Parking tickets and towed cars

What a late ticket costs

Each increase is added to the last one, so a ticket with all three increases costs $30 more after 58 days. Some safety tickets, including hydrant, crosswalk, posted-sign, and snow emergency tickets, don’t increase.

If a ticket stays unpaid

• Day 14: Payment due. Late increases start after day 14 for most tickets.
• Day 58: Registration hold possible. The City may place a hold on the vehicle’s registration.
• Day 65: Last day to dispute. Disputes must be filed within 65 calendar days of the ticket. After that, a default judgment is possible.
• Day 80: Sent to collections. After collections, the State can take the amount from your income tax refund, and credit bureaus may be notified.
• Since January 1, 2026, a car with 5 or more tickets more than 60 days past due can be towed, even when it’s parked legally. To get it back, you pay the past-due tickets or schedule a Municipal Court date.

Dispute a ticket

Dispute online with your citation number and license plate within 65 calendar days of the ticket.

If you disagree with the decision, you can ask for a new hearing in Milwaukee Municipal Court. The deadline is 65 days after the ticket or 10 days after the decision letter, whichever is later. You schedule that hearing in person at a Violations Bureau office.

Set up a payment plan

• Call the Violations Bureau at 414-344-0840. Your unpaid balance must be at least $100, and you can’t have defaulted on a plan before.
• Within 48 hours, pay the $10 fee and your first payment in person at a Violations Bureau office. Bring a government-issued photo ID and your plan number.
• After that, pay at least $25 by the 15th of each month, for up to 12 months.
• Within 3 business days of your first payment, the plan removes tow eligibility, the registration hold, and collections. A state tax refund intercept that has already started stays until the debt is paid.
• You give up the right to dispute any ticket you put in the plan. Missing monthly payments ends the plan.

Where to pay

• North: 6223 N Teutonia Ave. Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.–noon.
• Downtown: Police Administration Building, 951 N James Lovell St, 2nd floor. Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m..
• South: 2980 S Chase Ave. Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.–noon.
• Kiosks at every police district station take payments 24/7.
• Online and phone card payments cost $2 extra. You can also mail a check or money order.

Find a towed car

Search the City’s towed vehicle records first. If your car isn’t there, call the tow lot at 414-286-2700. A car towed from private property, or moved for construction or an event, may be somewhere else.

What it costs to get your car back

The tow is $150, plus $25 for each calendar day of storage. Uninsured cars are driven off the lot by City staff for another $50. Pick the car up within 15 days of the tow, or the City may sell or recycle it.

What to bring to the tow lot

• 3811 W Lincoln Ave, 414-286-2700. Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.–1 p.m., closed Sunday.
• A valid driver’s license. Without one, bring a state-issued photo ID and a licensed driver.
• An insurance card showing the carrier, the insured person, and the vehicle’s make, model, year, and VIN.
• Picking up for someone else: a notarized letter from the owner naming the car’s color, make, model, VIN, plate, and tow number, plus a copy of the owner’s ID.
• Payment in full: cash, money order, cashier’s check, or the owner’s own MasterCard or Visa. Personal checks aren’t accepted.
• To challenge the tow itself, call the Parking Citation Review Manager at 414-286-5085.