Signature Capture on Violation Entry

The Signature Capture on Violation Entry feature allows parking enforcement officers to capture a physical signature directly on their handheld device when issuing a ticket. Its primary purpose is to provide proof of receipt and interaction by saving an optimized image of the signature directly to the violation record. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators to help them configure the application settings and train field officers on this functionality.

Setup and Configuration

This feature requires configuration directly within the handheld application settings to determine if the signature workflow is mandatory or optional for your field staff.

Handheld Configuration:

1. Navigate to Settings on the handheld application.

2. Toggle Require Signature to ON to force officers to collect a signature before they can successfully save a violation.

3. Toggle Require Signature to OFF to bypass the forced workflow. The signature tab will remain available on the violation entry screen, but it will not be a required field.

Using this Feature

Administrators can use the following instructions to guide parking enforcement officers through capturing a signature in the field using their handheld units.

Capturing a Signature

1. Perform a plate search and open a vehicle's violation entry screen.

2. Tap the pencil icon located on the fifth tab of the top segment bar to open the signature panel.

3. Tap the Open Signature Pad button to launch the full-screen modal.

4. Have the individual use a single finger to sign their name on the blank canvas.

5. Tap the Confirm button to lock in the signature.

6. Review the thumbnail preview of the signature on the tab to ensure it is legible.

7. Tap Save to complete the ticket issuance process.

Note for Android users: If the signature fails to register on the first attempt on an Android device, quickly Double Tap the button to force the save.

Visual Cues and Status Indicators

• Thumbnail Preview: Once a signature is successfully confirmed, a small image preview will appear directly on the signature tab to verify the capture was successful.

If the Require Signature setting is active and an officer attempts to save the violation without capturing a signature, the application will block the save action. The pencil icon tab will immediately turn red, indicating to the officer that a required field is missing.

Best Practices and Considerations

• Train staff on the confirmation workaround: Ensure enforcement officers are aware that they may need to Double Tap the Confirm button on certain Android devices if the signature fails to register immediately. Training officers on this quick workaround prevents frustration and delays during live field enforcement.

• Establish clear enforcement policies: Organizations should develop a clear business rule for when a signature should be collected if the mandatory setting is toggled OFF. Since the signature tab remains available even when disabled as a strict requirement, officers should know which specific violation types or situational encounters still warrant attempting to get a signature.

• Understand data syncing: Captured signatures are saved as highly optimized PNG files (averaging approximately 25KB). These files automatically sync back to the admin backend as image attachments on the violation record for future auditing, reporting, and appeals processing.