Red Curb Parking Ticket in Los Angeles: Rules, Fines, and How to Fight It

A red curb in Los Angeles means no stopping, no standing, and no parking — 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are no time windows, no permit exceptions, and under a 2025 state law, the absence of red paint near a corner no longer guarantees you're in the clear. If you received a red curb citation from LADOT, here's what the law actually says and what — if anything — you can do about it.

What California Law Says About Red Curbs

California Vehicle Code § 21458(a)(1) defines red curbs as absolute no-stopping zones. The restriction applies around the clock. Unlike yellow or green curb zones, there's no time-of-day window during which red curb parking becomes legal.

The fine for a red curb violation in Los Angeles typically runs $93–$108. Oakland's red zone fine is approximately $91. These amounts don't include state and county surcharges that can add significantly to the total.

The 2025 Daylighting Law Changes Everything Near Corners

Effective January 1, 2025, California Assembly Bill 413 added CVC § 22500(n) to the books. It prohibits parking within 20 feet of the vehicle-approach side of any crosswalk — marked or unmarked. This applies statewide and doesn't require the curb to be painted red.

What this means in practice: if you parked near a corner on a street with an unmarked crosswalk (which exists at every standard intersection in California, even without a painted crosswalk), you may be in violation of § 22500(n) regardless of curb color.

San Diego began issuing warnings for daylighting violations in early 2025, with monetary fines starting around $65. Sacramento started warnings in early 2025 and transitioned to a $25 fine with full enforcement scheduled for July 2025. Los Angeles and other cities are implementing enforcement on their own timelines.

The old defense of "there was no red paint" near a corner no longer works under this new state law.

When a Red Curb Ticket Can Be Contested

Most red curb tickets in Los Angeles are straightforward: the curb was red, the car was parked there. But a few specific circumstances do create grounds for a legitimate appeal.

1. Faded or Invisible Paint

CVC § 21458 requires the red marking to be "clearly visible." If the paint was so faded that a reasonable person wouldn't recognize it as a red curb — not just slightly worn, but genuinely difficult to identify as a restriction — this can be a contestable point.

The evidence required: photographs taken at the time of or shortly after the citation showing the curb color (or lack of visible color). Street View screenshots showing the condition of the paint over time can support the claim that the degradation wasn't recent.

This is a hard defense to win on a bright red curb. But on a weathered, partially-repainted curb where only fragments of red remain, it becomes more viable.

2. The Vehicle Was Attended

CVC § 22514 applies to fire hydrant zones (15-foot clearance), not red curbs directly. But some LADOT citations issued near fire hydrants also reference the red zone. If the vehicle was attended by a licensed driver prepared to move it immediately, that applies to fire hydrant violations — not general red curb prohibitions.

For a standard red curb citation under § 21458, the "attended vehicle" exception doesn't apply. The restriction is absolute.

3. Measurement — Daylighting Violations

For the newer AB 413 crosswalk violations, measurement is a legitimate defense. The law specifies "20 feet from the vehicle-approach side" of the crosswalk. If you can demonstrate with a tape measure and timestamped photographs that your vehicle's front bumper was beyond 20 feet from the crosswalk approach, you have a defensible position.

This requires precision: the measurement must be from the correct reference point (the near edge of the crosswalk, on the approach side from your direction of travel), not from the painted line itself.

4. Emergency

California cities generally don't recognize personal emergencies as automatic defenses for parking violations. However, documented medical emergencies — with a hospital or clinic record showing you were receiving emergency care at the time — occasionally result in discretionary dismissals at the hearing stage. This is inconsistent across cities and reviewers.

LADOT Specifics: Filing a Contest

If you received a red curb citation from LADOT and want to contest it, the process is:

1. Within 21 days of citation issuance: File an Initial Administrative Review at ladotparking.org. Upload your photographic evidence during this step.
2. If denied: Request an Administrative Hearing within 21 days of the denial letter mailing date. You must deposit the full fine amount (or apply for a low-income payment waiver).
3. If the hearing denies your appeal: File in Superior Court within 30 days (CVC § 40230). $25 filing fee, refundable if you win.

LADOT's phone number is (866) 561-9742. Their mailing address for paper submissions is Parking Violations Bureau, P.O. Box 30420, Los Angeles, CA 90030.

How LADOT Differs from Private Lot Citations

Some drivers receive what appears to be a red curb ticket but is actually a notice from a private parking enforcement company — not LADOT. Private companies issue "parking charge notices" under contract law, not under the California Vehicle Code.

Private citations cannot result in a DMV registration hold, cannot escalate to court proceedings, and can only be enforced through debt collection or future towing on that company's property. The enforcement pathway is entirely different from an LADOT citation.

The easiest way to confirm which type you received: the issuing agency name on the citation. LADOT citations reference the City of Los Angeles and California Vehicle Code sections. Private citations typically reference the company name and lot address.

The Fine Print on Late Fees

LADOT applies late penalties if a citation goes unpaid past its due date. If the ticket becomes delinquent, the balance increases and the city reports the violation to the DMV. Under CVC § 4760, a registration hold prevents you from renewing your vehicle registration until the outstanding balance is cleared.

If multiple citations accumulate — five or more — LADOT can boot or tow the vehicle under CVC § 22651(i).

For a full breakdown of LADOT's contest process, evidence requirements, and the hearing stage most people skip, the California Parking Ticket Dispute Guide covers LA alongside every other major California city.