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NYC violation code guide

Violation Code 21: No parking — street cleaning

Code 21 is the alternate-side parking ticket: your car was parked on the side of the street scheduled for cleaning during the window posted on the ASP sign. It is one of the most common tickets in the city.

Fine

$65 everywhere in NYC

Dismissed at appeal (FY2025)

12.18% — 318 of 2,610 appealed

First late penalty

+$10 at 30 days

Judgment

Around 100 days if unpaid

Dismissal figures: NYC Department of Finance, FY2025 (appeal stage). A historical rate across all appeals — not a promise about your ticket.

What the fine and exposure actually are

The fine for code 21 is $65 everywhere in NYC. NYC parking violations are not moving violations: they carry no license points. The exposure that surprises people is what stacks on top: late penalties of +$10 at 30 days, +$20 at 60 days, and +$30 at 90 days — a $65 ticket left alone for three months carries $60 in penalties alone. At around 100 days the unpaid ticket enters judgment, and once a vehicle's judgment debt reaches $350, it can be booted — and towed within 48 hours of booting.

What contesting a code 21 ticket involves

You dispute a parking or camera ticket with the NYC Department of Finance — online through the city's dispute portal, by mail, or in person — and the city takes 30–60 days to rule. In FY2025, 12.18% of appealed code-21 violations were dismissed (318 of 2,610). Street-cleaning tickets are often dismissed when the ASP sign was missing, illegible, or cleaning was suspended that day.

Before you pay, check the ticket itself against the city's own requirements. Dismissals usually start with a defect:

TicketBeat checks your code free — up to 3 free lookups a day per visitor — counted by network address and browser — and shows the dismissal rate and the defect checklist for it. If you want the dispute written for you, a dispute letter is $9.99 one-time; if tickets keep coming, Watchdog covers dispute letters for up to 3 plates for $6.99/mo while you're subscribed. TicketBeat drafts the letter — you submit it to the city; we do not file it for you, and no one can promise a dismissal.

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Code 21 questions

How much is a code 21 ticket in NYC?

The fine for code 21 (no parking-street cleaning) is $65 everywhere in NYC. If it goes unpaid, late penalties add $10 at 30 days, $20 more at 60 days, and $30 more at 90 days — $60 on top of the fine before the ticket enters judgment at around 100 days.

Does a code 21 ticket add points to my license?

No. NYC parking violations are handled by the Department of Finance, not the DMV — they do not add points to a driver's license. The real exposure is the fine, the late penalties, and boot or tow risk once tickets reach judgment.

How often are code 21 tickets dismissed?

In the city's FY2025 data, 12.18% of appealed code-21 violations were dismissed — 318 dismissals out of 2,610 appeals (NYC Department of Finance, FY2025). That is a historical rate across all appeals, not a prediction for any individual ticket.

What happens if I ignore a code 21 ticket?

Penalties stack at 30, 60, and 90 days, and at around 100 days the ticket enters judgment. With $350 or more in judgment debt, your vehicle becomes eligible for booting — and a booted vehicle can be towed within 48 hours. Ignoring it is always the most expensive option.

Other violation codes

Code 38 · Code 14 · Code 40 · Code 20 · Code 7 · Code 36 · Code 5 · Code 46

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TicketBeat is not legal advice. Odds are historical statistics from published city data, not predictions or guarantees about any individual ticket.