Hearing by Mail

A hearing by mail is an option offered by the NYC Department of Finance that lets a respondent contest a parking or camera violation by submitting a written defense through the postal system instead of appearing at a borough hearing office in person. It is one of three main contest options alongside in-person hearings and online contests through the NYC Pay or Dispute portal.

To request a hearing by mail, the respondent mails the defense package — written statement plus any supporting evidence (photos, receipts, repair records, GPS logs) — to the address on the back of the ticket. The deadline to request a hearing by mail is longer than the in-person deadline: 60 days from the ticket date rather than 30. An administrative law judge reviews the submission and issues a determination by mail.

For fleet operators, hearing by mail is attractive because it scales: a single administrator can mail contests for dozens of tickets per day without sending drivers to hearing offices. The trade-off is evidence limits — without live testimony, the case rests entirely on written submissions. Clear Plates generates contest evidence packages that fleet managers can adapt for hearings by mail.