believe the ticket was issued in error, there are valid angles for a dispute, though you will need to handle this process directly with the city or the courts. Common valid defenses include clerical errors on the ticket (such as the wrong license plate number or an incorrect date) or if you were parked on a one-way street where left-side parking is actually permitted, and the officer made a mistake. Always document the scene with photos if you plan to contest the violation on your own.
However, if the ticket is valid and you simply want to put this behind you before the price doubles, the Busted web app is the easiest way to handle it. We don't currently support contesting tickets for the City of Providence, but we offer a seamless way to pay your fines instantly. By using Busted, you can settle your debt with the city quickly, ensuring you beat that 14-day deadline and avoid the steep penalty spikes. It’s fast, secure, and saves you the headache of navigating complex municipal payment portals.
Late fee schedule
| Timing | Fee |
|---|---|
14-28 days In the event any of the foregoing stated fines are not paid or a plea of not guilty to the citation is entered prior to the fourteenth day after date of violation, said fines shall be doubled. | $84.00 |
After 28 days In the event any of the foregoing stated fines are not paid or a plea of not guilty to the citation is entered subsequent to the fourteenth day and prior to the twenty-eighth day after date of violations, said fines shall be tripled. | $126.00 |