After months of backlash, courthouse visits and criticism over a burdensome in-person process, Denver is officially relaunching its online parking ticket dispute system Monday morning.Starting at 8 a.m., drivers will once again be able to upload documents and challenge parking citations online instead of going downtown in person to schedule hearings.The return of the online system follows months of reporting by Denver7 Investigates into the fallout after Denver shut down the portal last year during citywide budget cuts.Denver7 Investigates previously found: The percentage of parking citations being disputed dropped from 12% to 1% after the online system closed, Formal parking hearings surged from mostly single digits per month into the hundreds, Airport parking enforcement continued issuing thousands of expired-registration citations during the portal shutdown.Recognizing that the online dispute option is much more convenient for most, the city decided to move the program to DOTI, Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Communications Director Nancy Kuhn told Denver7 Investigates in an email.The online system had previously been handled through Denver County Courts Parking Magistrates program, but the court laid off the magistrates during budget reductions last August, according to Kuhn.Denver7 Investigates previously spoke with multiple drivers frustrated by the old system, including Shelly Fenton, who said she had to drive downtown while pregnant just to schedule a hearing months away after receiving a parking ticket she believed was connected to a stolen registration sticker.I have talked to people who just paid the 100-dollar ticket just because it was too much work and effort to go in, Fenton said. Its confusing. Its a lot of work.How the new system worksDOTI says the online dispute portal opens Monday at 8 a.m.Drivers will be able to: Upload documents and photos, Dispute parking citations remotely, Avoid going downtown in person to request an initial hearing.The city said: Individuals will hear from DOTI when they submit a dispute; they will send a receipt, letting them know their dispute was received. Upon DOTI receiving the dispute, all activity on the citation is paused, including any fee escalations. DOTI will contact the individual again when the review of their dispute is complete.DOTI says the online dispute unit will initially be staffed by three parking ticket review technicians and one supervisor.Average turnaround time for disputes has not yet been determined, according to the city.Who qualifies?Not every ticket will qualify for online review immediately.The city said citations must be less than 20 days old issued on or after Aug. 25.People who get a parking ticket on or after August 25 have a choice; they can set a final hearing in Denver County Court or dispute the citation online when the portal opens September 14, Kuhn wrote.Drivers can still request in-person hearings through Denver County Court if they prefer not to use the online system or disagree with the online review decision.A complicated transitionDenver7 Investigates found the shutdown of the online portal created significant confusion for many drivers.Court records obtained by Denver7 showed formal parking hearings surged after disputes moved into the court system.Meanwhile, airport parking enforcement continued aggressively ticketing expired-registration violations.Records obtained by Denver7 Investigates showed more than 6,200 citations for expired registration or license plate violations were issued at Denver International Airport after the online dispute portal shut down in September 2025.The city also continued collecting millions in parking citation revenue: $27.1 million in 2024 $26.2 million in 2025Denver7 Investigates also found replacement registration decal requests in Denver climbed nearly 50% between 2022 and 2025.The DMV says it does not track how many replacement decals involve theft but recommended scoring stickers with an X to prevent theives from taking them.Funding fight emergingEven as the portal relaunches, a new debate is already emerging at Denver City Hall over how the system is funded.DOTI told Denver7 Investigates some city council members are discussing an ordinance that would restrict use of the Transportation and Mobility Special Revenue Fund, which now pays for the online dispute program.DOTI warned the proposal could potentially affect: funding being used to stand up the online parking citation dispute program thats replacing Denver County Courts Magistrates Program.DOTI shares the council's underlying goals but is concerned that the new ordinance proposal as written is too restrictive, Kuhn wrote.The city says the online dispute program now costs approximately $300,000 to $400,000 annually and is funded through DOTI rather than the citys general fund. ...read more read less