How to pay an NYC parking ticket
nyfinepay is an independent private service, not the City of New York. You can always pay the city directly, which may cost less.
You can pay the city directly online, in its app, by mail or in person. Pay within 30 days of the issue date to avoid late penalties. The city adds 2% for cards; electronic check and mailed payments have no fee. A private service such as nyfinepay is one more option, not a requirement.
What you need
Have one of these ready: the 10-digit ticket (violation) number, or your license plate number and the state that issued it. If you search by plate, the city may also ask for the plate type, such as passenger or commercial. Not sure where the number is? See how to find your summons number.
A new ticket can take up to three weeks to appear online. If you have the paper ticket and want to pay before then, the city lets you pay in advance with the violation number and the fine amount from the ticket. That works by violation number only, not by plate.
Option 1: Pay the city online
The city’s payment site is CityPay. You enter the violation number (or search by plate), review what you owe and pay. The city accepts credit and debit cards, prepaid and gift cards, PayPal, Venmo and electronic check. A 2% fee is added to card, PayPal and Venmo payments. Electronic check has no fee.
Option 2: Use the city’s app
The city also offers a mobile app, NYC Parking Ticket Pay or Dispute, where you can look up tickets by violation number or plate, pay, and start a dispute. Its fee rules match the website’s.
Option 3: Pay by mail
Send a check or money order for the full amount, payable to the NYC Department of Finance, in U.S. dollars. Do not send cash. Write the ticket number, your plate number and the state of registration on the front of the payment, and use the envelope and mailing address that came with your ticket or notice. The city’s mail page has the current instructions.
Mail is slow. The city must receive your payment by the 30th day after the ticket was issued, and it can take up to two weeks after that to show in its system. Mail it early. The city also says a mailed check may be converted into a one-time electronic transfer, in which case it is not returned.
Option 4: Pay in person
The Department of Finance runs business centers in each borough. They take payments by card, check, money order and cash. Hours, and whether you need an appointment, are on each borough’s page, so check before you go. Start from the city’s in-person payment page.
Option 5: A private service like nyfinepay
nyfinepay is an independent company, not the City of New York. You enter your plate or summons number, choose the tickets, and we submit your payment to the city’s payment system and show you the city’s confirmation number. nyfinepay does not charge a service fee at this time, so with us you pay the fines and the city’s card fee. The city’s 2% card fee still applies and goes to the city. Paying the city directly is always an option and may cost less. See our pricing page for a worked example.
Compare the options
- Cheapest: electronic check online, or a check or money order by mail (no city fee).
- Quickest to show as paid: online or in the app, usually 2 to 4 business days according to the city.
- Slowest: mail, up to two weeks to process.
After you pay
Keep your confirmation number or receipt until the ticket shows as paid. If it does not show up when it should, read what to do if your payment does not show.
A word on scams
The city warns that anyone offering to get you a discount or reduction on your tickets in exchange for payment is running a scam, and that you should not click payment links in unexpected text messages. If you are unsure, go to the city’s own site by typing the address yourself.
Related guides
Where this comes from
Facts in this guide come from the City of New York’s own pages. They can change, so check the city before you act on a deadline or an amount.