Pay and/or contest a parking ticket

Service
Parking tickets issued by the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) are adjudicated through the Multnomah County Court system. You have 30 days from the date on your ticket to work through the options below, or the citation will be delinquent and you risk increased fines and vehicle impound.
up close picture of a parking ticket on a car windshield

Time to complete this process may vary.

If you receive a parking citation, you must do one of the following within 30 days of the date of the citation, or the citation will be delinquent.  If the citation becomes delinquent, the court may issue a warrant for immobilization and/or impoundment (tow) of the cited vehicle, enter a judgment and impose a fine up to the maximum amount allowed by law, assign the citation to collections and add fees.

Below are the three (3) different choices you can do before 5 PM on the 30th day of the date on the citation. Choose only one (1) of the below options.

Option 1 - Pay your citation

Pay by Mail

Insert in the yellow citation envelope a check or money order for the citation amount (do not mail cash) payable to “State of Oregon”, include with your payment the citation or case number as well as the license plate number of the cited vehicle.

Mail to:

Multnomah County Circuit Court

Parking Citation Office
P.O. Box 78
Portland, OR97207
United States

Pay by Phone

You may pay your citation over the phone with Visa or Mastercard. Press option "5" after calling:

971-274-0590

Pay Online

Have your county and citation information ready and pay online to the Oregon Judicial Department:

Oregon Judicial Department - Courts E-Pay portal


OPTION 2 – Send a written explanation

Insert in the yellow citation envelope a separate written explanation as to why you are contesting the citation. You should include any documents you would like the judge to review with your explanation.  Your written explanation is a waiver of your right to a court hearing and consent to any judgment rendered. For more information on responding to your citation, please visit the court's web page here

Mail to:

Multnomah County Circuit Court

Parking Citation Office
P.O. Box 78
Portland, OR97207
United States

Before contesting your citation, you can view your violation photos online. You will need your citation number (near the top, starts with HA), the citation date, and your license plate. Photos can take up to 3 days for the photos to appear. 

view citation photos


OPTION 3 – Schedule a Court Hearing

There are 2 different ways to schedule a court hearing.

  • First way is to insert in the yellow citation envelope a separate written request for a hearing. 

or

  • The second way is to appear in person at the Customer Service Area on the Second Floor of the Multnomah County Central Courthouse at 1200 SW First Avenue to request a hearing.

Additional Information

If your vehicle has been towed or booted (immobilized) for unpaid parking citations, you must pay the entire amount due in guaranteed funds at the Circuit Court Customer Service Area, Second floor. The tow company will also charge a fee before releasing an impounded vehicle.

The Circuit Court is accessible to disabled persons.  Requests for reasonable accommodation, including an interpreter for the hearing impaired, should be made at least 48 hours before appearance.  Requests should be made to the Circuit Court Parking Tag Office at (971) 274-0590 or through the Oregon Relay Service at 711.