BART Parking Ticket Appeal: How to Contest a Bay Area Transit Citation

BART — the Bay Area Rapid Transit system — operates its own parking facilities at 38 stations across the Bay Area. Unlike city street parking, BART parking violations are issued under a different authority: the BART Transit Police Department and BART's own parking management systems, not LADOT or SFMTA.

If you received a BART parking citation, you can contest it — but the process is separate from the standard California city parking appeal pathway. Here's how it works.

BART Parking Citations: Who Issues Them and Why They're Different

BART contracts parking enforcement at its stations through its transit police and facility management teams. Parking at BART stations is either free (with a Clipper card ride requirement in some cases), paid by the hour or day, or restricted to permitted riders during peak hours.

Common BART parking violations include:

• Parking in a paid lot without payment
• Parking in a designated permit zone without the required permit
• Parking past the posted time limit in day-use zones
• Parking in a reserved or accessible space without authorization

Because BART is a public transit agency, not a municipality, its citations are administrative notices from the agency rather than California Vehicle Code infractions in the traditional sense. The enforcement and appeals pathway runs through BART directly.

How to Appeal a BART Parking Ticket

BART's parking violation appeals process operates similarly to the city administrative review system but through BART's own channels:

Step 1: Contact BART Parking directly. BART manages its parking program through Bay Area Motivate / BART's parking services contractor. The citation itself will list the contact information and portal URL for contesting the violation.

Step 2: Submit your appeal in writing within the timeframe stated on the citation — typically within 21 days of issuance, following the general California administrative review standard.

Step 3: Provide evidence supporting your appeal. The same types of documentation that work for city citations work here: photographs showing signage issues, receipts demonstrating payment was made, or records showing the parking meter or payment kiosk was inoperable.

Grounds that apply to BART citations:

• Payment machine malfunction: If the kiosk in the BART lot was inoperable, document it the same way you would an expired meter: photograph the machine error, record an attempt to pay, and note any "Out of Order" signage or confirmation number from a reported fault.
• Signage deficiencies: BART lots have posted rules. If the posted rules were unclear, missing, or didn't match what you were ticketed for, photograph the specific signage issue.
• Administrative errors: If the citation incorrectly identifies your vehicle (wrong plate, wrong color, wrong make), provide proof of the discrepancy.
• Valid payment receipt: If you paid and have a receipt or app confirmation, this is straightforward — submit it.

University Campus Parking: CSULB as an Example

California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is a good example of how California university parking enforcement works. Campus parking citations are issued by the university's own parking and transportation services, not by local city enforcement — so they don't flow through the standard LADOT or city citation systems.

CSULB parking citations are governed by California Education Code provisions that authorize universities to regulate parking on their campuses. The appeals process is internal:

1. Initial Appeal: Submit an appeal through CSULB's parking portal within the deadline stated on the citation (typically 14–21 days). You can appeal on grounds including missing or unclear signage, meter malfunction, permit display issues, or any factual error on the citation.
2. Administrative Hearing: If the initial appeal is denied, CSULB offers a formal hearing with a hearing officer. You present evidence in person or in writing.
3. Campus Ombudsman or Chancellor's Office: Some California State University campuses have a further escalation pathway through student or faculty ombudsman offices.

Common CSULB-specific grounds: permit was purchased but not properly displayed (submit the permit and receipt), parking in a lot with ambiguous zone markings, or a meter or payment kiosk failure.

For other California university campuses — UC campuses (UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UC Davis) and CSU campuses — the process is structurally similar: internal initial appeal, internal hearing, and limited external escalation. Each campus has its own portal and deadlines.

The Difference Between Transit/Campus Citations and City Citations

This distinction matters practically:

This is both good news and bad news. The good news: an unpaid BART or campus parking ticket generally cannot put a hold on your DMV registration the way an unpaid city citation can. The bad news: the formal legal protections of CVC § 40215 (mandatory three-stage review, hearing officer neutrality requirements) don't automatically apply — the agency sets its own rules.

That said, both BART and California universities are public agencies subject to California administrative law principles. If you believe the appeal process was arbitrary or procedurally unfair, a complaint to the campus ombudsman, the BART Board of Directors' public comment process, or ultimately small claims court for refund of an improperly collected fine are options.

General Advice for Any Transit or Institutional Parking Citation

Regardless of whether your citation came from BART, a CSU or UC campus, a hospital, or another public institution in California:

1. Act within the deadline on the citation. Don't wait for a second notice.
2. Read the back of the citation carefully. Institutional citations often have condensed appeals instructions.
3. Document everything the same way. Photographs, receipts, payment confirmation screenshots — the same evidence standards apply.
4. Submit in writing even if an online form isn't available. A clear, factual written appeal citing specific defects works for institutional review the same as it does for city administrative review.

If your parking situation involves a standard California city citation — from LADOT, SFMTA, San Diego, Sacramento, Oakland, or San Jose — the full three-stage process under CVC § 40215 applies. The California Parking Ticket Dispute Guide covers those city-specific processes, deadline trackers, and appeal letter templates in detail.