The District of Columbia has its own set of laws that include some that are throwbacks to the days of British rule. However, DC parking is at a premium as in other cities, and parking tickets are on the rise. The fines range from $20 to $100, but if the ticket was issued by DC police, there is a good chance that you can go to court and get your ticket dismissed. In fact, about 30% of all parking tickets that are contested are dismissed, often because police officers did not write legibly or the infraction was not clearly spelled out. However, if you do get a DC parking ticket and ignore it, the penalties can mount. Not only will you incur late fees and possibly a lower credit rating, if you have 3 delinquent tickets, your car can be "booted" or impounded until those tickets are paid. It can cost $75 to $100 to get your car released once the tickets are paid.