Citations · City of Tampa and Hillsborough County
Tampa Parking Ticket: Pay, Appeal or Remove a Boot
How to pay or contest a City of Tampa citation, what the fines and late fees can be, and when unpaid tickets lead to a boot.
City of Tampa: pay a parking citation · City citation and dispute page · City parking code §15-122(c) (PDF), checked 2026-10-04.
First, check who issued the ticket
- City of Tampa (city streets, meters, city garages and lots): handled by the city Parking Division, not the court clerk.
- Any agency other than the City of Tampa (for example the Sheriff), even inside Tampa city limits: handled by the Hillsborough County Clerk of Court. See the Clerk section below.
- St. Petersburg: handled by that city. See St. Pete below.
- A private lot's notice is not a city citation; contact the operator named on it.
Hillsborough Clerk: paying for tickets · Clerk: county parking tickets, checked 2026-10-04.
How to pay a City of Tampa ticket
- Online: the city's citation portal finds open citations by citation number, plate and state, or VIN. There is a $2.50 convenience fee. The city can only process credit cards issued in the United States.
- By mail: check or money order payable to City of Tampa, sent to Parking Division, 107 N. Franklin Street, Tampa, FL 33602. Payers outside the U.S. must mail a money order in U.S. dollars; checks from non-U.S. banks are not accepted.
- In person: Parking Division, 107 N. Franklin Street (ground level of the Fort Brooke Garage), weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone (813) 274-8179.
City pay-ticket page · City citation page · City citation portal, checked 2026-10-04.
Do not leave the car in the space. Under the city code, a car left in a space more than two hours after a ticket can get another ticket for each further two-hour period.
City parking code §15-123(b) (PDF), checked 2026-10-04.
City of Tampa fines
The amount owed is printed on your ticket. The city parking code, rewritten in April 2025, sets these amounts; where it says "not to exceed", we show the code's maximum rather than a guessed actual fine.
| Violation or fee | Amount in the code |
|---|---|
| Expired meter (§15-63), 1st offense | Up to $100 |
| Expired meter, 2nd offense within 6 months | Up to $150 |
| Expired meter, 3rd or later offense within 1 year | $250 |
| Non-moving violations under §15-57(a) (prohibited places) | $30 |
| Fire lane or fire hydrant | Up to $200 |
| Bus stop | Up to $200 |
| Disabled space without a valid permit displayed | $250 |
| Misusing a disabled plate or permit | $250 |
| Late fee | Up to $75 |
| Notice of delinquent status | Up to $100 |
| Found in violation after contesting | Up to $100 |
| Failure to appear after requesting a hearing | Up to $100 |
The code also lists a $12.50 administrative fee, a $5 firefighter education surcharge and a $2 school crossing guard surcharge. It does not say on which tickets each is added, so check your ticket's total.
City parking code §15-129, Ordinance 2025-43 (PDF), checked 2026-10-04.
How much do these tickets add up to for the city each year? See Tampa parking ticket and meter revenue by fiscal year, built from the city's budget records with every figure sourced.
How to contest a City of Tampa ticket
Deadline: file within 7 days to be safe. The city's citation page (last updated January 2024) says hearing requests must be made within seven calendar days of the infraction. The parking code adopted in April 2025 says a written hearing request must be received within 14 calendar days of the violation. We could not confirm which the Parking Division applies, so meet the shorter one.
- Go to the citation portal, find the ticket and choose the appeal option. The city says you need a registered account and that emailed disputes and appeals are not accepted.
- Have ready: a copy of the ticket with its citation number, your vehicle registration, your driver's license, a daytime phone number and an email address.
- The Parking Division sends a notice with the hearing date, time and place. A code enforcement special magistrate hears the case, and the city must prove the violation by a preponderance of the evidence.
City citation dispute process · City parking code §15-122 (PDF) · §15-124, checked 2026-10-04.
Before you request a hearing
- Parking Division review: the code also provides a written preliminary review. It must at least consider an improperly written ticket, a malfunctioning pay station, a car that was sold or stolen before the ticket, and a wrongful boot or impound. The division answers within seven calendar days and can dismiss or reduce the ticket. A review request does not pause any deadline.
- Requesting a hearing gives up the original fine. If the magistrate finds a violation, you can owe a penalty plus administrative costs (the "found in violation" fee can be up to $100), payable within 14 days.
- Missing the hearing counts as a default finding, with a failure-to-appear fee of up to $100. You get one continuance if you ask in writing at least 72 hours before the hearing. Paying in full before the hearing cancels it.
City parking code §15-122(e)-(f) (PDF) · §15-124 · §15-129, checked 2026-10-04.
If you do nothing: late fees, collections and your tag
A ticket not paid or set for a hearing within 14 days becomes delinquent. The city mails a notice of delinquent status to the address on your registration, with late and delinquency fees added. You can still contest by confirming the hearing in that notice within 14 calendar days of the notice date; you will need copies of your driver's license and registration. Unpaid tickets can go to collections.
With three or more outstanding parking violations, the city code says the Parking Division or the clerk shall report you to the state, and Florida law then blocks a new license plate or registration renewal sticker until the fines are paid.
City parking code §15-123(e)-(h) (PDF) · §15-125(e) · Florida Statutes §320.03(8), checked 2026-10-04.
Boots: when the city immobilizes a car
The city can boot a car when the plate or owner owes $100 or more in delinquent tickets, or when the car is in habitual parking status: five or more tickets in the past 365 days, in which case the next violation means an immediate boot. A warning notice on the windshield explains why and how to get it removed.
Act the same day. A car booted between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. is impounded if the boot is still on at 9 p.m.; one that qualifies for a boot between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. can be impounded immediately. Impound adds towing and storage charges under the state lien law.
| Charge | Amount in the code |
|---|---|
| Boot fee, 1st offense | Up to $200 |
| Boot fee, 2nd within 6 months | Up to $300 |
| Boot fee, 3rd or later within 1 year | Up to $500 |
| Self-release boot deposit (refunded if returned on time, working) | Up to $500 |
| Self-release boot not returned within 24 hours | Up to $3,500 |
- To release it: pay all past-due tickets, costs and the boot fee. Call the Parking Division at (813) 274-8179 (weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or, after 5 p.m., (813) 274-8523. Have the plate number and the car's location.
- Self-release boots open with a code the city provides; return the device to a city drop-off location within 24 hours.
- To challenge a boot: request a Parking Division review by the close of the next business day, or a post-immobilization hearing. To avoid impound charges while you contest, you must post a bond for the full disputed amount and submit the hearing request before the car is impounded.
- Do not try to remove or damage a city boot; the code makes that a violation.
City parking code §15-125 (PDF) · §15-126 and §15-127 · habitual parking definition · City vehicle immobilization page, checked 2026-10-04.
Towed rather than booted? See our towed in Tampa guide for finding the car and the county's maximum tow rates.
Camera-enforced lots and mailed invoices
Where the city uses plate cameras, the code requires at least a 15-minute grace period on entry, signs listing the rates, contact details and appeal process, and an invoice placed on the car or mailed within 5 business days. You have the right to review the camera evidence. Contest it the same way as a ticket.
City parking code §15-121(e) (PDF), checked 2026-10-04.
Tickets from other Hillsborough County agencies
The Hillsborough County Clerk of Court handles parking tickets issued by any agency in the county other than the City of Tampa. What matters is who issued the ticket, not where you parked: a non-city agency's ticket written inside Tampa still goes to the Clerk. The Clerk is not the custodian for City of Tampa tickets.
- Deadline: failing to act within 10 calendar days of the ticket adds fees.
- Pay: by phone 24/7 at (813) 276-8100 (3.5% card surcharge), by mail to Clerk of the Circuit Court - Traffic, PO Box 3360, Tampa FL 33601-3360, or in person on weekdays. These tickets cannot be paid online.
- Contest: request a court hearing by phone, mail or in person, not online. You get a summons for the next available date and give up the right to pay the original civil penalty.
Clerk: resolve Hillsborough County parking tickets · Clerk: request a court hearing · Clerk: paying for tickets, checked 2026-10-04.
St. Petersburg parking tickets
- Pay: online at stpete.rmcpay.com ($2 card fee), in person at 301 Central Avenue, or by mail to PO Box 292, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.
- Appeal: step one is the online appeal on the same portal. Step two, if that is denied, is a signed not-guilty plea filed with the payment office for a Traffic Court hearing. The not-guilty plea is due within 15 days of the ticket date, and the city does not say an online appeal pauses that clock. If the appeal is still pending near day 15, file the plea anyway or call the payment office.
- First expired-meter ticket: the city's amnesty program can void it if you bring the citation, the gold amnesty card, a photo ID and at least $25 in qualifying downtown receipts to 301 Central Avenue within 14 days. Phone (727) 551-3125.
City of St. Petersburg parking tickets, checked 2026-10-04.
This guide explains public rules; it is not legal advice. Fines shown as "up to" are code maximums, not the amount on any particular ticket.
Related guides
- Towed in Tampa: find your car and the maximum tow fees
- Tampa street parking hours and free periods
- Tampa parking ticket and meter revenue data
Source dates are shown beside the information they support. Confirm current details before your trip. Sources and editorial method.