Parking Ticket Lookup California: How to Find Your Citation Online

Maybe you found a ticket on your windshield but lost the paper. Maybe you weren't with the car when it was ticketed and you're hearing about it secondhand. Maybe you bought a used vehicle and want to know if there are outstanding citations attached to the plates. Whatever the reason, you need to look up a California parking ticket — and the process is different for every city.

California has no single statewide parking citation database. Enforcement is handled by individual cities and counties, each with their own portal, vendor, or phone system. Here's how to find your citation for every major California city, and what to do once you've located it.

Los Angeles (LADOT)

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation runs the primary citation lookup tool for parking tickets issued by LAPD Parking Enforcement officers and LADOT enforcement officers within city limits.

Lookup portal: ladotparking.org Search by: Citation number OR vehicle license plate

Once you've located your citation, the portal shows the violation code, fine amount, current status (open, delinquent, paid, in review), and any administrative actions taken. You can also use the portal to pay, contest, or request an Administrative Hearing directly.

If your vehicle has an LA County Sheriff citation (from unincorporated areas rather than the City of LA), that goes through a different system — check the back of the ticket for the correct contact information.

LADOT phone: (866) 561-9742

San Francisco (SFMTA)

SFMTA handles parking citations for San Francisco. Their lookup system is part of the same portal used for protesting and paying tickets.

Lookup portal: sfmta.com → Getting Around → Drive & Park → Citations Search by: Citation number OR California license plate

Note: SFMTA warns that handwritten citations (issued by an officer writing on paper rather than entering data electronically) can take up to two weeks to appear in the system. If you have a fresh ticket and it doesn't show up yet, wait and check again.

SFMTA phone: 311 (within SF) or (415) 701-2311

San Diego

The City of San Diego uses its own citation portal under the Parking Administration division.

Lookup portal: sandiego.gov/parking/citations Search by: Citation number or license plate

San Diego's portal shows your current fine amount, any accrued penalties, and whether the citation has been forwarded to the City Treasurer for collection. Unpaid citations in San Diego eventually result in a DMV registration lien — you cannot renew your vehicle registration until the balance is cleared.

San Diego Parking Administration phone: (866) 470-1308

Sacramento

Sacramento City and Sacramento County are separate enforcement jurisdictions.

City of Sacramento lookup: SacPark.org Search by: Citation number or license plate

Sacramento County (for tickets issued by Sheriff's Parking Enforcement, typically in unincorporated areas) uses a third-party processor: Sacramento County lookup: citationprocessingcenter.com

If you're not sure which jurisdiction issued your ticket, check the top of the citation for the issuing agency name.

Oakland

Lookup portal: oaklandca.gov → Public Safety & Streets → Parking → Parking Tickets → Challenge / Pay Phone: (800) 500-6484

Oakland's system also flags vehicles with five or more unpaid citations — at that threshold, the city can authorize booting or towing under CVC § 22651(i).

San Jose

San Jose contracts citation processing to pticket.com:

Lookup portal: pticket.com/sanjose Search by: Citation number or license plate Phone: (800) 294-8258

Other California Cities

Many smaller California cities — Anaheim, Fresno, Long Beach, Pasadena, and others — use third-party vendors. Common vendor portals include:

• pticket.com (used by San Jose, many Central California cities)
• paymycite.com (used by various Southern California jurisdictions)
• citationprocessingcenter.com (used by Sacramento County and others)
• etimspayments.com (used by some Bay Area agencies)

If you don't know which portal to use, the citation itself will have the issuing agency's contact information on the reverse side. Start there.

What to Do After You Find Your Citation

Once you've located your ticket, you have a few options:

Pay it. If you pay, the matter is closed. Be aware that paying waives your right to contest the citation — even if you have a legitimate defense.

Contest it (within 21 days). Under CVC § 40215, you have 21 days from the citation date to file an Initial Administrative Review. This is free, doesn't require a hearing, and places the citation on hold while the review is pending (no late fees accrue during review at most agencies). The deadline is strict — missing it eliminates your right to appeal.

Check for late fees. If more than 21 days have passed without payment or a contest filing, a delinquency fee has likely been added. In most California cities, the fine approximately doubles once the delinquency notice is issued.

Check DMV status. If a citation has gone to collections, the DMV may have placed a registration hold on your vehicle under CVC § 4760. You cannot renew registration until the full balance — including collection fees — is paid.

Looking Up Tickets on a Vehicle You're Buying

If you're purchasing a used vehicle in California, running a citation check by license plate before you finalize the purchase can protect you from inheriting someone else's debt. Unpaid tickets stay with the plate and vehicle registration, not with the seller. Several cities allow plate-based lookups through their public portals — use the ones listed above.

Once you've found your citation, the next decision is whether to pay or fight. If the violation is questionable — broken meter, unclear signage, faded curb marking — the California Parking Ticket Dispute Guide walks you through building a strong appeal for the specific city that issued your ticket.

Get the California Parking Ticket Dispute Guide