Denver drivers trying to fight parking tickets are finding themselves in a very literal line of fire: the queue at the downtown courthouse. After the city shut down its online parking ticket dispute portal last fall, people who once clicked through appeals from home are now trekking to the courthouse and waiting it out.
The portal’s closure, part of budget cuts that also wiped out the county court’s Parking Magistrate’s Office, shifted many online disputes into in-person final hearings and helped create the long waits. Critics warn that the hassle alone will discourage people from contesting tickets. City officials insist a replacement process is on the way, but for now, drivers are carrying the load.
Records obtained by KDVR show how sharply things changed once the portal went dark. Ninety-three people had final hearings in October 2025, and that number jumped to 145 in December 2025. Earlier in 2025, final hearings were rare by comparison.
CBS Colorado reported that from January through September 2025, the city averaged about six parking hearings a month. From October through December, that average surged to roughly 206 per month. The spike has put added pressure on the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure to get a new review process in place quickly.
The change traces back to a round of layoffs last summer. Denver County Court cut 10 positions and permanently shut down the five-person Parking Magistrate’s Office, a move Westword covered as part of broader budget trimming. Those magistrates once handled tens of thousands of online appeals, and without them, disputes now must be set for in-person final hearings.
DOTI told KDVR it plans to build a new online citation review program to take over the magistrates’ role. The agency also said the city issued about 20,659 parking citations in January and nearly 400,000 citations in 2025. Officials have not offered a firm launch date for the replacement tool.
Drivers And Council Press For A Fix
Drivers and advocates say the in-person requirement is a serious barrier for people who cannot easily get downtown during business hours. Danna Lingo, who has advanced cancer, told CBS Colorado the new process can be physically difficult. Councilmember Chris Hinds told the same outlet he wants DOTI to recreate a virtual review option that is easier for people to use.
How To Fight A Ticket Now
Until a new system is live, Denver County Court directs anyone seeking a final hearing to show up in person at the City & County Building at 1437 Bannock St., Room 140, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The court warns that losing a final hearing tacks on $26 in court costs. Scheduling instructions and a list of what to bring are posted on the Denver County Court site.
What Comes Next
City officials say a new review tool is expected sometime this year, and reporting indicates the city and council have discussed restoring an online option next year in response to public pressure. Until DOTI follows through with the promised program, advocates argue that low-income, elderly, and disabled residents are the ones most likely to simply pay the fines rather than shoulder the time and expense of in-person hearings. Westword has detailed the council and mayoral budget choices that created the current gap in the system.
