Alternate Side Parking Ticket in California: What It Is and How to Fight It

An "alternate parking ticket" — more formally called an alternate side parking violation — is issued when a vehicle is parked on the wrong side of the street during a designated restriction period. In California, these restrictions exist almost exclusively to facilitate street sweeping, and the citations that result are among the most common and most contested in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento.

If you got a ticket for being on the wrong side of the street during sweeping hours, here's exactly what it means and what you can do about it.

What Alternate Side Parking Rules Mean in California

Alternate side parking restrictions are posted on street signs and tied to street sweeping schedules. The city designates specific days and times when each side of the street must be clear of vehicles so the sweeper can pass along the curb.

A typical California alternate side parking restriction looks like this: - "No Parking 8 AM – 10 AM Monday" (west side of street) - "No Parking 10 AM – 12 PM Monday" (east side of street)

The logic: the sweeper starts on one side and works its way across. Drivers must move to the unrestricted side (or leave the neighborhood entirely) during the active restriction window.

Violations are issued under CVC § 22507.6, which governs street sweeping restrictions statewide. Cities can establish these rules locally as long as they meet the state's signage requirements.

Why California Alternate Parking Tickets Are So Common

Several factors make alternate side parking violations extremely common in California:

Complex schedules: In some neighborhoods, each block face has a different restriction day and time. A block in Los Angeles might have Monday restrictions on the east side and Thursday restrictions on the west side — and the adjacent block has completely different days. Tracking this manually is error-prone.

Schedule confusion: Holidays sometimes suspend sweeping, and the posted schedule doesn't always reflect temporary cancellations. San Francisco, for example, suspends sweeping on certain city holidays — parking is then legal during what would normally be a restricted window.

No grace period: California cities generally do not offer a formal grace period after the posted start time. If your car is on the restricted side at 8:01 AM when restrictions began at 8:00 AM, the citation is valid.

Remote ticketing: Some cities (especially San Francisco) issue tickets remotely using Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology mounted on vehicles. The officer doesn't physically walk past your car — the camera records the violation at speed. This means there's no opportunity to see the officer and move the car in time.

Defenses That Work for Alternate Parking Citations

Not all alternate parking tickets are correctly issued. These defenses are grounded in California law and have a track record of success:

1. Missing or Obscured Signage (CVC § 22507.6)

CVC § 22507.6 requires the city to post "adequate notice" of street sweeping restrictions. Courts have held that signs at the entrance to a neighborhood or street section can satisfy this requirement — but if that sign is: - Completely missing - Covered by graffiti - Obscured by overgrown tree branches - Fallen over or otherwise invisible

...then the restriction may not be enforceable on that block for that day.

How to document: Take a wide-angle photo showing the full block with no compliant sign visible. Also photograph the intersection where a sign should be posted. If you're filing after the fact, use Google Street View's historical feature to show the sign's condition on nearby dates.

CPRA request: File a California Public Records Act request with the city's public works or street services department to obtain sign maintenance records for that specific block. If the records show the sign was recently reported missing or replaced, you have strong evidence.

2. Time Discrepancy

Parking officers record the exact time they issue a citation. If your citation was issued at a time that falls outside the posted restriction window, that's a direct legal defect.

How to document: Screenshot the official city street sweeping schedule (available on most city websites) for the specific block and date. If the posted schedule shows sweeping ends at 10:00 AM and your citation was issued at 10:07 AM, the citation was issued after the restriction had ended.

Some cities (like San Francisco) also allow parking once the sweeper has physically passed — even if the posted time window hasn't ended. If your dashcam or building security camera shows the sweeper passed before you parked, this is a viable defense in SF specifically.

3. Legitimate Permit or Exemption

Some California neighborhoods have residential permit parking that exempts permitted vehicles from sweeping restrictions during certain hours. If you hold a valid residential permit and were cited on a restricted day, confirm whether your permit exempts you from the sweeping restriction on that specific block.

4. Clerical Errors on the Citation

If the citation lists the wrong side of the street, the wrong time, the wrong license plate, or the wrong block address, that's a factual error. Document the discrepancy with photos taken immediately after receiving the ticket. Minor clerical errors don't always result in dismissal, but significant factual errors (wrong plate number, wrong street) can.

How to Contest an Alternate Parking Ticket in California

The dispute process follows California's standard three-step framework under CVC § 40215:

Step 1 — Initial Administrative Review (free, 21 days from citation date) Submit your written contest with your chosen defense and supporting evidence. Be specific: reference the CVC section (§ 22507.6), explain what wasn't met, and attach your evidence as labeled exhibits.

Step 2 — Administrative Hearing (21 days from denial, fine deposit required) If denied at Step 1, request a hearing with an independent officer. This is where most successful contests happen. Bring your evidence — photos, the schedule screenshot, any CPRA response — and present your argument clearly.

Step 3 — Superior Court Appeal (30 days from hearing decision, $25 fee) For cases where a clear legal error occurred at the hearing level.

For city-specific portals: - Los Angeles: ladotparking.org — (866) 561-9742 - San Francisco: sfmta.com/citations — 311 - San Diego: sandiego.gov/parking/citations/appeal — (866) 470-1308 - Sacramento: sacpark.org

Avoiding Alternate Parking Tickets in California

Use the city's official schedule: Every major California city publishes its street sweeping schedule online by block address. Bookmark it, or use SpotAngels — an app that crowd-sources street cleaning and parking restrictions and sends alerts before restrictions begin.

Set phone reminders: The night before a sweeping day for your block, set a morning alarm. The 15 minutes it takes to move the car is cheaper than contesting a citation.

Pay via app when possible: ParkMobile and similar apps send time warnings before your paid session expires — useful training for the same habit of tracking time limits.

The California Parking Ticket Dispute Guide includes a street sweeping ticket template letter with the CVC § 22507.6 signage argument ready to fill in, alongside the complete city-by-city contest instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a grace period for alternate side parking in California? No. California cities do not have a mandated grace period. Some officers exercise informal discretion for vehicles being actively moved during the first few minutes, but there's no legal protection — the citation is technically valid the moment the restriction begins.

What if I moved my car but got a ticket anyway? If you moved the car before the officer issued the citation and the citation was still issued, that's a factual dispute. Timestamped photos or video showing your car had been moved before the citation time would support your contest.

Does San Francisco cancel street sweeping on holidays? Yes. SFMTA suspends street sweeping on official San Francisco city holidays. Parking on the normally restricted side is legal on those days. Check sfmta.com for the current holiday schedule. If you received a ticket on a suspension day, that's a complete defense — document it with the official holiday schedule.

What's the fine for an alternate parking / street sweeping violation? It depends on the city. Los Angeles charges approximately $73. San Francisco charges $76–$96. San Diego charges $62.50. Sacramento is typically $45–$65. These are base fines before any state surcharges.