Dispute My Ticket
To dispute your ticket, you will need to request a hearing. Hearing requests must be made within 30 days of the date the ticket was issued to you or placed on a vehicle, 33 days if the ticket was mailed to you.
Request a Hearing
You have two ways to request a hearing to dispute your ticket:
You can call (206) 684-5600 from Monday-Tuesday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or Wednesday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. to speak to a representative. Tell the representative your citation number and what hearing type you are requesting.
You can also follow the instructions on the back of the ticket and mail your hearing request or submit it in person. Check the box next to the hearing type that you are requesting, fill out your information, and submit the ticket by mail or in person to:
Seattle Municipal Court
600 Fifth Avenue
PO BOX 34987
Seattle, WA 98124-4987
Once your hearing is scheduled, you will receive a notice by mail with the hearing date and time.
Hearing Types
Request a mitigation hearing if you agree that you committed the infraction and you want to explain your situation. Once the Magistrate makes a decision, the decision is final, and you will not be able to appeal. Check the second box on your ticket to request a mitigation hearing.
Request a contested hearing if you deny that you committed the infraction. Check the third box on your ticket to request a contested hearing.
If you request a contested hearing, the court will schedule you for a pre-hearing settlement conference, which is an opportunity to resolve the case without the formality of a hearing.
You may skip the pre-hearing settlement conference and proceed directly to the contested hearing (trial) by completing the waiver form sent to you with your pre-hearing conference notice. If you contest your ticket in writing, you will not have the option to appeal the judge's ruling. A decision by written statement is final.
To submit photos or documents as evidence for the judge to view during your hearing, please upload them to our Public Portal as outlined in the video above. Alternatively, you can also email your documents to CourtCalendar.SMC@seattle.gov.