Online Payments Coming to This Parking Ticket Amnesty Program

(TNS) — Syracuse’s offer of amnesty on penalties accrued for unpaid parking tickets will begin Monday, but automobile owners looking to pay their base fines online will have to wait until Nov. 10.

The city will open the month-long amnesty program with options to pay in person at City Hall or via mail. A dedicated phone line and email address will also be available to help people find out if they have old unresolved tickets.

The delay in the online option resulted from extra time required by the city’s vendor to get more than 140,000 tickets dating back to 1997 properly set up for penalties to be waived during the amnesty window.

Late payment penalties get added to city parking ticket fines after 20 days, 30 days and 90 days. A base fine of $25 that also includes a $15 New York state surcharge can rack up $95 in penalties.

The city hopes the program can generate some needed revenue from unpaid parking tickets while giving motorists a chance to clean their slates at a reduced price. People with three or more unpaid parking tickets are subject to having their vehicle immobilized by a boot device.

The city is providing the following guidance for how to take advantage of the amnesty program:

• Email ParkingAmnesty@syr.gov or visit the City Payment Center at City Hall to find out how many outstanding tickets they have and what the discounted cost to clear each ticket is. The payment center is located at Room 122, 233 E. Washington Street, Syracuse, NY 13202
• Make payments in person, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Drop payments off at the secure drop box at City Hall located to the right of the Market Street entrance.
• Mail payments to the City Payment Center at City Hall.

Drivers who are currently on payment plans for unpaid tickets must come to the payment center in person to have amnesty applied.

Mail and drop box payments can be made with a check or money order, but cash is also accepted at the drop box. Ticket or license plate number must be written on each check or included with each money order or cash payment.

The city’s current online payment portal remains active, but the ability to have balances reduced via the amnesty program on that platform doesn’t start until Nov. 10.

The amnesty program runs through Nov. 30. Mayor Ben Walsh’s administration asked Syracuse Common Council to authorize a roughly three-week program. Councilors had the administration extend it until the end of November.

Questions can be emailed to ParkingAmnesty@syr.gov or asked by calling the (315) 448-8670 (Spanish translation is available). Visit syr.gov/parkingamnesty to learn more.

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