Somerville Parking Tickets—How To Avoid, Dispute, or Pay Them

Last Updated on December 3, 2022 by Usama

Whether you’re just starting to drive or moving to Somerville, MA, learning about the city parking regulations is a must! First, we’ll provide information regarding street parking and off-street lots to help you avoid getting a ticket. Our guide will also take you through the appeal process or assist you in paying your citation. Learn all there is to know about Somerville parking tickets, and use our tips to save both your time and money!

How To Avoid Somerville Parking Tickets

You should know/consider a few things if you want to stay away from Somerville parking tickets. On-street parking rules are the most important, as well as perusing parking signs before leaving your car on-street. Another successful method is pre-booking a spot in a city parking garage or lot—it’s easy and efficient. Finally, you can use public transit and significantly reduce your expenses. Learn more about each option below!

Discover the Nitty-Gritty of Somerville Street Parking

Somerville parking meters are in effect Monday through Saturday, from 8 AM to 8 PM. As usual, parking is free on Sundays and holidays. The standard parking rate is $1.25 per hour. Most curbside parking spots have two-hour limits, and such spots have meters with yellow bands. Several off-street lots have parking meters with orange bands, which allow three hours of parking. Apart from regular meters, the city also offers parking kiosks, which serve approximately 10 on-street parking spaces. They accept quarters, debit cards, and credit cards. You can also use the ParkMobile app.

Book a Parking Space in Advance

Reserving a spot through sites like SpotHero is time-saving, but it can also save you money! An array of car parking facilities and spots throughout the city are available for booking. If going to Davis Square, pre-book parking in the 100 Dover Street Lot, or see if personal spots on Elm Street are available. Several hotels also offer daily parking services to the general public, such as the Holiday Inn in East Somerville. SpotHero has the widest selection of offers in the City of Somerville, so be sure to check it out!

Use Public Transportation

Public buses and trains lower your costs and help you avoid not only tickets but parking altogether. The MBTA offers regular service within Somerville, as well as paratransit transfers through The Ride. MBTA commuter rail fares start at $2.40, while the standard bus fare is $1.70. Check out the website to learn more or plan your trip! Alternatively, you may use one of the free local shuttles that operate within the city: the Assembly Row Partners Shuttle or Tufts Joey.

Already Got a Citation? It Might Be Invalid!

Several factors can help you overthrow your Somerville parking ticket in no time! If you already got a ticket, see if anything from the following list applies to your case:

Handwriting is indecipherable
License plate number, vehicle model, or similar piece of information is missing
Any detail regarding your vehicle is inaccurate
The time or date is incorrect
It’s not specified whether you were parked in front of or opposite the address in question
Your car was rented, sold, or stolen

Note that—whatever the reason for your appeal is—you’ll need to present evidence that confirms your story. Keep reading to discover how to contest your Somerville parking ticket the right way!

Dispute a Somerville Parking Ticket Within 21 Days

The City of Somerville gives you three weeks to appeal your parking citation, and the easiest way to do it is online! Enter the license plate and violation numbers, click on Submit, and follow the steps to complete your request. Prepare all the documents and include evidence if possible. To appeal your ticket by mail, make a copy of it and send it to Parking Department, 133 Holland Street, Somerville, MA 02144. Be sure to add a statement and necessary documents. You can also deliver all the documents in person by going to the Parking Department by yourself. Call 311 or 617-666-3311 if you have any questions. Note that, if you don’t appeal the ticket within 21 days, additional fees will be added to the ticket amount.

Helpful Tips: How To Fight Your Ticket Successfully

We used the official Parking Department website as a resource to explain how to dispute parking tickets properly, but we have a few other useful pieces of information:

When appealing the citation online, you may upload up to three supporting documents
If you got a handwritten ticket, you can contest it either by mail or in-person
If you dispute by mail, expect to receive the Parking Department’s decision within 4 to 6 weeks
To save time and money—and avoid the hassle—we suggest using DoNotPay, a robot lawyer that will help you initiate the process and fight your ticket effortlessly

Somerville Parking Ticket Payment

Don’t want to deal with the administration? Pay the City of Somerville parking ticket in one of the following ways:

Online: Enter your ticket and license plate numbers, and use a valid credit card to pay
By mail: Send a check (payable to Somerville Parking Clerk) or money order along with your vehicle license plate number and violation number. The address is the City of Somerville, PO Box 9102, Somerville, MA 02143-9102
By phone: Call 844-807-9069 and pay using a credit card or debit card
In-person: Head to the Parking Department at 133 Holland Street, Somerville, MA 02144

Note: When entering the parking ticket number, don’t include hyphens or spaces, but add the two letters listed before the number.

Contest a Parking Citation in Any Other City

Parking Access creates helpful guides that assist drivers across the country in finding safe parking or avoiding parking infractions! In addition to Somerville parking tickets, we can take you through the process of fighting citations in many major cities, such as:

All About Somerville Parking Tickets