Appeal Process
What is the appeal process?
The first step is to visit the parking portal or contact our office to initiate the appeal of your citation no later than 15 days after issuance of the citation. Your citation will be added as a Level 1 appeal which is reviewed by a parking committee. The committee meets in a closed session once a week to review all appeals for the week. After a judgment is made, a judgment decision letter will be mailed or emailed to you.
If your letter states that your appeal has been granted, you do not need to take any additional action. If your fine is reduced, you will need to pay the reduced fine amount. If your citation is denied and you do not agree, you may escalate to Level 2 or request a hearing with the Magistrate.
Request an Appeal
You may appeal a citation by calling our office or through the online portal. Written letters and supporting documentation will only be accepted after the open appeal is saved in the system.
Required Information: Name, Citation Number, Citation Issue Date, License Plate Number, Contact Phone Number and Address or Email Address where appeal information should be sent.
An appeal number will be provided once the appeal is submitted.
If additional information is requested, it can be emailed to parking@downtowntc.com or added through the online portal. Please reference your appeal number when emailing supporting information.
General Information
You have 15 days from the citation issue date to appeal the citation.
Appeals are resolved weekly for both Level 1 and Level 2 appeals.
Citation fines are frozen when placed on an open appeal, and will not escalate or accumulate additional fines until after a judgment is made.
For denied appeals, citations will resume normal escalations 3 days after the judgment date.
Appeal Timeline
Level 1 – You must call our office and request an appeal or appeal through the online portal. The appeal must be submitted within 15 days of issuance.
Level 2 – If you wish to reappeal, you must call our office and request an escalation to Level 2 no more than 10 days after the Level 1 judgment.
Level 3 – You must call our office to request transfer to the Magistrate at the 86th District Court no more than 10 days after the Level 2 judgment or within 15 days of the citation issue date. Information will be gathered and used to fill out the required paperwork. You must provide a copy of your driver’s license. The 86th District Court will notify you of your hearing date.
Appeals FAQ
What information is needed to request an appeal?
Name, mailing address or email address (where you will receive judgment decision information), phone number, citation number, license plate number, license plate state, date of citation, and a brief description of the circumstance for your appeal request.
How long do I have to contest a ticket?
Citations may be contested within 15 days of the issue date. Citations are placed into the appeals process.
I do not agree with the decision of my level 1 appeal. Am I able to re-appeal?
You may re-appeal no later than 10 days after the Level 1 judgment. To initiate a Level 2 appeal, you must first call our office and let them know you would like to escalate to Level 2 which is reviewed by the Parking Director. The Director will review all Level 2 appeals weekly. After a judgment is made, a judgment decision letter will be mailed or emailed to you.
If your letter states that your appeal has been granted , you do not need to take any additional action. If your fine is reduced, you will need to pay the reduced fine amount. If your citation is denied and you do not agree, you may escalate to Level 3 and request a hearing with the Magistrate.
How do I contest my citation with the Magistrate?
If you wish to contest your citation with the Magistrate, you must initiate the process within 15 days of issuance OR you may re-appeal no later than 10 days after the Level 2 judgment. You must bring your driver’s license to our offices so a copy can be made and submitted with the paperwork to the 86th District Court.
Will my citation escalate if it is on an open appeal?
No. The escalation schedule will resume once a decision has been made and the appellee has been notified. The appeal judgment will have a reinstatement date. The reinstatement date is considered the new issue date of the citation.
Traverse City Parking Service Office
Located in the Larry C. Hardy Parking Garage
303 East State Street
Traverse City, Michigan 49686
(231) 922-0241
If you experience problems with the online portal, please contact Traverse City Parking Services (231) 922-0241 or parking@traversecitymi.gov
If you have more questions, Contact Us.