Parking Ticket Refunds
Ticket Cancellations and Getting Refunds
On June 1, 2022, the City of Seattle announced notifications will be mailed in the next few weeks to people who received eligible non-moving parking tickets issued from September 1, 2021 through April 5, 2022. The mail notifications will state:
- If you received a parking ticket from September 1, 2021 through April 5, 2022, you do not have to pay your ticket; these tickets have been canceled. No further action is needed.
- If you paid a parking ticket issued from September 1, 2021 through April 5, 2022, the City will refund the amount paid, automatically. If the original payment was made using a credit card using the Municipal Court’s website or automated telephone system, the refund will be charged back to the corresponding credit card. For all other payments, a check will be issued and mailed to the best address on record. You should expect to receive a refund within 60 days of the public announcement.
Check if you are eligible for a ticket refund
Non-moving parking tickets issued from September 1, 2021 through April 5, 2022 by Parking Enforcement are eligible for a refund. Other tickets such as traffic tickets, or tickets issued by Seattle Police Officers are not included. If you're still unsure, check for tickets issued to your vehicle that are eligible for a refund.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Refunds will be issued starting the week of June 6, 2022.
- If you paid by credit or debit card or ACH transfer using the Municipal court’s website or automated telephone system, your payment will be charged back to the payment card or account. Please allow time for the chargeback to occur. If your account has been closed, please contact the TPA in June.
- Most refunds of cash, check, or money order payments are being made to the registered owner of the ticketed vehicle. Please allow time for the check to arrive.
No, all refunds will be charged back to a payment card or bank account, or a check will be mailed.
No, traffic camera tickets were issued by the Seattle Police Department and are not eligible for cancellation requests.
No, you don’t need to file anything. Refunds will be processed automatically either by chargeback to the payment card or bank account, or by check to the payor or the vehicle’s registered owner.
- If your ticket is eligible for a refund and you have not gotten a refund, here are some explanations:
- If you paid by credit or debit card or ACH transfer using the Municipal court’s website or automated telephone system, your payment will be charged back to the payment card or account, unless the account has been closed. Please allow time for the chargeback to occur. If your account has been closed, please contact the TPA in June.
- Most refunds of cash, check, or money order payments are being made to the registered owner of the ticketed vehicle because in most cases the name and address of the person who paid is not recorded in our systems. Please allow time for the check to arrive. If you paid a ticket that was issued to a car you don’t own, please contact the TPA in June.
- If you paid by cash, check, or money order by mail or at a Customer Service Center and have moved since you last updated your vehicle registration address, your check may have been mailed to a previous address. The refunded payment was made to the registered owner associated with the license plate number. Please check your registration information using the Dept of Licensing online change address feature at wa.gov/vehicleregistration or by calling DOL at (360) 902-3770. If your vehicle registration address isn’t current, please contact the TPA in June.
- TPA contact information will be provided in this section in June.
- Please contact the TPA in June to discuss how to handle or return the check if you do not believe you are eligible. Please have the check with you when you call.
- TPA contact information will be provided in this section in June.
- Verify the amount paid toward your ticket(s) in by looking up your eligible ticket. If you still believe your refund amount is incorrect, please contact the TPA in June.
- TPA contact information will be provided in this section in June.
Only non-moving parking tickets issued from September 1, 2021 through April 5, 2022 by Parking Enforcement are included. Other tickets such as traffic tickets, or tickets issued by Seattle Police Officers are not included.
- If you have confirmed that your vehicle received a ticket and is eligible for a refund, please contact the TPA in June and provide a current mailing address.
- TPA contact information will be provided in this section in June.
Payments made by credit or debit card or ACH transfer using the Municipal Court’s website or automated telephone system will be charged back to the payment card. If the payment card has been closed since then, a check will be mailed. If someone requested a hearing before paying, the check will be sent to that person; otherwise, it will go to the owner of the cited vehicle.
All amounts applied toward payment of eligible tickets will be refunded to the payment card or by check to the person with the time payment account. The $4 setup fee will be refunded in most cases, but may not be refunded if the eligible tickets were put on the plan at the same time as other tickets that are not eligible for refund.
All completed community service hours that were credited toward eligible tickets will be refunded by issuing a check to the person who set up the community service plan, at the rate that was active when the hours were received, up to the full amount of the ticket(s).
- If you paid by credit card, debit card, or by ACH transfer from a bank account using the Municipal Court’s website or automated telephone system, a refund will be charged back to your payment card or account.
- If you paid in person at Seattle Municipal Court, or if you mailed a check directly to the Court, you should receive a refund check.
- If you paid at a Customer Service Center or by using the return envelope placed on the vehicle with the ticket, a refund check will probably be issued to the vehicle’s registered owner.
- If you don’t receive a refund and paid a ticket that was issued to a car you don’t own, please contact the TPA in June.