If you don’t pay a New York City parking ticket, late penalties start adding up after 30 days, and around 100 days the city enters a default judgment that lets it boot and tow your car, block your vehicle registration, garnish your wages, and freeze money in your bank account. A single $65 ticket can grow into hundreds of dollars in penalties, fees, and interest, and in the worst case the city can auction the vehicle itself.
The Timeline From Ticket to Judgment
Late fees follow a fixed schedule. Thirty days after the ticket is issued, a $10 penalty is added. At 60 days, another $20. At 90 days, a third $30 penalty hits. A ticket ignored for three months has already picked up $60 before any real enforcement starts.
At roughly 100 days, the Department of Finance enters a default judgment against you for the full amount plus accrued penalties and interest.1NYC Department of Finance. Tickets in Judgment A default judgment is a court ruling that you owe the money. It is the legal foundation for every collection tool the city uses after that point. Once judgment is entered, interest accrues at 9% per year on the outstanding balance.2New York State Senate. New York Civil Practice Law and Rules CVP 5004 That interest compounds on top of the fine and the penalties, so the longer the ticket sits, the faster the balance grows.
Your Car Can Be Booted, Towed, and Auctioned
Once you owe $350 or more in parking or camera violation judgments, your vehicle becomes eligible for booting.3NYC Department of Finance. Vehicle Booting A boot is a clamp on one wheel that makes the car undriveable. A notice on the windshield explains how to pay.
Getting the boot off means paying every outstanding judgment plus a stack of extra fees: a $142 booting fee, an $80 sheriff’s or marshal’s execution fee, and a poundage fee equal to 5% of all fines, penalties, and interest.4NYC Department of Finance. Booting Frequently Asked Questions The poundage fee scales with your debt, so the bigger the balance, the bigger that charge becomes. Someone owing $500 in judgment debt pays roughly $247 in boot removal fees on top of the fines themselves.
Fail to pay within two business days of the boot going on, and the city can tow the vehicle to an impound lot.4NYC Department of Finance. Booting Frequently Asked Questions Towing adds another layer: $185 for a regular tow or $370 for a heavy-duty tow, plus a $70 tow dispatch fee and $20 per night in storage.5New York City Police Department. Towed Vehicles Storage charges accumulate every night the car sits in the pound.
And the car does not sit there indefinitely. If you don’t redeem it within 10 business days of the tow, the city can sell it at public auction.6NYC Department of Finance. Auctions Redeeming it means paying every ticket in judgment with penalties and interest, plus every booting, towing, and storage fee. Vehicles sell as-is, and the proceeds go toward the judgment debt. If the sale doesn’t cover what you owe, you still owe the rest.
Your Registration Can Be Blocked or Suspended
The Department of Finance reports outstanding judgments to the New York State DMV, which can block renewal of your vehicle registration or suspend it outright.7New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Parking Tickets You cannot renew a suspended or blocked registration until the tickets are resolved and the fines paid. Driving on a suspended registration is a separate offense that can bring more fines, vehicle seizure, and, depending on the circumstances, criminal charges.
The hold stays in place until the judgment debt is cleared. If you were planning to sell or transfer the vehicle, a registration block stops that transaction too.
Your Wages and Bank Account Are Reachable
A default judgment gives the city the same collection tools any judgment creditor has. The Department of Finance refers outstanding debts to collection agencies, which contact you by phone or letter.8NYC Department of Finance. Debt Collection Agencies
If you still don’t pay, the city can pursue an income execution, which is the legal name for wage garnishment. Under New York law, the garnishment is capped at 10% of your gross income. A separate cap limits it to no more than 25% of your disposable earnings in any week, and no garnishment is allowed at all if your weekly disposable earnings fall below 30 times the greater of the federal or New York State minimum hourly wage.9New York State Senate. New York Civil Practice Law and Rules 5231 – Income Execution You pay whichever of these calculations produces the lowest amount, so lower-income workers get some protection built in.
The city can also levy your bank account. New York’s Exempt Income Protection Act shields a baseline amount from being frozen or seized. For 2026, the protected amount is $4,080 if you live in New York City, Long Island, or Westchester, and $3,840 elsewhere in the state.10New York State Attorney General. Funds Protected Against Debt Collection The protection is automatic; the bank must keep that amount accessible even when a levy is served. Anything above it can be frozen and taken to satisfy the judgment.
Social Security, veterans’ benefits, and similar government funds may also be protected, but that protection is not automatic. You have to claim the exemption, which generally means responding to the restraining notice and filing exemption paperwork with the court.10New York State Attorney General. Funds Protected Against Debt Collection Miss that step and otherwise-protected money can be taken.
How to Stop the Clock
You have 30 days from the date of the ticket to request a hearing without any late penalty. Hearings can be requested online, by mail, through the city’s Pay or Dispute app, or in person at a Department of Finance business center. Once a hearing request is in, the violation goes on hold and no further penalties or interest accrue while it’s pending.11NYC Department of Finance. Dispute a Ticket Request a hearing after that 30-day window and you’ll still owe the penalties that built up if the judge finds you guilty.
Even after judgment, you are not out of options. You can request a hearing on a judgment ticket as long as it is less than one year old. A judge looks at whether you have a valid defense to the ticket and whether you had a good reason for not responding before the judgment. If the judge grants the hearing and you win, the judgment is vacated. If the request is denied, you owe the full amount.1NYC Department of Finance. Tickets in Judgment After that one-year window closes, the judgment stands and your only path is to pay it.
Payment Plans
If you can’t pay all at once, the Department of Finance offers installment plans, though they require a sizeable down payment and interest keeps accruing on the unpaid balance until it’s gone.12NYC Department of Finance. Parking and Camera Violation Payment Plans
For vehicles that have not been booted or towed, the standard terms are:
- Judgment debt of $350 to $500: 50% down, balance due within 60 days.
- Judgment debt of $501 to $1,000: 50% down, up to 12 months to pay the rest, $50 monthly minimum.
- Judgment debt over $1,000: 25% down, up to 12 months, $50 monthly minimum.
A moderate-income plan is available if your adjusted gross income is below $86,400. It allows as little as 15% down for debts between $350 and $500 and stretches repayment up to 18 months.12NYC Department of Finance. Parking and Camera Violation Payment Plans
If the vehicle has already been booted or towed, the terms tighten. All booting, towing, and related fees must be paid in full upfront, with a 50% down payment on the judgment debt and the rest due within six months. You also need to show proof of current registration and insurance before the car is released.13NYC Department of Finance. Parking Ticket Payment Plan FAQs There is no prepayment penalty, so paying ahead cuts the interest you’d otherwise owe.