Disputing a Parking Ticket

Quick Link for Dispute Forms:

Request for Screening Officer Review Form

Request for Hearing Officer Review Form

Why are Parking Tickets issued?

Looking to Dispute your Ticket?

To dispute a City of Windsor - Penalty Notice (parking ticket), you or your representative must either attend the Parking Enforcement office located at 1266 McDougall to fill out appropriate paperwork or complete the correct step below and submit it by fax, in-person or by mail. Email submissions will not be accepted for either step. Please note that all paperwork needs to be submitted at the Parking Enforcement office on or before your due date. Date of mailing is not considered, as it goes by the date the dispute is received by our office. Penalty Notices (Parking Tickets) are no longer part of the Provincial Offences Act (POA), meaning they can no longer be taken to court.

To help support your submission, you should bring evidence (i.e. permits, written statements, supporting documents, photos, etc.) that proves/supports why you feel you should not have to pay your penalty notice.

The Ticket Disputing Process

When you receive a Penalty Notice on your vehicle or in the mail, delivered by Canada Post, you have two options:

1. Payment of listed Administrative Penalty Amount on Penalty Notice or amount listed on letter received by Canada Post; or,
2. Request for Screening Officer Review. If you wish to dispute a ticket, you can obtain a Request for Screening Officer Review form from the Parking Enforcement office or fill it out electronically. This paperwork will only be accepted by fax, mail or in-person. Email submissions will not be accepted. Once the Parking Enforcement office receives the screening form, the ticket is suspended until the Screening Officer reviews the paperwork. Once the review is completed, you will receive a letter via e-mail or Canada Post that states the review decision with an updated due date for payment if it is deemed that money is outstanding. The screening decision will reflect one of the following replies:
• Ticket has been Cancelled: This means there is no outstanding balance. The Screening Officer decided to cancel the ticket.
• Ticket has been Reduced: This means the officer reduced the ticket by an approved City Council amount, with the option to dispute further. If a decision is made to dispute further (i.e., Request for Hearing Officer Review), additional paperwork must be completed, and the reduced amount will return to the original amount. This paperwork must be submitted on or before the due date indicated on the form.
• Ticket has been Affirmed: This means the ticket will remain as is. After the Screening Officer reviewed the submitted dispute, the submitted evidence, the officer's notes and the pictures taken at the time of the ticket being issued, there was not enough support to cancel or reduce the penalty. If you do not agree with this outcome, you have the option to dispute further. If a decision is made to dispute further (i.e., Request for Hearing Officer Review), additional paperwork must be completed by the due date indicated on the form.

If you are unsatisfied with the decision of the Screening Officer, you do have a final option of moving forward to a Hearing Officer Review. To request the Hearing Officer Review, please fill out the Request for Hearing Officer Review form and submit it on or before your due date indicated on your Screening Decision Form.

These meetings are currently being held over the phone by a Third Party Representative for the City (a lawyer or a judge). The Hearing Officer's decision is final. Please know that if you miss this appointment, you will be charged an additional $100.00 to the amount that is already outstanding with no option to dispute further.

Once you submit your "Request for Hearing Officer Review," you will receive correspondence (however indicated on paperwork) with the date and time of your appointment. If you do not receive this letter and you do not complete the requested follow-up, you may receive a "No Show" letter which has the added fee of $100.00 and a date by which it must be paid.

Per the Parking By-law 9023, section 88 states the following: The decision of the Hearing Officer is final and not subject to review including review by any Court.

Things to Consider

When submitting your Request for Screening Officer Review or Request for Hearing Officer Review to the Parking Enforcement Office:

• Fax: If sending Request for Review by fax, it is recommended that you call the Parking Enforcement office at 519-255-6298 to verify the fax has been accepted.
• Mail: If sending Request for Review by mail (e.g. Canada Post), it is recommended that you call the Parking Enforcement office to verify it was received. It is the applicant's responsibility to make sure it is received by our office before the due dates indicated.
• In-Person: When paperwork is submitted directly in our office at 1266 McDougall, a confirmation form will be given with follow-up instructions.

Once the form is submitted, you should receive a reply through the correspondence selected (Canada Post or e-mail). It is the responsibility of the ticket recipient to do a follow-up if nothing is received within two weeks for a screening or three weeks for a hearing.

If you have requested your correspondence by:

• Canada Post - City of Windsor cannot be held responsible for the delivery. Please be sure to do a follow-up within two weeks of submission to make sure you receive your decision and avoid any further penalties.
• Email - If you have an e-mail account that has a junk/spam folder setup, please ensure you are checking this folder for your reply, as that is usually where it will be found. The e-mail sender will be from "Parking Enforcement" and the subject will contain your last name and either "Screening Review Response" or "Hearing - (and a date)."

The City of Windsor does not send text messages or email reminders about parking violations/tickets or issue reminders through a third party. If received, do not reply or click on the links; delete the message.

For questions or more information, please contact: