Skip to main content
Parkeas

Parking tickets in Vancouver: how to pay, dispute and what happens if you don’t

Pay a Vancouver parking ticket within 14 days and the City takes 30% off the full amount. You can pay online, by phone at 3-1-1, in person at City Hall or by mail. To dispute it, apply for adjudication within 14 days of the ticket; an adjudicator can’t reduce the fine, and an upheld ticket costs the full amount plus $25.
Pay your ticket with the City of VancouverFind parking
Facts checked October 30, 2026

Ways to pay

Online [1]The City’s online payment systemVisa, MasterCard or American Express
By phone[1]3-1-1 (604-873-7000 from outside Vancouver)3-1-1 hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends and holidays
In person[1]Revenue Services counter, ground floor of City Hall, 453 West 12th AveThe City lists it as a payment option
Drop-off or by mail[1]Mail slot at City Hall’s south entrance on West 12th Avenue, or by mailThe City’s page doesn’t list a mailing address
Pay early[1]Any method above, within 14 days30% off the full amount; your ticket shows the dates and what you owe

Closest Parkeas spaces

No Parkeas spaces within 10 km yet. Search near Vancouver

Disputing a ticket

  • First look at the by-law officer’s photos, then call the Ticket Inquiry line at 604-257-8732, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (except holidays). Staff can cancel some tickets and help you fill out the adjudication form.[3]
  • To have a ticket adjudicated, complete the online application within 14 days from when the ticket was issued. Each ticket needs its own application.[2] Official page
  • A screening officer contacts you first. If the ticket is cancelled, it ends there; if not, you go to a hearing before an adjudicator.[2]
  • The Provincial Attorney General appoints the adjudicators. They decide only whether the offence took place, they can’t reduce the amount, the issuing officer doesn’t have to attend, and the decision is final.[2]
  • If the ticket is upheld, you pay the full non-discounted amount plus a $25 fee. The process can take about a year.[2]
  • After you apply you can only cancel by paying before the hearing, and a ticket you have already paid can’t go to adjudication.[2]
  • Hearing letters go to the registered owner on file with ICBC, so update your vehicle registration address with ICBC, not just your driver’s licence, and email bylaw@vancouver.ca with proof and your ticket number. The City’s evidence is viewable 14 days before the hearing.[2]

Before you pay: photos, errors and scams

  • Photos taken by the by-law officer, if there are any, go online 24 hours after the ticket is issued. Enter the notice number, plate and issue date.[9] Official page
  • The City may cancel a ticket if your car was stolen, it was issued to the wrong licence plate, you were parked where you have a valid permit, or a duplicate was issued for the same incident.[3]
  • A notice in the mail about a ticket that wasn’t on your car still has to be paid.[3]
  • The City serves a ticket on your vehicle or mails it to the registered owner. It doesn’t send tickets by text, so a text asking you to pay an overdue ticket is a scam.[1]
  • The City’s meters have no QR codes. Don’t scan one stuck on a meter or pay station; report it on Van311.[1]
  • Don’t park at a broken meter. Parking Meter By-law 2952 fines you for not paying, for going over the time, and for parking at a broken meter.[6]
  • The City’s ticket pages list no fine amounts. A Council report in October 2025 recommended raising the 3-hour limit fine from $70 to $90 and many other Street and Traffic By-law fines from $100 to $150 from January 1, 2026; your ticket shows what you owe.[7]

Unpaid tickets and towing

  • An upheld ticket you don’t pay goes to a collection agency, and you owe the ticket value plus 50% plus the $25 fee.[2]
  • The City warns that if mail delays hold up your payment, you could lose the early-payment discount or owe a late fee, and unpaid debts may go to a collection agency and your vehicle may be towed.[1]
  • A car can be towed if its owner broke a parking by-law, or if it has been abandoned and is a safety hazard. Towing fees go to the tow company, on top of the ticket paid to the City.[4]
  • If your car was towed from a street or park, check the City Impound Yard at 425 Industrial Ave, open 24 hours a day, or search online. Abandoned vehicles go to 1150 E Kent Ave South, open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.[5]
  • A regular car towed from City property has a base fee of $82.18, a fuel surcharge of $22.19 for the first 6 km, $0.65 per km after that, and $2.48 per km on any tow over 6 km (rates from January 1, 2025, before taxes).[5]
  • Storage for a vehicle up to 20 feet is $26.56 per day or partial day (a longer vehicle costs more). The City Impound Yard’s towing is done by Busters, under contract with the City, and its fees are collected by the towing company.[5]

Common questions

How do I pay a parking ticket in Vancouver?
Pay a Vancouver parking ticket online with Visa, MasterCard or American Express, by phone at 3-1-1, in person at the Revenue Services counter at City Hall (453 West 12th Ave), or by mail or the City Hall mail slot.
How long do I have to pay a Vancouver parking ticket at a discount?
Pay within 14 days and the City of Vancouver takes 30% off the full amount. Your ticket shows the exact dates and what you owe.
How do I dispute a parking ticket in Vancouver?
Look at the by-law officer’s photos, call the City of Vancouver at 604-257-8732, and if it isn’t resolved apply for adjudication online within 14 days of the ticket. A screening officer, then an adjudicator, reviews it; the adjudicator can’t reduce the fine, and an upheld ticket adds a $25 fee.
How much is a parking ticket in Vancouver?
The City of Vancouver’s ticket pages don’t list amounts, so check your ticket. A City Council report in October 2025 recommended raising many fines from $100 to $150 and the 3-hour limit fine from $70 to $90 from January 1, 2026.
My car was towed in Vancouver. Where is it?
If it was towed from a Vancouver street or park, check the City Impound Yard at 425 Industrial Ave, open 24 hours a day, or search for it online. You pay the tow company, plus the parking ticket to the City.
Is a text message about my Vancouver parking ticket real?
No. The City of Vancouver says it doesn’t notify people of fines by text, media or social media. Tickets are served on your vehicle or mailed to the registered owner, so delete the text and don’t click the link.

Have a driveway near Vancouver?

Listing is free. Set your own price, block the times you need the space, and eligible earnings are paid out every week.

List your driveway

Sources

  1. City of Vancouver: Paying your parking ticket
  2. City of Vancouver: Parking ticket adjudication
  3. City of Vancouver: Ticket questions, errors, and disputes
  4. City of Vancouver: Guide to driving and parking
  5. City of Vancouver: Impounded vehicles and towing fees
  6. City of Vancouver: Meter parking
  7. City of Vancouver: Council report, 2026 Engineering Fees (October 29, 2025, PDF)
  8. City of Vancouver: Online payment system (parking ticket)
  9. City of Vancouver: View by-law officer photos
  10. City of Vancouver: Parking ticket adjudication request form

Rates and rules change. Check the official page before you park; these were last checked October 30, 2026.

Researched by the Parkeas team from the official pages above. Parkeas is independent: not affiliated with the Cities, venues, hospitals or universities named in these guides. How we check these guides

More parking guides

Parking at Vancouver International Airport (YVR): lots, rates and the free cell lotVancouver overnight parkingKitchener parking ticketsWaterloo parking ticketsCambridge parking ticketsToronto parking ticketsMississauga parking ticketsBrampton parking ticketsSaskatoon parking ticketsVictoria parking ticketsLondon, Ontario parking ticketsOttawa parking ticketsParking guides