Dispute My Ticket
There are four ways to respond to a Notice of Infraction:
· Pay the monetary penalty in full
· Ask the Court for information about payment plans
· Request a Mitigation Hearing
· Request a Contested Hearing
To pay in full, go to web page Pay My Ticket.
If you do not want a hearing but are unable to pay in full, you may be able to enter into a payment plan with the court under RCW 46.63.190. The court may charge a fee for a payment plan. For more information, please visit the web page I Can't Pay My Ticket Right Now.
To dispute your ticket, you must 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, or 33 days if the ticket was mailed to you.
Request a Hearing
You have three ways to request a hearing:
a) Complete the online Hearing Request Form. (This generates an email to the Court; it's the easiest way to request a hearing if you have email/internet access.)
b) Follow the instructions on the back of the ticket. Check the box next to the hearing type that you are requesting, fill out your information, and deliver it to the court at 600 5th Avenue or mail it to:
SEATTLE MUNICIPAL COURT
PO BOX 34987
SEATTLE, WA 98124-4987
c) 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.
The court will schedule your hearing and send you a notice by mail or email 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.