Traffic & Parking

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The Traffic Services Division of the Sheriff’s Department is responsible for Administrative Reviews of all County Parking Violation Notices.

Parking Citations

If you need additional information about responding to your parking citation, please determine first if it is a County of San Diego parking citation. County parking citation look like the one to the right.

If your parking citation was issued by the City of San Diego, please contact San Diego Parking Management.

If you are looking to dispute a citation please reference the below section titled "Ticket Review."

Violations

To find out what a violation means, please see the resources below.

Copy of a County Parking Citation

If you need a copy of a county parking citation and you know from which station your citation was issued, please contact the station at the following numbers. If you are not certain, contact the Traffic Services Office at 858-974-2099.

4S Ranch: 858-521-5200
Alpine: 619-659-2600
Campo / Tecate: 619-478-5378
Encinitas: 760-966-3500
Fallbrook: 760-451-3100
Imperial Beach: 619-498-2400
Julian: 760-765-4718
Lemon Grove: 619-337-2000
Pine Valley: 619-473-8774
Poway: 858-513-2800
Ramona: 760-789-9157
Ranchita / Warner Springs: 760-782-3353
Rancho San Diego: 619-660-7090
San Marcos: 760-510-5200
Santee: 619-956-4000
Valley Center / Pauma: 760-751-4400
Vista: 760-940-4551

Pay a Ticket

There are multiple ways to pay your ticket:

You may pay by mail using the envelope provided with the ticket.

San Diego Parking Administration
Parking Enforcement Center
P.O. Box 6010
Inglewood, CA 90312

Pay by phone - call 1-866-449-7567
Pay Online
CVC 40220 allows for installment payments to qualifying low income individuals who apply within 120 days from the issuance of a notice of parking violation, or within 10 days after an administrative hearing determination, whichever is later. The total amount in fines and fees that can be paid in installments is $500, Monthly installments can be no more than twenty-five dollars ($25), the time limit for paying fines and fees under a payment plan is 24 months, all late fees and penalty assessments are waived, and processing fees to participate in a payment plan are limited to five dollars ($5). For more information, including about applying and determining if you qualify, please call or visit our website provided under contact us.

Ticket Review

Following is the procedure for contesting a notice of parking violation. The form can be found in this section and must be submitted with a copy of the citation, and any other proof.

Procedure for Contesting a Notice of Parking Violation

Rather than appearing in court on a contested parking citation, minor parking violations are no longer criminal infractions. They have been reduced to civil offenses. Accordingly, the criminal courts no longer will hear parking matters. If you wish to challenge your parking citation, you may do so according to the civil administrative process outlined below. If you have a question about the citation, please contact the office where the citation was issued (i.e., Sheriff’s Station, CHP, General Services, etc.). You may also contact the Parking Enforcement Center at 866-449-7567 (When asked "what city", please reply "County of San Diego Sheriff's") or call the Sheriff’s Traffic Services Division at 858-974-2099.

It is important to request the review of the citation right away (within 21 days of issuance or of receiving a notice of delinquent citation). Failure to do so will result in increases to your parking penalty as well as having your vehicle registration withheld by the Department of Motor Vehicles until the full amount of your citation, including late penalties, is paid.

Step 1

The first step is an Administrative Review. The purpose of this step is to screen out those citations where the motorist is clearly not liable for the citation.

Complete the Request for Administrative Review form included in this section and return it, with a copy of the citation and any other applicable proof, to:

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department-Traffic Division
P.O. Box 939062
San Diego, Ca 92193-9062

You will be notified in writing of the finding of the Review. If the citation is dismissed, you may consider the matter resolved. If the citation is upheld, you may either pay the fine or move on to the next step.

Request for Administrative Review

Step 2

The second step is the Administrative Hearing, which is conducted by a civil hearing officer. You will be required to post the penalty amount of your citation prior to being scheduled for the hearing.

You will be given the choice of having the hearing in person before the hearing officer or by submitting a written declaration to the hearing officer. In either event, you will be notified of the finding.

If you are found not liable, your penalty funds will be refunded to you. If the citation is upheld, you may either pay the fine or move to the final step.

Step 3

The third and final step in the process is an appeal to the Civil Division of the Superior Court. The appeal must be filed within 30 days after the order of judgment from the Administrative Hearing. You, as the appellant, are responsible for paying any necessary filing fees for the appeal hearing. If you prevail, any filing fees, along with the penalty amount previously posted will be refunded to you. If the citation is upheld, all fees and the parking penalty will be forfeited.

A parking citation may be dismissed if it is determined, after review, it was either factually incorrect or issued in error. The following reasons DO NOT warrant dismissal of a parking citation:

I was only gone for a minute
I did not know that I could not park there
I think the fine is too high
I did not see the sign or curb marking
I cannot afford to pay the fine
I have never had a ticket before, or I have a perfect driving record
I will never do it again
My car was the only one cited
I did not know it was against the law
How do I obtain a Handicap Placard? (California DMV)

Please note any documentation submitted will not be returned to you nor will copies be provided for you. Please retain a copy for your own records.

Frequently Asked Questions - Parking Citations

Expand/Contract Questions and Answers

What happens when I send my parking citation in for an Administrative Review?
The Traffic Services Coordinator, who is a lieutenant with the Sheriff’s Department, will review your statement and will obtain a statement from the officer who wrote the citation, if necessary. In making a decision, both statements are considered, as is proof submitted by either party, such as photographs. The lieutenant assigned to conduct these reviews is well versed in both traffic and the Vehicle Code.
Why was I issued a citation for handicap parking when I have a valid disabled placard?
The requirements for disabled parking zones as specified in the Vehicle Code are very stringent. The placard must be displayed on the rear view mirror. There are no exceptions for parking in a disabled zone without a valid placard. Parking in crosshatched areas adjacent to disabled zones is strictly prohibited even if you have a placard.
I had a sign advertising my car for sale and received a citation. Why?
San Diego County Code 72.123 prohibits signs larger than 8 ½” x 11”. Signs must be placed only in side windows and not in the front or back. If your vehicle is parked on private property, you must have written consent from the owner of the property to leave your vehicle parked for sale.
No one told me I could not park my car out on the street for long periods.
San Diego County Code 72.122 prohibits parking a vehicle in excess of 72 hours on the street. The purpose behind this section is to insure public streets do not become storage lots for vehicles. Your car must be moved every 72 hours.
I am a County employee and I received a parking citation while parked in two-hour public parking at the County Administrative Center.
There is limited public parking at the County Administration Center (CAC). To insure persons with business at the CAC have available parking, the maximum parking time is restricted to two hours. If you are a County employee with a valid parking sticker, you are required to park in employee parking.
I did not realize I parked in a bus zone. The curb was not red.
Vehicle Code Section 22500(i) specifies a bus zone is identified by a red curb or a posted sign.
I am trying to get my car registered, but in the meantime, I received a citation for not having current tabs. What can I do to keep from getting more citations?
After explaining your situation, you can ask the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue you a Temporary Operating Permit. (See Proof of Correction)
I received parking citations which states proof of correction is required. What does that mean?
You must have your parking citation signed on the reverse side indicating the violation was corrected. Any police officer, deputy sheriff or California Highway Patrol officer can sign it. In Sheriff’s jurisdiction, you can go to any of the Sheriff’s Stations, substations or offices. In compliance with Government Code Section 26746.1, there is a $20 fee for this service. Once a signature has been obtained reflecting proof of correction was made, the penalty shall be reduced to ten dollars ($10).

The citation along with a check for ten dollars should be mailed to:

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department-Traffic Division
P.O. Box 939062
San Diego, CA 92193-9062

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Parking Citations

Copy of a County Parking Citation

Pay a Ticket

Ticket Review

Frequently Asked Questions - Parking Citations

What happens when I send my parking citation in for an Administrative Review?

Why was I issued a citation for handicap parking when I have a valid disabled placard?

I had a sign advertising my car for sale and received a citation. Why?

No one told me I could not park my car out on the street for long periods.

I am a County employee and I received a parking citation while parked in two-hour public parking at the County Administrative Center.

I did not realize I parked in a bus zone. The curb was not red.

I am trying to get my car registered, but in the meantime, I received a citation for not having current tabs. What can I do to keep from getting more citations?

I received parking citations which states proof of correction is required. What does that mean?