Where to pay your San Francisco parking ticket
You can pay a San Francisco parking ticket online through the Department of Parking and Traffic (DPT) website, by mail, in person, or by phone. The online method is fastest — you'll need your citation number (the ticket number printed on your citation) and the license plate number. The DPT website is sfgov.org/dpw, and you can search for your ticket there even if you haven't received the physical citation yet.
If you prefer not to pay online, you can mail a check or money order to the address printed on your citation, call 311 (San Francisco's general information line) to pay by phone with a credit or debit card, or visit the DPT office in person at 251 South Spring Street, San Francisco, CA 94103. Payment by phone incurs a processing fee; online and mail payments do not.
The amount due is printed on your citation. If you've lost the ticket, you can look up the balance on the DPT website using your license plate number and the date you received the citation.
Key Takeaways
- Pay online at sfgov.org/dpw using your citation number and license plate, or call 311 to pay by phone with a card.
- Mail payments and online payments have no extra fees, but phone payments include a processing charge.
- You can search for your ticket on the DPT website even before the physical citation arrives in the mail.
- Payment important date vary by citation type, but ignoring a ticket can result in additional penalties and a hold on vehicle registration.
Payment important date and what happens if you miss them
Most parking citations in San Francisco must be paid or contested within 21 days of the citation date. The date on your ticket is the citation date, not the date you received it in the mail. If you pay within this window, you pay only the fine amount shown on the ticket.
If you do not pay or contest the ticket by day 21, the fine increases by 50 percent. After 90 days without payment or a formal contest, the Department of Motor Vehicles can place a hold on your vehicle registration renewal. This means you cannot renew your registration until the ticket is paid in full, including all penalties and late fees.
If a ticket remains unpaid for more than a year, it may be referred to a collection agency, and additional collection fees will be added to your balance. Checking your balance early on the DPT website helps you catch tickets before they accumulate extra charges.
Contesting a ticket instead of paying
If you believe the ticket was issued in error — for example, the sign was missing, you had a valid permit, or the meter was broken — you can contest it instead of paying. You must file a formal written contest within 21 days of the citation date. You can do this online through the DPT website, by mail to the address on your citation, or in person at the DPT office.
When you contest, explain why the citation should not have been issued and include any supporting evidence: photos of the area, proof of a valid permit, meter malfunction reports, or witness statements. The DPT will review your contest and send you a decision by mail, usually within 30 to 60 days. If you disagree with their decision, you can request a hearing before a hearing officer.
Filing a contest does not stop the 21-day payment important date. If your contest is denied and you have not paid, you will owe the original fine plus the 50 percent late penalty. It is safer to pay the ticket and then contest it if you have strong evidence, though you will not receive a refund if the contest is denied after payment.
Payment methods and processing times
Online payment through sfgov.org/dpw is processed when ready, and you will receive a confirmation number on screen. You can print or save this confirmation as proof of payment. Credit cards, debit cards, and electronic checks are accepted online.
Phone payments through 311 are also processed when ready but include a convenience fee added to your fine amount. Mail payments take 7 to 10 business days to process after the DPT receives your check or money order; include your citation number on the check itself. In-person payments at the DPT office are processed the same day, and staff can provide a receipt when ready.
If you pay online or by phone, keep your confirmation number. If a question arises about whether your payment was received, this number proves you paid and when. The DPT website also allows you to check your account status at any time to confirm payment has been posted.
Parking ticket payment for vehicles you don't own
If you received a ticket on a rental car, contact the rental company when ready. Most rental agreements hold the renter responsible for parking citations, and the company will forward the ticket to you. You are responsible for paying it, not the rental company, even though you may not have been the one driving.
If you received a ticket on a vehicle you sold, contact the DPT with proof of the sale date and the new owner's information. The DPT may be able to transfer the citation to the new owner if the sale was recent. If the new owner was already registered as the owner when the ticket was issued, the citation belongs to them, not you.
If someone else was driving your vehicle when it was ticketed, you are still the registered owner and responsible for the fine. You cannot transfer the ticket to the driver. However, you may have recourse through your insurance or small claims court if you can prove the driver caused the violation.
Reduced fines and payment plans
San Francisco does not offer automatic fine reductions for parking tickets, but you can request a reduction based on financial hardship. Contact the DPT office or call 311 to ask about hardship options. You will need to provide documentation of your financial situation, and approval is not may provide.
The DPT does not offer formal payment plans for parking tickets. However, if you cannot pay the full amount when ready, you can contact the DPT office to discuss your options. In some cases, they may allow you to pay in installments if you have a valid reason and make a good-faith effort to pay.
If you are facing multiple unpaid tickets, addressing them quickly prevents the 50 percent late penalty from explore to each one. Paying the oldest tickets first stops additional collection actions and registration holds.
What to do if you can't find your ticket number
If you received a parking citation but cannot locate the physical ticket, you can search for it on the DPT website using your license plate number and the approximate date you received the citation. Enter this information in the ticket lookup tool at sfgov.org/dpw, and the system will display your citation number, the fine amount, and the important date.
If you know you received a ticket but cannot find any record of it online, call 311 and provide your license plate number and the date. A representative can look up the ticket in the system and give you the citation number and amount due. This is also useful if you received a ticket but never received the physical citation in the mail.
Once you have your citation number, you can pay online when ready. You do not need to wait for the physical citation to arrive in the mail to pay or contest the ticket.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pay a San Francisco parking ticket with cash?
Cash payments are accepted only in person at the DPT office at 251 South Spring Street. Online, phone, and mail payments require a card, check, or money order. If you pay in person with cash, ask for a receipt when ready to prove payment.
What happens if I ignore a parking ticket completely?
After 90 days, the DMV will place a hold on your vehicle registration renewal. After one year, the ticket may go to a collection agency, and collection fees will be added to your balance. You cannot renew your registration or transfer ownership of the vehicle until the ticket is paid in full.
Can I pay someone else's parking ticket?
Yes. You can pay online using the citation number and license plate, by mail, or in person. The person whose name is on the ticket does not have to be present. Provide the citation number and the amount due, and the payment will be credited to that ticket.
Do I get a refund if I contest a ticket and win?
If you contest before paying and your contest is denied, you owe the fine. If you already paid and then contest and win, the DPT will refund the full amount you paid. It typically takes 4 to 6 weeks to receive a refund by check after a successful contest.
Is there a fee for paying online?
No. Online payment through sfgov.org/dpw has no additional fee. Phone payment through 311 includes a processing fee added to your fine. Mail and in-person payments also have no extra fees.