You can pay a DC parking ticket online, through the DC DMV mobile app, by phone at (866) 893-5023, by mail, or in person at the Adjudication Services Center at 955 L’Enfant Plaza SW. Do it within 30 calendar days of the ticket’s issue date. Miss that window and a penalty equal to the full fine is added, so a $100 ticket becomes $200.1D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 50-2301.05 – Monetary Sanctions and Fees
Before you start, have the ticket number handy. If you’ve lost the paper notice, look up the citation on the DC DMV website using your license plate number and state of registration.
Ways to Pay
Online
The DC DMV online portal is the fastest route. Enter your ticket number or plate information, review the amount, and submit. It accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, and electronic checks (ACH) drawn directly from a bank account.2Department of Motor Vehicles. Pay Tickets You get an electronic confirmation on the spot.
DC DMV Mobile App
The official DC DMV app handles ticket payments on your phone with the same card and ACH options as the website.2Department of Motor Vehicles. Pay Tickets Search for it in your phone’s app store under DC DMV.
By Phone
Call (866) 893-5023.2Department of Motor Vehicles. Pay Tickets Have your ticket number and card ready, and save the confirmation number the system reads back to you.
In Person
Walk into the Adjudication Services Center at 955 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Promenade Level, Suite P100, Washington, DC 20024. In-person counters take cash, check, money order, contactless or digital wallet payments, and credit cards. Anything other than cash requires a valid driver’s license, DMV-issued ID, passport, or military ID.2Department of Motor Vehicles. Pay Tickets
By Mail
Send a check or money order (never cash) to:
Adjudication Services
PO Box 2014
Washington, DC 200132Department of Motor Vehicles. Pay Tickets
Write the ticket number on the check or include a note with it. Mail takes longer than any electronic method, so send it well before day 30 if you’re close to the deadline.
The 2.5% Card Fee
Starting December 15, 2025, DC DMV adds a 2.5% service fee to every debit and credit card transaction, whether you pay online, in the app, or in person.2Department of Motor Vehicles. Pay Tickets Electronic checks (ACH) carry no fee. On a large fine, paying by ACH online or by paper check avoids the surcharge entirely.
Deadlines and What Late Costs You
The clock runs from the date the ticket was issued, not the day you spotted it on your windshield.
- Days 1–30: pay the original fine with no penalty.
- Days 31–60: a penalty equal to the full fine is added, doubling what you owe.1D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 50-2301.05 – Monetary Sanctions and Fees
- Day 61: the infraction is deemed admitted by default. You’re liable whether you agree with the ticket or not.3D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 50-2303.05 – Answer
- Day 121: the debt is handed to the DC Central Collection Unit.4Department of Motor Vehicles. Understanding the Ticket Timeline
Unpaid tickets also expose you to vehicle booting once you have two or more that are more than 60 days old, towing after a boot, holds on driver’s license and vehicle registration renewals, and offsets against your DC tax refund.5Department of Motor Vehicles. Failure to Pay a Ticket
Don’t Pay If You Plan to Contest
If you think the ticket was issued in error, do not pay it. Paying a DC parking ticket ends your right to contest it through the administrative process.6Department of Motor Vehicles. Respond to a Ticket Instead, respond online, by mail, or in person by denying the infraction or admitting with an explanation. Contesting within the first 30 days and losing means you still owe only the original fine; contesting later and losing adds the penalty on top.7Department of Motor Vehicles. Admit With an Explanation
After You Pay
Online, app, and phone payments post to your record almost immediately. Mailed checks take longer because they have to clear and be processed by hand. Whichever method you use, keep the confirmation number or receipt. If the payment is ever disputed, that’s your proof.
One warning about card payments: if you pay by credit card and then reverse the charge with your bank, DC DMV treats the ticket as unpaid. That can trigger a default judgment, send the debt to collections, and block you from using a credit or debit card for any future DC DMV transactions.2Department of Motor Vehicles. Pay Tickets If you believe you were wrongly charged, use the contest process, not a chargeback.