California Parking Ticket Forgiveness: Amnesty Programs, Waivers, and Relief Options

The phrase "parking ticket forgiveness" is used loosely online, and the reality is more complicated than the term suggests. California cities do not run standing forgiveness programs where unpaid tickets are simply wiped clean. What does exist — and what most drivers don't know about — are formal hardship waivers, income-based payment plans, and occasional time-limited amnesty programs that can significantly reduce what you owe or eliminate penalties entirely.

Here's what's actually available and how to access it.

What California Law Actually Mandates

California Vehicle Code § 40220 is the statutory basis for financial relief on parking citations. The law requires cities to offer payment plans to indigent individuals — people who meet income criteria — and sets specific limits on those plans:

• Payment plans cannot exceed $25 per month for outstanding balances under $500
• The application window is 120 days from citation issuance
• Proof of income or public benefit enrollment is typically required

This isn't optional charity from the city. It's a legal requirement. If you meet the income criteria and the city refuses a payment plan, they're in violation of the code.

The "indigent" threshold varies by city but is generally tied to 125% of the federal poverty level. In practice, cities may ask for documentation like a recent pay stub, bank statement, or proof of enrollment in CalFresh, Medi-Cal, or SSI.

Income-Based Waivers: Reducing or Eliminating the Fine

Separate from payment plans, some California cities offer administrative fee waivers for people who meet low-income criteria. These programs reduce the fine itself, not just the payment schedule.

Los Angeles (LADOT): LADOT offers a pre-payment waiver for the Administrative Hearing deposit (the full fine amount you'd normally have to deposit to get a hearing). If you qualify for the low-income waiver, you can request an Administrative Hearing without depositing the fine in advance. This doesn't forgive the ticket outright — it just removes the upfront financial barrier to contesting it. The waiver application is part of the hearing request process at ladotparking.org.

San Francisco (SFMTA): SFMTA participates in the city's financial assistance programs. Qualifying residents can apply for a reduction in citation penalties through the SF Human Services Agency's programs. Additionally, SFMTA has offered periodic hardship-based fine reductions for drivers who demonstrate inability to pay — these are handled case-by-case through the citation review process rather than a blanket program.

San Diego: San Diego's Parking Administration offers payment plans for outstanding balances. For accounts that have entered collections, the City Treasurer's office handles negotiations. In some cases, penalty fees (late charges, collections fees) can be reduced through a hardship application even when the underlying fine itself cannot be waived.

Amnesty Programs: Occasional, Not Permanent

True parking ticket amnesty programs — where a city forgives or reduces accumulated unpaid tickets across the board for a limited time — do occur in California, but they're not continuous. They typically happen when cities are trying to clear a backlog of delinquent accounts or generate revenue from people who otherwise wouldn't pay anything.

Past amnesty programs in California have included:

• Penalty waivers during COVID-19: Multiple California cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, temporarily suspended late fees and collections activity in 2020–2021. These were emergency measures, not ongoing programs.
• SFMTA "Fresh Start" periods: SFMTA has periodically offered penalty reduction periods for drivers with accumulated delinquent citations, allowing them to pay the original fine without late surcharges if they resolved all outstanding violations within the amnesty window.
• LA traffic fine clearance programs: Los Angeles has offered clearance programs in coordination with the Department of Motor Vehicles, allowing drivers to resolve registration holds by paying reduced totals on old unpaid tickets.

To find out whether a current amnesty program exists in your city, the best approach is to call the parking violations bureau directly or check the city's parking enforcement website. Do not rely on third-party websites claiming to offer amnesty enrollment — these are often lead-generation sites.

LADOT: (866) 561-9742 or ladotparking.org SFMTA: 311 or (415) 701-2311 San Diego Parking: (866) 470-1308 San Jose: (800) 294-8258

What Happens to Unpaid Parking Tickets in California

Understanding the consequences helps you prioritize. California's escalation path for unpaid citations:

1. Initial citation: Fine is owed within the payment deadline on the ticket.
2. Delinquent notice: If unpaid, a delinquency notice is sent (adding a late fee, often 50–100% of the original fine).
3. DMV registration hold: Under CVC § 4760, the city reports the delinquent citation to the DMV. Your vehicle registration cannot be renewed until the balance is cleared.
4. Collections: Delinquent accounts can be referred to the city treasurer or a collections agency.
5. Boot or tow: Vehicles with five or more unpaid citations can be booted or towed under CVC § 22651(i).

San Diego, for example, forwards delinquent accounts to the City Treasurer, which has its own collections process. Balances sent to collections may include the original fine, late fees, and collection fees — making the total substantially higher than the original citation.

How to Apply for Relief

If you have unpaid tickets and cannot afford to pay the full balance:

Step 1: Contact the issuing city's parking violations bureau directly. Explain your situation. Ask specifically about: - Payment plan options under CVC § 40220 - Any current penalty waiver or amnesty programs - Low-income administrative waiver programs (for hearing deposit waivers)

Step 2: Gather income documentation before you call. Pay stubs, benefit enrollment letters, or bank statements showing your financial situation will be required.

Step 3: If the city has referred your account to collections, contact the collections unit directly — cities sometimes have more settlement flexibility at that stage because they've already written off some recovery expectation.

Step 4: If you believe you have valid grounds to contest the underlying tickets — not just the ability to pay — the contest process is still open for recent citations within the 21-day window, even if you're also applying for a payment plan.

The Rental Car Situation

If you received a ticket while driving a rental car and the rental agency passed the fine to you under CVC § 40209, the same relief programs and payment plan options apply. Once the city sends the notice in your name, you are the responsible party and can contest or apply for relief directly with the city.

Summary: What Actually Exists

California's parking ticket system is designed to generate revenue. But the legal framework includes real protections and relief options that most drivers never use — because they don't know to ask. If you're dealing with accumulated citations or can't afford the fine on a recent ticket, the first call to make is to the city's parking violations bureau to ask about payment plans and any current relief programs.

For the full dispute process — contesting the ticket itself, not just managing the payment — the California Parking Ticket Dispute Guide covers the complete three-stage appeals system with city-specific deadlines and templates.