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How to Read Your Citation
It is important to read the information on the front and back of your citation:
FRONT
1. Date of Citation
2. Citation Number
3. License Plate Number
4. Time of Citation
5. Registration Expiration Date
6. Location of Violation
7. Meter #
8. Amount Due
9. Description of Violation
10. Officer's Notes
Hand Held Citations:
Image of Front of Hand Held Citation
Image of Back of Hand Held Citation
Hand Written Citations:
Image of Front of Hand Written Citation
Image of Back of Hand Written Citation
Payment
DMV payment:
If your Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) registration is on “hold” due to the delinquent parking citations, the citations should be paid at 11 South Van Ness Avenue, where you can obtain proof of payment to present to DMV and then register your vehicle. If you have paid for your delinquent Parking Citations at DMV, please be aware this payment record will not appear in our citation processing database for six (6) to eight (8) weeks. If you have 5 or more outstanding citations, your vehicle will be eligible for a “boot” during that period. If you have paid your citations at DMV and then your vehicle is “booted”, you will have to pay those citations again. When we receive payment from DMV you will then be eligible to apply for a refund.
Do you need a DMV Registration Abstract for tickets already paid and still holding up the registration?
by mail:
Using the envelope provided with the ticket, send check or money order payable to SFMTA for the amount of the citation and any applicable penalties to P.O. Box 7718, San Francisco, CA 94120-7718. (Do not use this address or the envelope provided with the ticket if you are sending in a protest of the citation or if you are sending in payment and proof of compliance for a fix-it ticket.)
by phone:
You may use your MasterCard, Visa or American Express to pay by calling 415.701.3099 (within the 415 area code) or 800.531.7357 (outside the 415 area code). There is a processing fee of $2.50 per transaction for phone payments.
by internet:
MasterCard, Visa and American Express may also be used to pay citations via the internet. There is a processing fee of $2.50 per transaction for internet payments. Visit Online Services to make an internet payment. Search by license plate or citation number for unpaid tickets--only unpaid tickets will be returned in the search.
Alternative to Payment:
If you cannot afford to pay your parking fines, you may be eligible to perform volunteer work or set up a three-month payment plan, by enrolling in Project 20. This is a program to work off the parking fines by doing either community service or participate in a payment plan arranged through Project 20 under the same contract. Effective July 1, 2010, the SFMTA will charge an administrative fee of $15 to sign up for Project 20. You must go to 11 South Van Ness Avenue, Monday to Friday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. After signing a contract outlining terms and amounts, you will be sent to the Project 20 offices on 7th Street, near the Hall of Justice. Project 20 will also charge an administrative fee. Community service and payment plans are not an option if your vehicle has been booted or towed and you are trying to reclaim it.
"Fix-it" (Compliance) Tickets:
If you have been cited for VC5200 "no plates" or VC5204A "expired tags" you may provide proof of compliance or correction by having any law enforcement officer sign the back of the ticket or if you no longer have the ticket, complete the downloadable No Plate form (PDF) and pay a $10 compliance fee. Be sure to write the citation number on your check, and proof of compliance/correction with the $10 fee and mail to:
SFMTA Citation Division
attn: Correspondence Department
11 South Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94103
Please note that if both the proof of correction/compliance and the $10 fee is not received within 21 days, you will be responsible for late payment penalties that may accrue and the amount will be returned to the original fine amount.
Payment FAQ's
1. How do I pay my ticket?
2. I have paid my ticket, but I am still getting notices.
3. I paid my tickets at DMV but SFMTA still shows I owe money.
4. I got a ticket that says 'Tabs' or 'No license plate' what is this about?
5. I paid my citation two times. Should I stop payment on my check?
6. I'm sure that I am entitled to a refund.
7. Still haven't found the answer? Click here to ask your payment question.
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The Parking Citation Protest Process
Parking citations were decriminalized on November 1, 1993. Thus no bench warrants are issued for "failure to appear" and "bail" has become a civil penalty. Citations are issued to your vehicle or mailed to the registered owner's address as given by the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Administrative Review
- Do not pay a citation if you wish to protest it.
- Follow the instructions on the citation, and mail your letter of explanation or download our protest form and mail to: Administrative Review, 11 South Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94103. Do not use the envelope provided with the citation; this envelope is for submitting payment only.
- You have twenty-one (21) days from the issuance of the citation, or twenty-one (21) days from the mailing date of the first mailed notice of the citation, to protest. We use the postmark on your envelope to verify timely action and determine assessment of late penalties.
- Late penalties are not added to the original fine amount while the citation is under review, assuming your protest is received timely.
- Your protest will be evaluated and you will be notified by mail as to whether the citation is valid or will be dismissed. If necessary, a field or other investigatory survey will be conducted at this level of review.
If you receive a denial of your protest, you may pay the original fine without any late penalties by the deadline stated in the denial letter.
Administrative Hearing
- If you wish to have an Administrative Hearing, you have twenty-one (21) days from the mailing date of the denial letter to either appear in person or send in a request for a mail hearing to the Hearing Division.
- If you opt for an in-person hearing, you must come to 11 South Van Ness Avenue, Monday - Friday, between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. California Vehicle Code requires a deposit of the citation amount prior to a hearing. You must pay the clerk with cash or credit card only. If you are unable to post the penalty please bring proof of your indigence. A hearing will then be conducted on a first-come, first-serve basis. A hearing officer will decide whether to dismiss the citation (a refund will be mailed) or to deny your protest. Sometimes a decision will be mailed pending the outcome of a survey or other investigation.
- You may choose instead to have a mail hearing. Many people who are short on time opt for a mail hearing. Send in your explanation of events and any evidence you may have, along with check or money order for the citation amount (again, a deposit of the citation amount is required by the California Vehicle Code), to the Hearing Division, 11 South Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94103. A hearing officer will evaluate your protest and respond with a decision by mail. A refund will be issued if the citation is dismissed.
de novo Hearing
- If you were denied at the Administrative Hearing level, you have thirty (30) days from the date of the hearing decision to appear at Superior Court, 850 Bryant Street, Room 145, Monday - Friday, between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm, to request a de novo hearing in front of a traffic judge/commissioner/referee.
- Bring all documents regarding the citation with you. Upon your appearance, a court date will be assigned. A $25 per citation filing fee is charged by the Superior Court. If the judge rules in your favor, the citation fine and court filing fees will be refunded by mail.
- Meters on Port Property are enforced 7 days per week throughout the year.
- **FW -- enforcement of Fisherman's Wharf meters only
Hazards are always ticketable and towable
Moving Violations
The SFMTA does not deal with moving violations. We are involved with the issuance and adjudication of parking citations only. For information on moving violations, please contact the Traffic Division of Superior Court : Moving Citation Information and Warrant Information 415.551.8550. Their offices are located at the Hall of Justice, 850 Bryant Street, Room 145, San Francisco, CA 94103.
Warning: Avoid fake parking tickets
Internet criminals are using fake parking tickets in some cities to get people to go to Web sites that will infect their computers with viruses and other harmful software. If you get a parking ticket or notice in San Francisco, only go to Web addresses (URLs) starting with www.sfmta.com or www6.sfgov.org to resolve your ticket or notice. You can look up your ticket to verify it. Do not go to web addresses with an @ (at) sign in them, for example, www6.sfgov.org@something.com; they are usually harmful.
Provided you have PDF-reading software loaded on your computer, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) will never ask you to download software in order to validate your parking ticket. Be very suspicious of Web sites that ask you to download software in order to validate or process your parking ticket.
1. On the Internet, go to the on-line payment website then follow prompts.
By mail - (link to mailing address). Write the citation number on the memo line of the check payable to SFMTA. Mail payment in the envelope provided or address your own envelope to P.O. Box 7718, San Francisco, CA 94120-7718.
By Phone - 415- 701-3099; or toll free 800-531-7357.
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2. It is possible that your payment was late and the notices are referring to late fees; or you did not pay the full amount of the citation; or you paid one citation and the notices are for other citations; or there is a problem in processing your payment. For clarification, complete the form providing citation number, confirmation of payment, and mail date; attach a copy of front and back of check if applicable.
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3. When you pay at DMV it can take up to 60 days to transmit funds to SFMTA. Citations will be cleared when the money has been received. If a receipt of payment from DMV is provided a note will be added to your account stating that citations have been paid at DMV. Click here to submit an inquiry for your citation(s) paid at DMV.
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4. Violation codes VC 5204A "Tabs" or VC5200 "No license plate" are what is known as fix-it tickets. These are correctable citations issued for missing license plates or registration tabs.
Clearing these citations require both signature by a police officer showing the violation has been corrected and a $10 compliance fee payable to SFMTA send both to: 11 South Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94103. This fee is a state mandated compliance fee for each citation that you receive. If you pay the $10 compliance fee late, you will be responsible for late fees.
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5. DO NOT stop payment on your check. If you cancel your check a non-refundable fee will be applied. If you have no other open citations your payment will be refunded. A letter will be mailed to the address we have on file stating that you are due a refund. Sign the enclosed documentation, include proof of payment, and return the information to the address indicated.
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6. Refunds are only provided in cases where there is an overpayment on the license plate and no other open citations. If you still feel you are due a refund, submit your citation number and proof of payment such as the front and back of the cashed check, a receipt for payment, or confirmation number for payments made by phone or on line. Complete this form and attach documentation or mail information to SFMTA Revenue Accounting, 11 South Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco CA 94103.
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