NYC Violation Code 52: No Standing - Intersection
Parking violation · $115 base fine · 5-stage penalty escalation
Fine Breakdown
Base Fine
$115
Maximum (before judgment)
$215
Penalty Escalation Timeline
Base Fine
$115
At issue
+$10 Late Penalty
$125
After 30 days
+$30 Late Penalty
$155
After 60 days
+$60 Late Penalty
$215
After 75 days
Judgment Entered
$215
After 90 days
Quick Tip
Standing is prohibited within 20 feet of an intersection. If road markings were absent or your vehicle was outside the 20-foot zone, document with photos and measurements.
When this ticket gets issued
Code 52 is issued for standing within an intersection, typically inside the 20-foot zone that NYC treats as the intersection for parking purposes. Agents write it when a vehicle is stopped too close to the corner, blocking sight lines or turning radius for other traffic. It often appears on corners without painted curb lines, where drivers mistake the absence of a no-parking sign for permission to park. The violation also covers stopping with any part of the vehicle projecting into the paved crossing area, including during brief delivery pauses that encroach on the intersection box.
How to fight code 52
Ticket location does not match where vehicle was parked
Measure from the curb extension of the intersecting street to the front of your vehicle. If the distance exceeded 20 feet, the ticket is invalid. Use tape-measure photos or a marked-up street diagram, and include the cross-street name on your documentation to match the summons location.
Evidence to bring: photo_of_location, written_account
Vehicle was not at this location at the time
Submit GPS or toll records placing the truck elsewhere at the ticket minute. Intersection summonses cite a specific corner, so a single data point putting the vehicle on a different block usually ends the dispute, especially for fleets with second-by-second telematics.
Evidence to bring: written_account
Wrong plate number on the ticket
Review the plate string, state, and body type on the summons against your registration. Intersection tickets are often written while agents are moving with traffic and plate typos are common. A mismatch in any single field can be enough to defeat a code 52 charge at a hearing.
Evidence to bring: photo_of_plate, photo_of_registration
Ticket contains errors (wrong date, time, location, or vehicle description)
Check that the listed cross street actually intersects the street of record, and that the time and vehicle description are accurate. Vague location entries such as a missing cross street or an intersecting avenue that does not exist are classic grounds for dismissing a code 52 summons.
Evidence to bring: written_account
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the 20-foot intersection distance measured for code 52?
NYC measures from the prolongation of the nearest curb of the intersecting street outward along the curb where you parked. The rule applies whether or not yellow curb paint is present. A tape-measure photo from the corner to your bumper is the cleanest proof that you were outside the 20-foot zone.
What if there was no sign warning about intersection parking?
Intersection standing rules apply citywide without posted signs, so the absence of a sign is not a defense. The standard argument is distance — proving the vehicle sat more than 20 feet from the intersecting curb — or showing the ticket contained location errors, not that a sign was missing.
Does code 52 apply on one-way streets the same way?
Yes. The 20-foot standing prohibition applies to every intersection, regardless of one-way or two-way designation. Drivers should assume a full vehicle-length buffer from the nearest corner when parking near any intersection to avoid code 52 exposure.
What this means for commercial fleets
Code 52 is a frequent finding on urban delivery routes where drivers drop at corner businesses. At 115 dollars base and roughly 175 dollars at judgment, repeat intersection violations add up fast across a fleet. Dispatch guidance should include a clear 20-foot rule reminder and, where possible, pre-identified mid-block stops for corner addresses. Dashcam-enabled coaching on the 20-foot buffer, plus instructing drivers to photograph their stop location when they must park near a corner, materially reduces code 52 exposure.
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Disclaimer: Clear Plates is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. The information on this page is general educational content about NYC violation code 52 and is not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney. Defenses, evidence strategies, and hearing outcomes depend on facts specific to each ticket. For legal advice about a specific violation, consult a qualified attorney licensed in New York.