Within the City of San Marcos, parking citations may be issued by city parking enforcement, SMPD officers, park rangers, or code compliance officers.  With any citation issued, you have the right to contest the violation within ten calendar days of issuance.  If the citation is not paid within fifteen calendar days from the date of issuance, a late penalty in the amount of 50% of the original amount of the citation will be added to the amount owed.  Please see the Parking Violation Fine List (PDF) regarding information of the base amount and the late amount for each type of parking violation.

Paying a Parking Citation

Parking citations may be paid in any of the following ways:

• In Person: Payments are accepted in our office at any time during our regular business hours.  You may pay cash at the window, or by any payment method described below.
• By Mail: You may pay by personal check or money order made out to "City of San Marcos", mailed directly to the court's address at: 712 S Stagecoach Trail, Suite #2233, San Marcos, TX 7866.  Please write the citation number in the memo field to ensure your payment is correctly applied. NEVER MAIL CASH!
• By Phone: You may pay your citation over the phone by calling 512-393-8190 with a Visa, Mastercard, or Discover.  There is no additional fee to pay by phone.  Please have your parking citation number or the vehicle license plate number ready.
•  Online: https://sanmarcostx.nupark.com/portal/Citations

Payment Plans and Alternatives

If you would like to pay your citation but are unable to pay in full, the Court offers payment plans and alternatives to those who qualify.  To request alternative payment arrangements, you must put your request in writing and email it to: municipalcourtinfo@sanmarcostx.gov.  Fax your request to 855-246-9121 or submit it via regular mail.  You must include your name, mailing address, phone number, and citation number(s) for which you are requesting payment alternatives.

Contesting a Parking Violation

You may contest any parking citation within ten calendar days of issuance. We hold in-person parking hearings as part of our regular dockets on Tuesdays at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM.  You must first request a hearing before appearing for an in-person parking hearing. 

Contests may be requested in the following ways:

• In Person: Contesting may be made in person at our office at any time during our regular business hours after the citation has been issued, but before the end of the tenth calendar day after issuance.  Your citation will be set on a parking hearing docket, and you will be given a date/time to return for your hearing.
• In Writing: You may also contest a parking citation in writing.  The date of your request or postmark date must fall within the ten-day contest window. Contests may be submitted via email, fax, or by regular mail.  You should include any evidence or written statements for consideration.  Please include the following within request: the license plate, citation number, full name, mailing address, phone number, and photos. If the judge is unable to make a clear determination based on your written contest, you may be summoned for an in-person hearing.

At any time when a parking citation is being contested, the citation will NOT accrue late charges.  Once the case is closed, if there is a balance due the citation must be paid within fifteen calendar days otherwise a 50% penalty fee will be added to the amount of the citation.