Late Penalty

A late penalty is an additional surcharge added to a violation's balance when the ticket is not paid or contested within the initial grace period. Late penalties are the primary driver of penalty escalation — they can more than double the original fine if left unchecked.

For parking violations, the late penalty schedule is: +$10 after ~30 days, +$30 after ~60 days, +$60 after ~75 days. A $115 ticket becomes $215 before judgment. For camera violations, the schedule is: +$25 after ~30 days, +$50 after ~60 days, then judgment (the +$60 step is skipped). A $50 camera ticket becomes $125 before judgment.

Late penalties are completely avoidable with timely action — either pay the ticket or contest it before each deadline. For fleets, the challenge is simply knowing the tickets exist. A camera violation mailed to a leasing company might not reach the DSP for weeks, by which time the first penalty has already hit. Clear Plates monitors penalty stages for every violation and sends alerts as deadlines approach.