Parking tickets are on the rise in many jurisdictions. In many cases, that's because congestion is making it difficult to get a constant turnover of visitors to downtown areas. Another factor is that parking fines are a good source of revenue for beleaguered cities. Regardless, if you parked illegally, you should generally expect to pay a fine of between $25 and $250. If you did not park illegally, or if there were extenuating circumstances, you can contest the ticket. Many do so, and about 40% of them win. However, you must have solid evidence to present. As some municipalities are hiring outside vendors to handle their parking needs, the transition can leave parts of town without "no parking" signs, or conflicting ones. Meters can be marked incorrectly or not working at all. These are all grounds to contest a parking ticket.