A Tacoma parking ticket and a red-light or speed-camera citation both go to Tacoma Municipal Court, not 311 and not Pierce County District Court. Last checked August 29, 2026.
The clock
Respond within 30 days if the ticket was handed to you in person.
Respond within 33 days if the notice came by mail.
Read the back of the ticket. That is the legal menu.
Pay
Official how-to: Municipal Court payment options
Parking guide (pay-ticket link lives here too): Parking in Tacoma
- Online: Visa, Mastercard, or debit. No Apple Pay on the court page. Have the ticket or case number. If you do not have it, call first.
- Mail: Check or money order payable to Tacoma Municipal Court. Put the ticket number on it. Mail to Tacoma Municipal Court, 930 Tacoma Avenue South, Room 841, Tacoma, WA 98402.
- Counter: County-City Building, 930 Tacoma Ave. S., 8th floor, Room 841. Cash, check, money order, Visa, Mastercard, debit. Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Phone: (253) 591-5357
Phone hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–noon and 1–4 p.m. They close the phones at lunch.
The court will not call you and ask for a card number. Anyone who does is not the court.
Contest or explain
Two hearings. Official page: Traffic & Parking Infractions
- Mitigation: you admit it happened and want the penalty looked at.
- Contested: you say it was not you, or you have a defense. Unless you subpoena the officer, the judge uses the sworn statement.
You cannot book a court date by phone. Sign the back of the ticket and mail it, or stand at Room 841. Hearings without the officer run weekday afternoons on Zoom. Hearings with the officer are Thursday afternoons on Zoom. Put a current mailing address on the request.
Camera tickets only: a Declaration of Non-Responsibility form exists if you were not the driver. Do not pay until that paperwork comes back if you file it. People on Title 74 public assistance or WIC can ask for a 50% reduction on an automated-camera penalty — that is state law, not a courtesy.
Paying for parking before you get a ticket
As of July 20, 2026 the city lists ParkMobile, Passport, and text-to-pay on the signs. Older pages still say Flowbird. Use what the sign in front of the car says. Enter the plate. No receipt on the dash. Parking Services: (253) 591-5437.
City desk: Tacoma Civic Desk. County courts: Pierce County desk.
Leave a Reply