Guide to Connecticut Parking Laws

Traffic tickets are a necessary nuisance of contemporary urban life.  If you're caught violating CT parking laws, you may be in for a hefty fine—or even worse.  This guide will explain Connecticut parking laws so that you can avoid parking tickets whenever possible.  You'll also learn about the consequences of failing to pay your parking tickets.

Connecticut Parking Laws and Disabled Parking

One of the most expensive CT parking laws to violate is the state's disabled parking law.  Disabled parking spaces are mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at the federal level, and this law also mandates that people who park illegally in disabled spaces receive parking fines.  You can expect a $150 ticket the first time you violate Connecticut parking laws about disabled parking spaces.

In order to avoid being ticketed for violating CT parking laws, all disabled drivers and passengers must prominently display a handicapped decal or license plate.  If you fraudulently use another person's handicapped window decal or license plate, you may receive the same fine for violating Connecticut parking laws if you are caught.  Additionally, if the person who rightfully owned the disabled placard allowed you to use it fraudulently, they may have their disabled parking permit suspended or permanently revoked.

Parking Tickets

The cost of parking tickets is set by individual municipalities.  Typically, you can expect to pay anywhere from $25 to $50 for violating CT parking laws like parking in front of a fire hydrant or in a fire zone.  Connecticut parking laws also allow fines to be assessed for parking within 25 feet of a crosswalk, parking on a sidewalk or grassy area, or parking in a bus stop or loading/unloading zone.

When you receive a parking ticket for violating CT parking laws, the ticket will contain information on the cost of the infraction, how long you have to pay, and what payment methods are available.  You will also find information on how to contest the ticket.  However, in most cases, hiring an attorney to contest a ticket for a violation of Connecticut parking laws is simply too expensive to be cost-effective.  You may want to consider the cost of an attorney before deciding to fight your parking ticket.

Other Consequences of Parking Violations

It is important to pay your tickets promptly when you violate CT parking laws.  If you do not pay by the date specified on your ticket, your fines may increase.  If you build up several tickets, Connecticut parking laws allow police to immobilize your vehicle or even have it towed.  The fees for removing an immobilization device, or impound charges if you are towed, can cost a great deal more than the initial ticket.

Continued failure to pay tickets allows the government to take your tickets to collections.  This can make your violation of CT parking laws even more costly when collection fees are added to the initial costs.  If you fail to pay your tickets when they are in collections, your credit score will be negatively affected and it may be difficult for you to buy a car or home, or even find a job.

 

Quick Guide to WV Parking Laws 

West Virginia Parking Laws

The majority of West Virginia parking law is located within §17C-13 of the state’s revised code.  There are other laws that regard WV parking laws in local jurisdictions, and the fines within these jurisdictions will vary—especially in metropolitan areas and educational institutions.  West Virginia parking laws indicate that a person who has received a ticket is allowed to appeal the fine, but these appeals are often very difficult to prove.  

This article will discuss general West Virginia parking law and information regarding paying your ticket.  For more information, regard the complete list of WV parking laws by searching within the state’s revised statutes. 

Specific West Virginia Parking Laws

§17C-13-3 of West Virginia parking law provides general laws for prohibited parking in the entire state.  Local jurisdictions may modify these WV parking laws to provide for more safety, but the general prohibitions under this section are listed below: 

• on a sidewalk

• in front of a public or private driveway

• within an intersection

• within 15 feet of a fire hydrant unless a local West Virginia parking law states otherwise

• in a fire lane

• on a crosswalk

• within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection

• within 30 feet of a flashing beacon or traffic control device such as a stop sign

• between a safety zone or 30 feet of the ends of the safety zone unless local West Virginia parking laws state otherwise

• with 50 feet of a railroad crossing

• within 25 feet of a fire station’s driveway or 75 feet if posted by local West Virginia parking laws

• alongside or opposite any excavation if parking would obstruct parking

• on a bridge, elevated highway, or in a tunnel

• at any place where local WV parking laws prohibit parking

• within 25 feet of a mail receptacle for daily deliveries

• on a controlled-access highway

• at any place where a curb is marked with blue paint

§17-13-1

This section of West Virginia parking law states that no person can stop or park a vehicle on a highway outside of a business or residence district if it is practicable to stop or park off the highway.  If local WV parking laws allow vehicle to stop or park on the edge of the highway, the vehicle cannot obstruct the flow of traffic. 

This West Virginia parking law also states the vehicle must be visible for at least 200 feet in both directions.  Additionally, if a person breaks this West Virginia parking law, they are guilty of a misdemeanor and may receive a fine of $200 to $500 depending on the number of violations of the same West Virginia parking laws within a given year.  

No parts of this specific West Virginia parking law apply to individuals who are forced to stop and temporarily leave their vehicle due to an emergency.  

West Virginia Parking Laws on Paying Tickets

West Virginia parking laws allow a person to pay their ticket online if the local municipal court allows electronic payments.  WV parking laws do not require a municipal court to allow such payments, so you will have to search for your local court or contact them to find out if you can make an electronic payment. 

For a listing of courts, visit the following link.

For more information on WV parking laws, visit the revised code under the state’s legislature.  

Guide to Speeding Tickets in Pennsylvania

Getting a speeding ticket in Pennsylvania is an unfortunate fact of life for hundreds of drivers every day.  If you have received a speeding ticket in PA, you may need to know what you will be expected to pay and how to pay your ticket.  If you believe your speeding ticket in Pennsylvania was given to you in error, you may want to learn how to fight the ticket in court.  This guide will explain your legal options for dealing with a speeding ticket in PA, as well as typical costs for these tickets.

Costs of a Speeding Ticket in Pennsylvania

The state of Pennsylvania bases the amount of your speeding fine on how fast you were going and what the speed limit was in the area where you were caught speeding.  A speeding ticket in PA will cost $42.50 for going 5 miles per hour or less over the limit in a 65 mph zone, and $35 for going 5 miles per hour or less over the limit in any other speed zone.  For every mile per hour that you exceed the limit beyond 5 miles per hour, your speeding ticket in Pennsylvania will be assessed an additional $2 fine.

While this may make a speeding ticket in PA sound relatively affordable, there are also several administrative fees and surcharges that add to the price.  There will be a $28 processing fee, a $10 contribution to the Emergency Medical Services Fund, and additional surcharges for court computer systems and a fund to compensate traffic accident victims.

Paying a Speeding Ticket in Pennsylvania

In some cases, you may be able to pay your speeding ticket in PA online.  For instance, if you were ticketed in Philadelphia, you can pay your speeding ticket in Pennsylvania at this website.  Generally, your speeding ticket in PA should include any methods of payment on the back, and you can usually telephone the court handling your ticket if you have any questions about paying.

If you do not pay your speeding ticket in Pennsylvania, your speeding fine may be increased.  Continuing to neglect a speeding ticket in PA can result in you being taken to collections, which can hurt your chances of getting credit for a home or car loan.

Fighting a Speeding Ticket in Pennsylvania

In addition to options for paying your speeding ticket in PA, your ticket will also include information on how to contest the ticket in court.  If you believe that you received the ticket in error, you may want to fight it.  Usually, in order to win a case about a speeding ticket in Pennsylvania, you will need to hire a lawyer who has experience in defending people from speeding tickets.

Your lawyer may be able to show that the police officer who arrested you had miscalibrated instruments or otherwise did not properly assess your speed.  In other situations, a lawyer may be able to show that the ticket was improper and did not contain required information, or contained incorrect data.

 

Frequently Asked Questions about Alaska Parking Laws

What are Alaska parking laws?

It is difficult and perhaps nearly impossible to give a suitable description of Alaska parking laws.  That’s because, for the most part, there are no Alaska parking laws. As in most states, parking laws aren’t set at the state level in Alaska; they’re not even set by counties but instead by individual cities, which makes any comprehensive description of Alaska parking laws impossible  for such a brief overview.

So there are no Alaska parking laws?

Obviously, there are many Alaska parking laws, just not any that are set by the state. That said, most parking laws will be the same so long as you are in similar areas of Alaska, which is to say that the same parking laws that are in place in Fairbanks are in place in Juno, though not necessarily in the state’s most rural areas, where traffic congestion is a lesser concern.

That said, there is a single example of Alaska parking laws that are genuinely Alaskan, set by the state and valid in every region. That is Alaska Statute Title 28, Chapter 35, Section 235, which concerns the unauthorized use of parking reserved for persons with disabilities. Essentially, if you park in a handicapped spot but don’t have handicapped licensing, then you are liable to be fined. The penalties are actually surprisingly severe, but perhaps this befits its status as the only state-set parking law: at least $250 in fines and as much as $500.

What are some examples of city parking laws?

If you really want a good idea of Alaska parking laws, then you should perhaps look at the municipal statutes which are how most individuals come into conflict with parking laws in the state. Here are some Alaska parking laws for the city of Fairbanks:

• The registered owner of a car is responsible for paying parking tickets, not the driver necessarily;

• No person may park a vehicle on private property, even privately owned parking property, without the consent of the property’s owner, with a minimum fine of $20;

• No person may park and in doing so obstruct a roadway;

• No person may park in an alley if there is less than ten feet space between their car and a wall;

• No person may stand or may park in a one way street or in any narrow street in which this parking obstructs traffic;

• No person may stand or may park near a particularly hazardous or congested location;

• No person may park during a street cleaning or snow removal, with a minimum fine of $60.

• No person shall park in a single place for more than twenty-four hours;

• No person shall park on or alongside a railway;

• City planners and school architects have the right to put up signs limiting parking or requiring angled parking;

• The penalties for parking violations should be between $20 and $300.

 

 

Quick Guide to NE Parking Laws” 

Nebraska Parking Laws

The majority of Nebraska parking law is located within Chapter 60 of the state’s revised statutes.  There are other chapters that regard NE parking laws in local jurisdictions, and the fines within these jurisdictions will vary—especially in metropolitan areas and education institutions.  Nebraska parking laws indicate that a person who has received a ticket is allowed to appeal the fine, but these appeals are often very difficult to prove.  

This article will discuss several Nebraska parking laws and information regarding paying your ticket.  For more information, regard the complete list of NE parking laws by searching within the state’s revised statutes.  

Specific Nebraska Parking Law

§60-6,166 of Nebraska parking law provides general laws for prohibited parking in the entire state.  Local jurisdictions may modify these NE parking laws to provide for more safety, but the general prohibitions under this section are listed below: 

• on the roadway side of a car parked at a curb or side of street

• on a sidewalk

• within an intersection

• on a crosswalk

• between a safety zone or 30 feet from the ends of a safety zone unless a local Nebraska parking laws states otherwise

• alongside or opposite any excavation that would obstruct traffic

• on a bridge, elevated highway, or in a tunnel

• on a railroad track

• at any place where local Nebraska parking laws prohibit parking

• in front of a public or private driveway

• within 15 feet of fire hydrant

• within 25 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection unless local Nebraska parking laws state otherwise

• within 30 feet of a flashing beacon or traffic control device

• within 25 feet of a fire station driveway or 75 feet if posted by local Nebraska parking law

• within 50 feet of the nearest rail of a railroad crossing (except temporarily for loading and unloading if allowed by local NE parking laws)

Handicapped Nebraska Parking Laws

§18-1737 of the NE parking laws states that any city, state agency, or any other person with lawful possession of an off-street parking facility must provide designated parking spaces for the handicapped.  According to subsection (2) of this Nebraska parking law states that if a person notifies the police or sheriff’s department, they may remove a vehicle that illegally parked in a handicapped parking space.

Penalties for breaking Nebraska parking laws by parking in a handicapped space can increase with the number of infractions, and appeals for these violations of NE parking laws are virtually impossible.  

NE Parking Laws for Paying Tickets Online

There are several ways you may be able to pay your ticket online according to Nebraska parking law.  If you have violated a Nebraska parking law, you should read the directions closely on the website before paying your ticket online: 

If you plan to appeal the ticket for violation of NE parking laws, you should never pay the ticket online because the payment is usually nonrefundable.  You may be able to pay your ticket for a violation of Nebraska parking laws through your local court, but you’ll have to locate the court’s website and see if you can pay the ticket.  

 

Quick Guide to Mississippi Parking Laws

Mississippi Parking Laws

The majority of Mississippi parking law is located within Title 63, Chapter 3 of the MS annotated code.  There are other laws that regard MS parking law in local jurisdictions, and the fines within these jurisdictions will vary—especially in metropolitan areas and education institutions.  Mississippi parking laws indicate that a person who has received a ticket are allowed to appeal the fine, but these appeals are often very difficult to prove.  

This article will discuss general Mississippi parking law and information regarding paying your ticket.  For more information on MS parking law, regard the complete list of parking by searching within the state’s annotated code.  

Specific Mississippi Parking Laws

Section 63-3-901 provides general MS parking law for prohibited parking in the entire state.  Local jurisdictions may modify these state laws to provide for more safety, but the general prohibitions under this section are listed below; 

• on a sidewalk

• in front of public or private driveway

• within an intersection

• within ten feet of a fire hydrant

• on a crosswalk

• within twenty feet of a crosswalk at intersection 

• within 30 feet of a flashing beacon, stop sign, or traffic signal

• between a safety zone or 30 feet from the ends of the safety zone

• within 15 feet of the nearest rail or railroad crossing

• within twenty feet of a fire station’s driveway entrance or on the opposite side of the street, or 75 feet if indicated by the fire department and local MS parking law

• alongside or opposite street excavation if such parking obstructs traffic

• on the roadway side of any vehicle stopped or parked at a curb

• upon a bridge or other elevated structure on the highway or in a tunnel

• at any place that local MS parking law prohibits stopping or parking

Section 63-3-907 of Mississippi parking law states how cars should be parked along a curb.  According to the specific Mississippi parking law, a car parked along an adjacent curb “shall be stopped or parked with the right-hand wheels of such vehicle parallel with and within 12 inches of the right-hand curb.”  A local ordinance may overrule this Mississippi parking law or if the street is a one-way street.  

Section 63-3-909 of the Mississippi parking laws states how a vehicle needs parked on a hill or “perceptible grade.”  According to the conditions under this Mississippi parking law, a person cannot park without “first stopping the engine, locking the ignition and removing the key, and, when standing upon any perceptible grade, without effectively setting the brake thereon and turning the front wheels to the curb or side of the highway.” 

Can I Pay my Ticket Online?

Mississippi parking laws allow a person to pay a parking ticket online if the municipal or county court allows such a payment.  If your county allows online payments under Mississippi parking laws, you’ll have to search for your county’s government website and make sure you can make a payment online.  If you are considering appealing the ticket for violation of a MS parking law, never make a payment online first.  

 

 

A Quick Guide to New Mexico’s Parking Laws 

 

 

New Mexico Parking Laws

 

 

The majority of New Mexico’s parking laws are located within NRS §66-7-351 of the state’s revised statutes.  There are other laws that regard NM parking laws in local jurisdictions, and the fines within these jurisdictions will vary—especially in metropolitan areas and education institutions.  New Mexico parking laws allow any person who has received a ticket to appeal the fine, but these appeals are often very difficult to prove.  

 

 

This article will discuss general NM parking laws and information regarding paying your ticket.  For more information on New Mexico’s parking laws, regard the complete list of New Mexico parking laws by searching within Article 7 of Chapter 66 of the state’s revised statutes.  

 

 

Specific New Mexico Parking Laws

 

 

§66-7-351 of New Mexico’s parking laws provides general provisions for prohibited parking in the entire state, and local jurisdictions may modify these NM parking laws to provide for more safety.  Regardless, the general prohibitions under this section of New Mexico’s parking laws are listed below: 

 

 

• one a sidewalk

 

 

• in front of a public or private driveway

 

 

• within an intersection

 

 

• within 15 feet of a fire hydrant

 

 

• on a crosswalk

 

 

• within 25 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection

 

 

• within 30 feet of a flashing beacon, stop sign or traffic-control signal

 

 

• between a safety zone or thirty feet from the ends of the safety zone unless local NM parking laws state otherwise

 

 

• within 50 feet of the nearest rail of a railroad crossing

 

 

• within 20 feet of a driveway entrance or 75 feet if local NM parking laws posted by the fire station state otherwise

 

 

• along or opposite any street excavation if parking would obstruct traffic

 

 

• on the roadway side of any vehicle stopped or parked at a curb or side of the street

 

 

• upon any bridge, elevated piece of highway, or in a tunnel

 

 

• at any place where New Mexico’s parking laws and signs prohibit parking

 

 

§66-7-352 Additional laws under New Mexico’s Parking Laws

 

 

The following New Mexico parking laws posted below are paraphrased from the state legislature: 

 

 

• Unless otherwise provided by New Mexico’s parking laws, every vehicle stopped or parked must have the right-hand wheels parallel to the curb within 18 inches

 

 

• local NM parking laws may allow parking on the left-hand side of a one-way street, and the 18 inch rules applies similarly

 

 

• local New Mexico parking laws may allow angled parking, and angled parking may be allowed on certain highways if the state highway commission determines there is enough room 

 

 

• the state highway commission may place signs and NM parking laws on any highway it deems as dangerous to stop or park on

 

 

Can I pay my ticket online according to New Mexico’s Parking Laws?

 

 

Most counties in New Mexico will not let you pay your parking ticket online because of local NM parking laws, including Santa Fe.  However, some counties may allow you to pay the ticket online for violation of New Mexico parking laws, and you’ll want to search for your specific county’s or town’s website to find out if you can pay the ticket online.

 

 

Are adults legally required to wear a safety belt?

No. While all passengers younger than 18 years old are required to wear safety belts, no one over that age is legally required to do so.

How loud must the driver’s horn be?

To be in compliance with the law, driver’s horns must be audible from at least 200 feet away.

What does an x-shaped sign indicate?

X-shaped signs mark railroad crossings.

How close to a railroad crossing must a car stop if the gates are down?

Drivers must stop no further than 50 feet away from a railroad crossing and no closer than 15 feet if the gates are down or a train is crossing.

How far away from a school bus must a vehicle stop?

If a school bus has stopped and its flashing red lights are on, this means children are entering or exiting. Drivers must stop no closer than 25 feet away until the flashing red lights are turned off.

How many people may legally sit in the front seat of a vehicle?

No more than three people are allowed to be in the front seat of a vehicle in motion.

When is it legal to make a right turn on a red light?

Drivers may turn right on a red light if there is no oncoming traffic or any pedestrians. However, if there is a sign giving pedestrians the right to walk through the crosswalk, it is illegal to turn even if there are no people actually crossing.

What does a flashing yellow light mean?

Flashing yellow lights warns motorists to slow down and make sure it is safe to proceed through an intersection before driving forward. It does not require motorists to come to a complete stop.

Do funeral processions have the right of way?

Drivers must always yield the right of way to funeral processions, as long as the funeral procession is properly marked by having all the vehicles in it drive with their headlights on.

How many feet in advance should drivers signal their intent to make a turn on a highway?

Drivers should signal any turns they are going to make at least 500 feet in advance on a highway.

How close can a vehicle be parked to a fire truck responding to an emergency?

Drivers may not park on any block where a fire truck is responding to an emergency.

How close to a bridge can another vehicle is passed?

Drivers cannot pass another vehicle within 100 feet of a bridge.

What is the maximum speed limit for vehicles towing a house trailer?

Vehicles towing a house trailer may drive no faster than 45 miles per hour.

How close can a vehicle be parked to a fire station?

Drivers may park no closer than within 20 feet of the entrance of a fire station on the same side of the street and no closer than 75 feet away on the opposite side of the street.