$283 DPS parking ticket in downtown Austin raises questions

AUSTIN, Texas – If you’re in downtown Austin and don’t pay for parking, the ticket you get could end up costing you hundreds of dollars. 

The backstory:

The smaller gray parking meters for individual spots are run by the state. The large box pay stations are run by the city. The ticket fine amounts for the city and state can be very different. 

The gray parking meters in the Capitol Complex, which are the streets around the Capitol, are run by the Texas Department of Public Safety. 

Data shows the tickets for most parking violations are $30, and some are $25. Usually, DPS provides an envelope with options to pay, including by check or in person. However, several employees who work downtown said they were charged $283. 

The initial ticket had no fine amount listed. When they tried to pay, as they have before, they were told the tickets weren’t in the system yet. 

Then they got a letter from the Justice of the Peace Precinct 5, Tanisa Jeffers, saying they owed $283.

Dig deeper:

FOX 7 asked the JP’s office why the fee was so high. The JP’s office says DPS doesn’t tell the court to issue citations. The court only adjudicates once a citation has been filed. The fine and court costs are determined by the specific statute for the offense. The statute they cited is a Class C misdemeanor, which has a fine up to $500. We asked what determines the amount charged, and they stopped responding. 

FOX 7 also filed a public information request with the Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 for parking citation data, how each case was resolved, and what the money collected is going towards. We asked more than once how the fines are determined. Instead, we got a letter from the County Attorney on behalf of the JP denying the request, saying they’re unable to compile the data. 

We also asked DPS about the number of citations from Jan. 1, 2025 to Sept. 15, 2025. 

Data shows a total of 3,919 citations. 

1,531 are unpaid with a balance due of $45,520.

2,289 citations are at zero balance. 

Most offenses are for extending time beyond the legal limit, no permit displayed, or parking in a no-parking area. 

We asked DPS if the process for paying for their tickets changed, and at what point they’re referred to the Justice of the Peace. We gave them more than a week to respond but haven’t heard back. If they do respond, we’ll update this article.