SEATTLE — Starting on Jan. 30, the Seattle Municipal Court will be resuming late fees for all unpaid parking, camera and traffic tickets.
Late fees were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and now, three years later, roughly 350,000 tickets are expected to be impacted by the reinstated fees.
Late fees for parking and camera tickets are an additional $25 cost and traffic tickets are $52. There are several options for those who have tickets and want to avoid late fees. Tickets are payable online, by mail, or in person at the Seattle Municipal Court or a Seattle Customer Service Center. If the ticket cannot be paid in full, payment and community service plans are available for ticket holders to opt in on.
There is also the option to mitigate or dispute tickets by requesting a hearing, either by phone or through the mail. Seattle residents who are low-income can sign up for a Seattle Ticket Debt Reduction Hearing.
In order to avoid late fees, payments, payment plans, community service plans, or hearings must be arranged prior to Jan. 30.
If a ticket has been lost, Seattle Municipal Court says to look it up online using the court’s online portal. Use the Vehicle Information tab in the left-hand menu to search the license plate. Click on the correct license plate, and any Seattle citations issued to that vehicle will be listed.