What happens if a parking ticket is not handled within 15 days?
4 Answers
If a parking ticket is not handled within 15 days, a late fee of 3% of the fine amount will be charged daily starting from the 15th day until the payment is made. If more than 3 tickets remain unhandled, the traffic police may detain the driver's license upon inspection, and in severe cases, the vehicle may also be impounded. If an on-site ticket is not handled, the driver will be unable to renew, replace, or transfer their license. If a vehicle is caught violating traffic rules by an electronic eye, a record will be created in the traffic police's violation processing system. In this case, the driver must bring their license (not necessarily the license of the vehicle's registered owner) to the traffic police station to accept point deductions and pay the fine. Once processed, the record will be automatically cleared. If left unhandled, the violating vehicle will fail the vehicle inspection and may even be unable to schedule an annual inspection.
Last time my car also got a parking ticket, I didn’t pay attention at the time and only remembered to deal with it half a month later. As a result, I had to pay a late fee! Turns out the rule is that if you don’t handle it within 15 days, starting from the 16th day, a 3% late fee is added daily. Although the maximum late fee doesn’t exceed the fine itself, it still ended up costing me a lot more money. What’s even more troublesome is that if you drag it out too long, your annual inspection could be blocked—the DMV might directly refuse to process it. I’ve heard the worst-case scenario could involve court enforcement or even affect your personal credit record, which could now impact things like buying tickets or applying for loans. Don’t follow my example—handling the ticket as soon as you get it is the easiest way to avoid trouble.
It's indeed quite troublesome if a traffic ticket remains unpaid for over 15 days. From a professional perspective, late fees start accruing at this point, charging an additional 3% of the fine amount per day. Many people may not realize that these late fees can accumulate up to the original fine amount, effectively doubling your payment. Furthermore, prolonged non-payment may lead to entry into the traffic violation system, causing issues during annual vehicle inspections and preventing ownership transfer when selling the car. The most problematic scenario is potentially being flagged in the traffic police's priority list, requiring on-the-spot handling during future roadside checks. It's always better to settle these matters promptly to avoid spending more time and money later.
My neighbor learned this the hard way. He delayed paying a parking ticket for over 20 days, only to find an additional 50 yuan in late fees when he went to pay. Later he discovered that 15 days is the cutoff—after that, a 3% late fee is charged daily based on the original fine. To make matters worse, when he went to renew his vehicle insurance, he was blocked because the insurer required him to clear the violation record first. My advice: handle tickets immediately upon receipt—you can even do it via mobile apps now—to avoid complications with other vehicle-related services. Although there's a cap on late fees, paying extra is never a good deal.
