Defective Citation — Missing Required Elements
Indianapolis Revised Code §431-405 specifies the required content of a parking citation: date and time of violation; location with sufficient specificity; license plate and state of registration; vehicle make/model; specific ordinance violated; amount due; signature/badge of issuing officer; and instructions for contesting. A citation missing any material element fails to give adequate notice under both the ordinance and the Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution (and Article 1 §12 of the Indiana Constitution). Tickets that say only 'parked illegally' without citing a specific subsection, or that omit the meter ID for a meter violation, are routinely dismissed.
Legal basis
Indianapolis Rev. Code §431-405; Indiana Constitution Art. 1 §12; U.S. Const. Amend. XIV
Sample appeal wording
TO: Indianapolis Parking Violations Bureau RE: Citation [TICKET_NUMBER] — Defective on Its Face I request dismissal under Indianapolis Revised Code §431-405 and the Due Process Clause of the U.S. and Indiana Constitutions. The citation is defective because it omits / has illegible: [list — date, time, plate, ordinance section, officer signature, location specificity, amount due]. Without these elements I have not received adequate notice of the alleged violation and cannot mount a defense. Dismissal is required. Signed, [FULL_NAME] Date: [DATE]
Replace [PARKING DATE], [NtK DATE] etc. with your own dates before sending.
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- Indianapolis Revised Code §431-405
- Indiana Constitution Article 1, §12
- Goldberg v. Kelly, 397 U.S. 254 (1970)