Ithaca City Code Violation Tickets

The Ithaca City Prosecutor's Office prosecutes violations of Ithaca City Code and as part of that responsibility also makes offers to resolve tickets in writing. Please note that written dispositions can only be accommodated in non-criminal city code cases. This includes violations of the following city code provisions:
  • Noise
  • Exterior Maintenance Ordinance
  • Open Container
  • Dog (off-leash, unlicensed, harassing, barking)
  • Public Urination
  • Bike on Sidewalk
  • Park after Dark
  • Swimming in Gorges
  • Smoking
All questions about fine amounts and payments, penalties and rescheduling of court dates/ appearances must be addressed to the Court. If you have an upcoming Court date, only the City Court can excuse your appearance. For some tickets, if you fail to appear in Court, the Court may issue a warrant. If you wish to request that an upcoming appearance be rescheduled to allow time to correspond with our office, you must contact the Court directly. Contact information for the City Court can be found here.



How to Request an Offer to Resolve Your City Code Violation Ticket Pending in Ithaca City Court


Due to the large volume of tickets we only respond to email requests. Please do not use mail, fax, or phone calls to solicit an offer. Please do not contact the Tompkins County District Attorney, the Tompkins County Attorney, or the Ithaca City Attorney- only the Ithaca City Prosecutor.

To confirm that this is the correct court, check the bottom left of your ticket- it should state that the matter is scheduled for Ithaca City Court, 118 East Clinton Street. If it is for another court, this process does not apply.

To request an email resolution of a city code violation you can choose to email the City Prosecutor's Office with the following materials:
  • Create an email to codeviolation@cityofithaca.org with the subject "Code Violation-(last name)", with the defendant's surname instead of "last name"
  • An attachment with a legible copy of your ticket.
  • A request for an offer to resolve your ticket via email.
  • You may choose to include:
    • An explanation of what happened; and/or
    • Any mitigating equities or personal circumstances.
Email correspondence may be sent to codeviolation@cityofithaca.org. Please do not use mail, fax, or a phone call. While you should receive a prompt response, if you do not receive a reply withing one week, please resend.

Once you receive the City Prosecutor's proposal, you may choose to accept it by following the instructions included in the email. If you reject the proposal, please advise the Court and they will inform you of your trial date. All offers are final.

Please note that a failure to follow these instructions will delay in the disposition of the ticket, which could result in a warrant.


How to Meet with a City Prosecutor

There are currently no in person meetings being held with the City Prosecutor. Contact is being conducted via e-mail until further notice.