Getting Around DC
How to Pay a DC Parking Ticket (And What Happens If You Don’t)
You came back to your car and found that familiar envelope. Here’s exactly how to handle it, step by step.
How to Pay a DC Parking Ticket Online
This is the fastest option and what most people should do. Go to dmv.dc.gov/service/pay-tickets. You’ll need your ticket number or your state and license plate number.
Important: As of December 15, 2025, DC DMV now charges a 2.5% service fee on all debit and credit card payments, whether online, by app, or in person. To avoid the fee, pay by Electronic Check (ACH) through the online portal instead — no fee on ACH payments.
How to Pay by Phone
Call (866) 893-5023. Have your ticket number and payment information ready.
How to Pay by Mail
Send a check or money order made payable to DC Treasurer. Write your ticket number in the memo line. Do not send cash.
DC DMV Adjudication Services · ATTN: Mail Adjudication · PO Box 37135 · Washington, DC 20013
How to Pay in Person
DC DMV Adjudication Service Center: 955 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Promenade Level – Suite P100. They accept cash, check, money order, credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Amex), and contactless/digital wallet payments. If paying by anything other than cash, bring a valid ID. The 2.5% card fee applies in person as well.
What Happens If You Don’t Pay
After 30 days: A penalty equal to the original fine is added. A $100 ticket becomes $200.
Two or more unpaid tickets older than 61 days: DC DPW can boot your vehicle. If the boot and outstanding tickets stay unpaid, your car gets towed — at your expense.
Out-of-state drivers: DC shares ticket data with other states. Unpaid DC tickets can affect your registration renewal back home. This catches a lot of visitors and Maryland/Virginia commuters off guard.
Payment plans: Contact the Office of Finance and Treasury’s Central Collection Unit through the Mayor’s Citywide Call Center at 311 or (202) 737-4404.
Want to Fight It Instead?
If you think your ticket was wrong, you can contest it online, by mail, or in person through DC DMV — but again, do not pay it first. DC only recognizes seven legal defenses for dismissing a parking ticket. Full breakdown: DC Parking Tickets: How Much They Cost and What to Do If You Get One.
| Payment Method | Details |
|---|---|
| Online | dmv.dc.gov/service/pay-tickets — 2.5% fee on cards, free via ACH |
| Phone | (866) 893-5023 |
| Check/money order to DC Treasurer, PO Box 37135, Washington DC 20013 | |
| In Person | 955 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Suite P100 |
| Questions | (202) 737-4404 or 311 |
📘 DC Parking & Towing Survival Guide
The DC Parking & Towing Survival Guide covers every zone and rule so you don’t get the ticket in the first place.
Quick Reference: DC Parking Ticket Quick Reference
- Online payment dmv.dc.gov/service/pay-tickets
- Phone (866) 893-5023
- Avoid card fee Pay by ACH (electronic check) — 2.5% fee on cards
- In person 955 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Suite P100
- 30-day penalty Fine doubles after 30 days
- Boot threshold 2 unpaid tickets older than 61 days
- Don’t contest after paying Payment = you give up your right to fight it
- Out-of-state DC shares data with other states — it will follow you home
Bottom Line
Pay within 30 days to avoid the penalty doubling. Pay by ACH to avoid the 2.5% card fee. And if you think the ticket was wrong, contest it before you pay — not after.
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