The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our usual routines, causing many of us to quarantine over these past few months. We realize that stay-at-home orders have completely changed our way of life, and some of these changes are long-lasting and complicated.
To alleviate some of the financial stress that the pandemic has brought on, the Department of Transportation can offer some relief. For anyone who received a parking ticket on or before March 19, 2020, we are granting amnesty for all late charges, called “delinquent fees,” on parking tickets. All delinquent fees are excused during this amnesty period. Only the original fine amount will be due, which must be paid in full by or before December 31, 2020.
You might be wondering, “Well, what is an ‘original fine’ and do I owe money? Do I still have to pay a ticket if I got one after March 19?” Here’s an example:
Maxine got a parking ticket after she parked in a permit-only area on January 27, 2020. She doesn’t open her 15-day reminder notice and forgets to pay her $70 ticket within the 21-day timeline. Maxine’s $45 ticket starts to gather delinquency fees after 21 days. The longer she puts off the ticket, the more money she owes. But with the Amnesty Program, Maxine is cleared of all delinquent fees and only owes the original $70 fine.
Let's pretend a car owner gets a ticket after March 19 and gathers late charges: Lucas parks his car on a metered street in the downtown area on August 19, 2020. He didn’t pay his parking meter, so he finds a $40 ticket on his windshield. Lucas ignores a 15-day reminder notice that came in the mail, doesn’t pay his ticket within the 21-day timeline, and collects delinquent fees, or late charges. In this case, Lucas is not eligible for amnesty since he received a ticket after March 19. He must pay all late charges, as well as the original $40 fee.
Or, say a car owner receives a ticket before March 19 and gathers late charges, but doesn’t take advantage of the Amnesty Program by December 31: Robin parks her car next to a fire hydrant on March 13 and she gets a ticket. She accidentally throws out her 15-day reminder notice and consequently, accumulates late charges on her $70 ticket. If Robin had paid her ticket by December 31, she would have owed the original $70 fine and would have been excused from paying all delinquent fees, or late charges. In this case, Robin doesn’t pay the original fine by the deadline and as of January 1, 2021, so Robin now owes both the original fine and delinquent fees.
While we realize these temporary changes don’t address every situation, the Amnesty Program can provide financial relief to thousands of people. Visit our Parking Compliance page to learn more about the Amnesty Program and parking information, or contact the Office of Parking Violations at (800) 294-8258.
Información en Español aquí: bit.ly/34Zus62
Thông tin bằng tiếng Việt tại đây: bit.ly/3mXEqv6