Credit Scores and Ratings
What your credit score means, when it matters, and how you can improve it.
  1. Credit Scores and Ratings
  2. How do Parking Tickets Affect your Credit?

How do Parking Tickets Affect your Credit?

Old, unpaid parking tickets can haunt you

Old parking tickets can effect your credit score.You may have forgotten about your old parking tickets, but have they forgotten about you? Some people think that if they don’t pay their parking tickets and just ignore them, they will some how go away. From our experience, parking tickets don’t always go away. Old, unpaid parking tickets often show up on people’s credit reports.

How to get parking tickets off your credit report

People often don’t realize that their old parking tickets are reporting on their credit report until they apply for credit. Someone will apply for a loan, their lender will obtain their credit report and then ask them why they have a collection for $290 owed to the City of XYZ under the public records section of their credit bureau. Although this can be a little embarrassing, it can often be fixed. Many people are able to pay their overdue parking tickets and then ask that the public record be removed from their credit report (usually you would pay the city that you owe the fines to and at the same time ask them to remove the record from your credit report). There is an added bonus for doing this. When collections like this are removed from someone’s credit bureau, their credit score will usually improve.

Help your credit score: don’t take too long to pay your parking tickets

You can of course prevent this hassle by paying your parking tickets before they get too old. It may not be worth a city’s effort to send old parking tickets to a collection agency, but they can definitely get your attention by putting a record of this debt on your credit report. If you have a pile of unpaid parking tickets, take care of them before your banker sees them. It will make you look better, and it will improve your credit score.

Photo: Bahi P

<< Back to the Blog main page

 

Worried about your credit?

Get answers from an expert

Whether it’s about keeping, building, checking your FICO credit score, or rebuilding your credit, we can help if you’re feeling overwhelmed or have questions. One of our professional credit counsellors would be happy to review your financial situation with you and help you find the right solution to overcome your financial challenges. Speaking with our certified counsellors is always free, confidential and without obligation.

Got debt? Need help?

See what your options are

If you’re wondering what options you might have to get out of debt, here’s a great way to find out. All you need to do is take a few minutes to answer 9 simple questions, and you can instantly find out what debt consolidation and debt relief options may be available to you. You can then learn more about each option and see if any interest you.

Related Articles

A group of people gathered for an in-person financial workshop.

Workshops & Webinars

In-person or online, learn about credit, debt, and money. Ask questions and get the best tips!

A Canadian credit report showing an individual's credit score.

Not on a Credit Report?

There’s more to obtaining credit than just what’s on a credit report. Here’s what won’t be shown.

A woman stressed by a pile of debt she is dealing with.

Bad Credit Loans

There are ways to get out of debt without a high interest loan, even if you’ve got bad credit.

 

Was this page helpful?

Helpfulness of page - face 1
Helpfulness of page - face 2
Helpfulness of page - face 3
Helpfulness of page - face 4
Helpfulness of page - face 5

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *