Parking Court

If you wish to contest a parking citation, you must first fill out a Parking Ticket Contest Form. Tickets that are disputable will undergo an administrative review. Once a determination has been made, you will be notified by mail. If your review is denied, you must pay the citation within 10 days or late fees will be assessed. If you disagree with the review decision, you can request that the citation be contested in Municipal Court. Parking citation court dates are issued by the Sun Prairie Police Department. 

Court Dates & Details

You would then appear in court just as you would for any other alleged violation of a city ordinance. The court procedures utilized for parking cases are the same procedures used for any other case involving an alleged violation of a city ordinance. The first court appearance is called an "initial appearance." The defendant can enter a plea of guilty, not guilty or no contest.

If the defendant pleads not guilty, a pre-trial conference will be scheduled. At the pre-trial conference, the defendant and the city attorney will discuss their respective positions regarding the alleged parking violation. If the parties reach an agreement on how to resolve the case, which is called a plea agreement, the municipal court judge will review the agreement. If the plea is approved, the case is resolved on that basis. If the plea agreement is rejected, the case will be scheduled for a trial.

If a defendant pleads guilty or no contest, the judge will find him or her guilty and impose a sentence. Prior to imposing the sentence, the judge will listen to any statement or information the defendant would like to provide.

If a trial is held, the City of Sun Prairie has the burden of proof as in any other case. The standard of proof is clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence. At the conclusion of the trial, the judge will issue a judgment.

Paying Your Parking Citation

You may pay parking tickets in the lobby of City Hall at 300 East Main Street, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m. (excluding holidays). Payments are accepted in the form of cash, money order, check or credit card. If you will be paying with a credit card there is a 2.35% convenience fee.

The Sun Prairie Police Department also accepts payments for tickets / citations online. A nominal fee is charged for this service. To pay online, you will need your citation/ticket number, and the amount due. After authorization of your payment, you will be given a confirmation number that you should keep for your records. Call 608-837-7339 with any questions.