- Cities and municipalities enforce their parking regulations, in part, through the issuance of parking tickets. Once issued, parking ticket recipients have the option to contest the infraction or pay the ticket. Unless a motorist can demonstrate that he/she is not guilty, payment of the ticket is required. Depending on the jurisdiction, vehicles with past due unpaid tickets may be subject to towing and impounding or the application of a device that prevents the motorist from driving the vehicle.
- When shopping for auto insurance, most insurance companies do not even require that motorists report their parking tickets. Esurance, for example, specifies on its website that it does not include parking tickets as violations for insurance quote purposes. TD Insurance goes a step further, claiming that the notion that a parking ticket could raise your insurance premium is a "myth."
- Lawyers.com provides that a surcharge, defined as an amount added to a motorist's insurance premiums, may be added due to an event such as moving violation, citation or the involvement in an accident caused by the motorist. The rationale for imposing a surcharge is that if a motorist is the recipient of a ticket for something like speeding or reckless driving, it is more likely that such motorist will cause harm or injury resulting in a claim that would need to be paid by the insurance company. Parking tickets, Esurance says, is not considered a hazard to other drivers.
- Although parking tickets may not directly affect one's insurance premiums, failure to pay a parking ticket in many jurisdictions may lead to the inability of a motorist to renew their licenses. The inability to renew a license will cause an insurance company to drop the motorist's policy, which will indirectly affect the motorist's premiums.
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