Denver drivers will once again be able to challenge parking tickets online next month — reversing the city’s widely unpopular approach that required drivers to visit court in person to dispute tickets.
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The city will roll out a new online parking ticket dispute system on Sept. 14 for tickets issued after Aug. 25, according to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. Going forward, tickets that are fewer than 20 days old will be eligible to be challenged online.
Denver County Court laid off all of its parking magistrates in August 2025 after Mayor Mike Johnston asked administrators to reduce its 2026 budget in response to the city’s $200 million projected budget shortfall. The court then shut down the online dispute system in September, forcing drivers to visit the courthouse in person to dispute tickets.
The desk where ticketed drivers could schedule hearings was only open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and hearings were scheduled months out, creating headaches for drivers who sought to dispute tickets, which range between $35 and $250.
The switch to in-person court hearings drew immediate criticism and Johnston in October 2025 agreed to reinstate an online dispute process. The new system moves the process from under the authority of Denver County Court to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.
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“It’s something that a lot of people utilized that was sorely missed,” said Jon Ewing, a spokesman for Johnston. “The bottom line is we understand that it was frustrating and — it took longer than we would have liked — but we are happy it is going to be back, and better than ever, we hope.”
In-person parking ticket dispute hearings skyrocketed in Denver County Court after the online process was eliminated, jumping from 28 in the four months before the change to 464 in the four months afterwards.
Nancy Kuhn, a spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, did not immediately return a request for more information about the new online process Monday.
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