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Reinstating vehicle registration - parking tickets

When a person has not paid a parking ticket issued by an authority participating in the Traffic Violation and Registration Program (TVRP), the authority may direct the Division of Motor Vehicles’ Parking Citations Unit to suspend the registration of the vehicle involved in the unpaid parking ticket and/or refuse registration on other vehicles owned by the person named on the Notice of Unpaid Citation. 

Requirements to reinstate

You must first pay the full amount due on all unpaid parking tickets or court judgments for which your registration is suspended or refused. Payment must be made to the authority where the parking ticket was issued or to the court where the judgment against you was ordered. After the parking ticket or judgment has been paid, the authority or court will notify the Parking Citations Unit in writing that the amounts due have been satisfied and your registration will be reinstated and/or registration refusals removed from your vehicle records. 

How long must I wait until my registration is reinstated or refusals removed from my vehicle records after I have made payment?

The Parking Citations Unit must receive written notification from the authority who issued the parking ticket or the participating court who entered the judgment that payment has been made. On receipt of the written notification, your registration will be reinstated or refusals removed from your vehicle records. This normally takes 5 to 10 working days from the date payment was made to the authority or court. After 10 working days have passed, you may verify your vehicle record has been updated by contacting the Department of Transportation's Division of Motor Vehicles at the number listed in your local telephone directory. 

If 10 or more days have passed and your registration has not been reinstated, or the registration refusal has not been removed, you must contact the authority or court where you made payment and request they contact the Parking Citations Unit to verify that the written Notice of Satisfaction was received in the unit. If written notification was not received, the authority or court will coordinate with the Parking Citations Unit to correct any problems. 

For additional information you may contact the Parking Citations Unit at (608) 267-9791, Monday through Friday, except holidays, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or fax a request for information at (608) 266-9905. 

Questions about the content of this page:
Bureau of Vehicle Services, bur-veh-services.dmv@dot.state.wi.us
Last modified: November 21, 2005