LADOT Parking Ticket: How to Pay or Fight a Los Angeles Parking Violation

Los Angeles issued approximately 1.86 million parking tickets in fiscal year 2024 — and the city's enforcement system is designed to collect, not to help you understand your rights. Whether you just found a citation on your windshield or you've received a delinquent notice, here's exactly what to do and how the numbers break down.

How Much Is a Parking Ticket in Los Angeles?

LA parking fines vary by violation type. Common amounts for 2024–2025:

• Street sweeping (CVC § 22507.6): approximately $73
• Expired meter: $63–$88 depending on meter type and location
• Red curb / No parking zone (CVC § 21458): $93–$108
• Fire hydrant (within 15 feet, CVC § 22514): $93
• Blocking a driveway: $68
• Daylighting violation (new AB 413, CVC § 22500(n)): $65+ (enforcement expanding in 2025)

Late fees escalate fast. If you don't pay or contest within 21 days, a delinquency fee is added — typically 50% on top of the original fine. Miss a second notice and the DMV will place a hold on your vehicle registration (CVC § 4760), blocking your annual renewal until the full balance is paid.

How to Pay an LADOT Parking Citation

LADOT handles Los Angeles City parking citations through the Parking Violations Bureau. You have three payment options:

Online: Go to ladotparking.org and search by citation number or license plate. You'll need the citation number from your ticket or the delinquency notice.

By phone: Call (866) 561-9742. Automated payment is available 24/7.

By mail: Make check or money order payable to "City of Los Angeles" and mail to Parking Violations Bureau, P.O. Box 30420, Los Angeles, CA 90030. Include your citation number on the check.

In person: LADOT has limited walk-in options; online or phone is faster.

Pay before contesting: If you pay the fine, you waive your right to contest. Under CVC § 40204, payment is treated as an admission of liability. Do not pay if you intend to fight the ticket.

How to Contest an LADOT Parking Violation

California law (CVC § 40215) gives every driver a three-step process to challenge a citation. For LADOT, the process works like this:

Step 1 — Initial Administrative Review (free, 21-day window)

Request a review within 21 days of the citation date, or within 14 days of receiving a delinquency notice. You can submit online through ladotparking.org, by mail, or by phone.

This is a written review — no hearing, no officer. You submit your statement and any evidence (photos, receipts, timestamps). LADOT reviews it internally, which means the same agency that wrote the ticket reviews your protest. Approximately 70% of initial reviews are denied with a generic form letter. This is normal; the process is designed to filter here.

What to include: - The specific CVC section you believe was violated incorrectly - Photos of the sign (or missing sign), meter, or parking position - Any timestamps proving you were within the time limit - Receipts from ParkMobile or the LADOT app if you paid for parking

Step 2 — Administrative Hearing (requires fine deposit)

If your Initial Review is denied, you have 21 days from the mailing date of the denial to request an Administrative Hearing. At this stage, you must deposit the full fine amount upfront — though low-income drivers can apply for a Pre-Payment Waiver (CVC § 40220).

The hearing is conducted by an independent hearing officer (often a contractor, not a city employee). You can appear in person or submit a written declaration. The burden is preponderance of evidence — you don't need to prove the officer was wrong beyond doubt, just that your version of events is more likely accurate.

Step 2 is where most successful contests happen. If you have solid evidence and cited the right legal ground in Step 1, a hearing officer has more flexibility than the initial review desk.

Step 3 — Superior Court Appeal

If the hearing goes against you, you can appeal to Los Angeles Superior Court within 30 days of the Administrative Hearing decision. This costs a $25 filing fee (recoverable if you win). The judge hears the case de novo — fresh, without being bound by the hearing officer's conclusion.

Effective Defenses for LA Parking Violations

The defenses that actually work cite specific California Vehicle Code sections. "I didn't see the sign" is not a defense. These are:

Street sweeping — missing or obscured signage: CVC § 22507.6 requires adequate signage. If the entrance sign to a neighborhood was missing, graffiti-covered, or obscured by overgrown city trees, document it with photos and request sign maintenance logs through the California Public Records Act.

Broken meter: CVC § 22508.5 allows parking up to the posted time limit at a meter that cannot accept any form of payment. The meter must fail both coins and card — if one method works, you don't have a defense. Video the failure attempt with the meter number visible.

Red curb fading: CVC § 21458 requires the restriction to be clearly visible. Severely faded paint that a reasonable person wouldn't recognize as red may not be enforceable. Use Google Street View's historical feature to show the curb's condition over time.

Fire hydrant distance: CVC § 22514 prohibits parking within 15 feet. If you're unsure whether you were within 15 feet, photograph a tape measure from the hydrant to your car's position.

Fighting an LA Parking Ticket Dispute: What to Know Before Filing

LADOT's Initial Review process has a documented low success rate at Step 1. The key mistake most drivers make is submitting a subjective complaint ("I was only there two minutes") rather than a legal argument tied to a specific CVC section.

Write your contest statement like this: - State the citation number, plate, and date - Identify the specific CVC section at issue - Explain which element of that section was not met, with factual support - Reference attached evidence by exhibit label (Exhibit A: photo of missing sign)

Keep the tone neutral and factual. Hearing officers respond to objective evidence, not frustration.

If you want the full templates, deadlines tracker, and a step-by-step hearing script for LADOT violations, the California Parking Ticket Dispute Guide covers the complete three-step process with copy-paste letter templates tailored to LADOT's specific portal and timeline requirements.

Common Questions About LADOT Citations

Can I ignore the ticket? No. Ignoring it triggers late fees and eventually a DMV registration hold. The fine will grow, not disappear.

What if I already have a registration hold? Pay the outstanding balance (or contest if you believe it's wrong) through LADOT's portal. Once cleared, the DMV hold is removed — but it takes a few business days to update.

Does LADOT use tire chalking? Yes, and it's legal in California. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Verdun v. City of San Diego (2022) that tire chalking constitutes a lawful administrative search, and that ruling applies statewide, including in LA.

What if the ticket has a clerical error? Small errors (misspelled name, minor plate transcription issue) rarely dismiss a ticket on their own. The city can correct clerical errors. A more useful defense is a substantive legal issue with the citation itself.

The 21-day Initial Review window closes fast — if you received a ticket recently, start the clock now.