Once you receive a parking ticket, you can either pay it by phone, mail, or in person within 30 days. (Heidi Besen/Shutterstock)
There’s a game of chance Houstonians play when we park our vehicles on a seemingly unmarked side street. We immediately wonder: “Am I allowed to park here?” and “Will my car still be here when I come back?” For many of us, those questions race through our minds, ending in a split-second decision to park and hope for the best.
Then you return to your car and discover the worst has actually happened: There’s a ticket stuck to the windshield—or the car has completely disappeared.
If that’s ever happened to you and you weren’t sure what to do, keep reading: Here are the steps to take after you’ve been ticketed or towed in Houston.
What to do when you get ticketed
Once you receive a parking ticket, you can either pay it by phone, mail, or in person within 30 days. If the citation is not paid within 30 days, a delinquent fee is added to the fine. After 90 days, a 30% collection fee is also added.
If you believe you have been wrongfully ticketed, you can contest the citation in person or online within 30 days of receiving it.
Be wary of parking ticket scams though; when in doubt, always enter the citation number on the ParkHouston website to validate the ticket’s legitimacy.
“Our parking citations will never have a QR code for payment,” Park Houston Deputy Director Maria Irshad said. “We will have instructions on how you could pay the citation. We will have instructions on how you could contest the citation and locations where you could go for all these various steps. But we will not have a QR code asking you to pay that citation.”
What to do when you get towed
Getting towed is usually more complicated than getting ticketed—and a lot more stressful. It can be a hassle trying to get your car back after parking in a tow-away zone or on private property.
But there is some good news: If your car is in the process of being towed but hasn’t been hooked up to the truck yet, you may reclaim it for free.
Or let’s say your car is hooked up and ready to be towed, but hasn’t left the parking lot—you can pay a drop fee to get it back immediately.
In Texas, maximum drop fees are:
- $135 for car weighing 10,000 pounds or less
- $190 for cars weighing more than 10,000 but less than 25,000 pounds
- $244 for cars with a gross weight rating that exceeds 25,000 pounds
If you can’t stop your car from being towed, you’ll need to go to Find My Towed Car and search your license plate, Vehicle Identification Number, or location. If you get towed inside of Houston city limits, visit here to track down your car
Once you identify where your car has been taken, you’ll need two things to get it back: proof of ownership (such as a driver’s license or insurance card) and a bit of money. You’re allowed to retrieve any documents from your car that help with proving ownership.
Towing fees are:
- $272 for a vehicle weighing up to 10,000 pounds
- $380 for a vehicle weighing more than 10,000 but less than 25,000 pounds
- $489 per unit for vehicles weighing more than 25,000 pounds, with a $978 total maximum
Similar to being ticketed, you can request a hearing within 14 days of being towed if you believe you were overcharged or wrongfully towed. But try not to leave your vehicle in a storage facility for too long: After 24 hours, you may be charged between $22.85-$39.99 for every day it’s left unattended.
And remember, if street parking ever feels like a gamble, opting for a parking garage, valet servIce, or rideshare could save you time, money, and stress.
