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Booting
Frequently Asked Questions
You can be booted for owing the city more than $350 in parking, red light camera or bus lane violation tickets that are in judgment. With booting, a device is attached to a wheel of your vehicle to prevent you from moving it. If you do not pay the parking, red light camera and bus lane violation judgment debt and related fees within two business days of being booted, then your vehicle may be towed.
A ticket becomes “in judgment” when approximately 100 days have passed since you were issued your parking, red light camera or bus lane violation ticket unless you have either paid the ticket or it was dismissed after a hearing. In that time, we have sent you at least 3 notices and you have not paid or contested your ticket. Once that happens, a judgment is docketed with the Civil Court of the City of New York for your debt and the City can take enforcement action against you such as towing or booting your vehicle. If your ticket is in judgment, the total amount you owe includes the fine, penalties and interest that have been added for nonpayment.
If you owe more than $350 in parking, red light camera or bus lane violation tickets in judgment and you are parked on a public street, you may have a boot attached to your vehicle. To get the boot off, call the toll-free phone number on the boot notice (877-207-2134) and give the customer service representative your debit/credit card number. You will then receive a release code. Once you enter the code, the boot will unlock and you can remove it. You need to return the boot to a return location near you within 24 hours.
The boot is painted yellow to make it visible. You will also see a notice on the driver's side window and under the windshield wiper that tells you your vehicle has been booted.
Customer service representatives will provide you with a release code after you pay the judgment debt and fees. You unlock the boot by entering the code into a keypad that is on the boot. After you enter the code, the boot releases and you can remove the boot.
You can pay with a debit/credit card or electronic check. You may also pay with a gift card if it has a credit card logo. If you pay with a gift card, you must also provide a valid credit card number to remove the boot yourself. If you don’t have a valid credit card you will be listed for an assisted release; this means that a representative will be dispatched within 2-4 hours of your payment to remove the boot for you.
We accept cash, money orders, or cashier's checks at our Business Centers. The vehicle owner must pay in person during business hours (Mon - Fri, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). After you have paid, a support officer will come within 2-4 hours to remove the boot.
The boot weighs about 16 pounds. If you can’t remove the boot yourself or don’t want to, we will send a support officer to assist you within 2-4 hours.
| The return locations in Manhattan are: | |
| Little Man Parking | 300 West 135th Street |
| Little Man Parking | 220 East 9th Street |
| Shell Gas Station | 1855 First Avenue (btw. E 95th and E96th Street) |
| The return locations in the Bronx are: | |
| Pay-O-Matic | 1865 Bruckner Boulevard |
| Pay-O-Matic | 270 West 231st Street |
| Pay-O-Matic | 3480 Baychester Avenue |
| The return locations in Brooklyn are: | |
| Williamsburg Service Center | 713 Kent Avenue |
| Kings County Parking | 581 Clarkson Avenue |
| Midwood Parking Garage | 1712 East 14th Street |
| The return locations in Queens are: | |
| Pay-O-Matic | 102-26 Atlantic Avenue |
| Pay-O-Matic | 9925 Horace Harding Expressway |
| Pay-O-Matic | 160-39 Rockaway Boulevard |
| The return locations in Staten Island are: | |
| Ace Discount Tires | 132 Morningstar Road |
| Pay-O-Matic | 2510 Hylan Boulevard |
If you do not return the boot within 24 hours of removing the boot, you may be charged $25 per day in late fees up to a $500 maximum (after 20 days). If there is a problem with returning the boot on time, please contact customer service (at the phone number on the boot notice) as soon as possible.
If your vehicle was towed after being booted and you pay in full, you may redeem your vehicle at the tow pound. However, if you do not redeem your vehicle within 24 hours additional storage fees may accrue.
Yes. There is a $159 fee for the boot and an $80 Sheriff’s or Marshal’s execution fee as well as a poundage fee (5% of all fines including penalties and interest).
Yes. If you have other parking, red light camera, or bus lane violations that accumulate a total of $350 in judgment debt, your vehicle can be placed on the boot list again.
You may be able to enter into a payment plan at a Finance Business Center to spread payments out over a period of time. Check requirements for entering into a payment plan at nyc.gov/finance.
Yes, but you must go to a Finance Business Center. You must pay all fees and 50% of the judgment debt to enter into a plan.
If you damage the boot, you will be charged a replacement fee of $500. You may also be prosecuted for the crime of property destruction. And you could damage your tire!
15. What Rights Do I Have if I Believe that my Vehicle Should Not Have Been Booted and/or Impounded?
After a vehicle is booted/impounded, you can request a hearing provided that the judgment on the summons(es) is less than one year old. If you do not pay to retrieve your vehicle prior to your hearing, you must request the hearing before your vehicle is sold. Vehicles are typically sold after two weeks of being impounded, but your vehicle could be sold earlier. However, you can speak with an administrative attorney at 210 Joralemon Street to try to get a sales hold and prevent the vehicle from being sold.
If your ticket(s) are dismissed and the vehicle has not been sold, then you will get your car back. If your ticket(s) are dismissed and you have already paid for the boot to be removed or to get your vehicle out of the pound, you can ask Finance to refund all fees.
If you do not pay the parking ticket or camera violation judgment debt and related fees within two business days of being booted, then your vehicle may be towed. Your vehicle may also be towed immediately after it is booted if you threaten to remove the boot or your vehicle has previously had a boot that was unlawfully removed; if you owe more than $2,500 in judgment debt; if the vehicle is illegally parked in a manner that affects public safety (i.e., in a bus stop, on the sidewalk, etc.); or if the vehicle is unable to be booted due to some other physical impediment.