Appeal.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 16-67
in effectSec. 16-67. - Appeal.
(a) A person who is found liable after an administrative adjudication hearing or online adjudication process may appeal that finding of liability to the municipal courts by filing a notice of appeal with the clerk of the municipal courts. The notice of appeal must be filed not later than thirty days after the date on which the adjudication hearing officer entered the finding of liability and shall be accompanied by the payment of the appellate filing fee stated for this provision in the city fee schedule for each citation that is appealed. The appellate filing fee shall be refunded if the municipal court overturns the hearing officer's finding of liability. Unless the person, on or before the date of filing of the notice of appeal, posts a bond in the amount of the civil penalty and any late fees, an appeal does not stay the enforcement of the civil penalty. An appeal shall be decided by the municipal court under the substantial evidence rule and on the basis of the evidence adduced at the hearing before the adjudication hearing officer. The clerk's office shall provide or cause to be provided a copy of the record to the municipal court. If the municipal court finds the record to be materially incomplete, the court may upon its own motion or upon the motion of the defendant or the prosecuting attorney refer the case back to the adjudication hearing officer for further proceedings; however, no evidence may be adduced at the appeal hearing.
(b) The municipal court shall not reverse the adjudication hearing officer's decision unless it is determined to be:
(1) In violation of the law;
(2) Not reasonably supported by substantial evidence, based upon a review of the reliable and probative evidence in the record as a whole; or
(3) Arbitrary and capricious or characterized by an abuse of discretion.
(Ord. No. 07-464, § 6(Exh. A), 4-11-07; Ord. No. 2010-740, § 2, 9-22-2010; Ord. No. 2011-75, § 6, 2-2-2011; Ord. No. 2011-654, § 2, 8-3-2011; Ord. No. 2011-1168, § 13, 12-14-2011)
Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH16MUCO_ARTIVADPACI_S16-67APFetched: 10/26/2026