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Everything is bigger in Texas—even the fines! Parking tickets in Texas can cost anywhere from $25 to $75. Although that might not seem like a lot to some people, it quickly adds up. Get two or three parking tickets in the span of a few months and you’ll soon see what we mean.
How Long Do You Have To Pay a Parking Ticket in Texas?
Texas state authorities only give you 30 calendar days (not business days) to pay or beat a parking ticket. Failure to pay the full amount of the tiket before that 30-day period is up will result in your ticket being marked delinquent and a small fine being tacked on to your total outstanding balance.
Failure to pay that balance after another 60 days (90 days in total from the date the ticket was issued) and the court can increase the total cost by another 30%.
How To Pay a Parking Ticket in Texas
Most municipal courts in Texas offer three methods of paying parking tickets: By mail, by phone, or in person. However, we here at WinIt offer a state-approved online payment option, enabling you to pay your tickets from the comfort of your home and with the click of a button.
By Mail
The mail-in address will vary depending on where you got your parking ticket. Be sure to go to the government website of the court listed on the ticket and look for their mailing address before making any payments. For example, when paying an Austin parking ticket by mail, send the payment to the following address:
Austin Municipal Court,
P.O. Box 2135
Austin, TX 78768-2135
The payment must contain all of the following information:
- Your vehicle’s license plate number.
- The date of the violation.
- The citation number.
- Your name, address, and phone number.
By Phone
To pay by phone, go to the government website of the court listed on the ticket and look for their phone number. Then call that number. For example, to pay an Austin parking ticket over the phone, call (512) 974-4800.
You’ll need to have your payment information (debit card or account and routing numbers) on hand and ready when you place your call. Depending on the time and date that you call and which court you’re calling, you might be put on hold for quite a bit while you wait for the next available operator to take your payment.
If you’re using the county’s automated system, you’ll typically only need your citation number. However, just to be safe, be sure to also have your license plate number and the date of the violation readily accessible before picking up the phone.
In Person
To pay a parking ticket in person, you’ll need to set aside an hour or two to go down to the municipal court that issued the ticket, wait in line, and remit payment on location. To find the correct address, be sure to check the website of the court listed on the ticket. You might even consider calling to make sure that you have the correct address and that they’re open.
For example, Austin has an in-person payment option located at the following addresses:
6800 Burleson Road, Building 310
Suite 175
Austin, TX 78744
12425 Lamplight Village Avenue,
Austin, TX 78758
Online
By far the most efficient method of paying Texas parking tickets is to pay online. The problem is that there aren’t many municipal courts in Texas that allow the online payment of parking tickets. And those that do often have inconvenient platforms that are hard to use and even harder to understand. That’s where WinIt comes in.
WinIt offers not one but two online payment options: You can pay online via our website at www.appwinit.com or online via our WinIt app, which you can download from the App Store or Google play. Both of these options give you the tools you need to pay your parking tickets online in many states and/or to access safe and affordable legal services.
How Much Are Parking Tickets in Texas?
Parking tickets in Texas tend to run about $25 to $75. Of course, this is primarily up to the local municipality, though the state does get to set some of the more serious fines (like handicap parking) across all Texas counties. Austin follows an incremental schedule described below:
| Number of Parking Tickets Received in the Past 12 Months | New Ticket Fine |
| One | $25.00 |
| Two | $50.00 |
| Three | $75.00 |
What Happens if I Don’t Pay a Texas Parking Ticket?
If you don’t pay a Texas parking ticket within the first 30-day period after receiving it, you will be charged an additional $25. Fail to pay it after another 60 days (90 in total), then the fine will increase by 30% of the total balance.
Unpaid parking tickets can also result in the government putting a boot on your car. This can happen if you rack up three or more delinquent parking tickets at any one time or at least one delinquent handicap parking ticket. As a reminder, a parking ticket is considered delinquent if it remains unpaid for more than 30 days after you first receive it.
Parking Ticket Defenses
The best way to maximize your chances of winning a parking ticket dispute in Texas is to hire a lawyer. However, there are a couple less effective ways to protect against these fines and other penalties. Check them out:
- Prove that the ticket is “illegible.”
- Prove that the ticket contains the wrong date, time, or county.
- Prove that the ticket is for the incorrect vehicle (wrong plate number, vehicle make or model, etc.).
- Prove that the ticket doesn’t correctly specify whether you were parked “in front of” or “opposite” the address in question.
To find out more about what the above strategies mean or how relevant they might be to your specific situation, contact a lawyer today.
Hire an Attorney To Fight Your Ticket or Pay Through appwinit.com
Hiring a lawyer substantially improves your chances of receiving a favorable outcome for your case. Why go it alone when you have access to countless attorneys at the touch of a button, all of whom are just chomping at the bit to help you get out of your ticket? Instead of paying the fines, fees, and other costs associated with Texas parking tickets, take your case to court and win it with WinIt!
