Parking tickets can be the worst, most frustrating thing in the world (at least in the moment).

While it will never be especially easy, there are smart ways to fight parking tickets.

When it comes to paying a parking ticket, you need to understand is that the law isn’t on your side here. This is definitely not a call to give up. It is, in fact, quite the contrary, as you will need to be proactive, but in a calm, collected manner.

The first thing you need to do is read the ticket the moment you see it. Read and make note of the important information such as how to contest the ticket, or how long you have to do so. From this moment onward, you must contest the ticket as soon as humanly possible. Your time limit is often short, but varies by location. In Chicago, for example, you only have seven days to contest your parking ticket.

Now, you must play the roll of the lawyer and note all of the mistakes you noticed on the ticket. In order for you to have a reasonable chance of succeeding in your contest, the mistakes you cite must be major ones. If your car model and color don’t match the information provided by the officer in question, then you’d have a higher chance of success. If the ticket contains vague, but technically correct information, then you likely won’t have such a strong case.

Make sure to take photos during the process, from the moment you see the ticket on your car. Take a close-up of your licences plate as well as the ticket itself, and then a few broader pictures to complete your defense. You can also do the same for a broken parking meter, and you may bring witnesses forward if they are willing. You can also request a hearing. While a hearing takes a long time, it will give you the chance to present your case to a judge.