Parking Tickets: Fines and Appeals

Finding a pink ticket under your windshield wiper is every driver’s nightmare, especially when you’re on vacation or in a city you don’t know well. A parking ticket is one of the most common fines, but it often leads to confusion about costs, deadlines, and payment methods: in this article, we’ll help you navigate the bureaucratic red tape and prevent a simple momentary lapse from turning into a financial nightmare.

The traffic code regarding parking restrictions clearly stipulates, primarily through Articles 157 and 158, where and how vehicles may not be parked. Whether it’s a driveway, a residents-only zone, or an area designated for street cleaning, a violation always results in an administrative fine.

The fine for illegal parking is not fixed but varies depending on the severity of the violation. Generally, for less serious violations (such as exceeding the time limit in blue-line parking zones), the fine is around 42 euros. However, if the vehicle is parked in spaces reserved for people with disabilities or in public transit lanes, the fine can increase significantly.

The situation becomes more complicated in the case of a parking violation fine that results in the vehicle being towed. In this case, in addition to the fine, the owner must cover the costs of the tow truck and vehicle impound, bringing the total expense to very high amounts (often exceeding 150–200 euros).

However, if you pay the parking ticket within 5 days of receiving the notice (or of finding the notice on your windshield, if the municipality requires it), you are entitled to a 30% reduction on the amount.

A traffic ticket is not always indisputable. There are specific cases in which it is possible to contest a parking ticket and request that it be voided. Here are the most common reasons for filing an appeal:

To challenge the decision, you may file an appeal with the Prefect within 60 days; this is free of charge, but the penalty may be doubled if the appeal is rejected. The alternative is to file a complaint with the Justice of the Peace within 30 days: in this case, a flat-rate fee is required.

If you received a traffic ticket while driving a rental car, the procedure is different. Usually, the rental company receives the ticket and “reissues” it to the actual driver by providing your information to the authorities.

Almost all companies charge an administrative fee (often between 30 and 50 euros) for handling the paperwork, which is charged directly to your credit card. Once you receive the citation at home from the city, you’ll have to pay the actual fine yourself. In any case, always check the policies of your rental agency.

Keep in mind that, starting from the date of the violation, the authorities have 90 days to notify the vehicle owner of the citation . If the notification arrives after this deadline, the fine is technically void, but you will still need to file an appeal to have it officially canceled.