Street Sweeping Ticket in California: How to Fight It (And When You Can Win)

Street sweeping tickets are one of the most common parking violations in California — and one of the more frequently dismissed categories when contested correctly. The legal hook is simple: California law requires adequate signage to enforce street sweeping restrictions. When that signage is missing, obscured, or insufficient, the restriction may not be legally enforceable.

San Diego alone issued 76,955 street sweeping citations in the first nine months of 2024, generating over $4 million in fines. Los Angeles imposes fines around $73 per ticket. San Jose's street sweeping violations account for 30% of all citations issued annually. These are not minor numbers — and cities count on most recipients paying without question.

The Law Behind Street Sweeping Tickets

Street sweeping parking restrictions are authorized under California Vehicle Code § 22507.6, which allows local authorities to prohibit parking during scheduled street cleaning hours. But the law has a critical condition: the restriction must be indicated by signs giving adequate notice.

This "adequate notice" requirement is the foundation of most successful street sweeping ticket contests.

The legal standard does not require a sign on every block. In many California jurisdictions, signs posted at the entrance to a street or neighborhood are considered sufficient. However, if the sign at that entrance is: - Missing entirely - Covered by overgrown vegetation - Defaced or graffiti-covered - Posted at an angle that makes it unreadable from the road - Blown down or removed since the restriction was established

...then the notice is not "adequate" and the ticket may be contested on that basis.

City-by-City Street Sweeping Fine Amounts

Sacramento fines vary. Some smaller cities use third-party processors like pticket.com or citationprocessingcenter.com.

The Key Difference Between San Francisco and San Diego

San Francisco (SFMTA): In San Francisco, once the street sweeper has physically passed your vehicle and completed its pass for your side of the street, you may park during the remaining time block — even if the restriction technically hasn't expired. This is a city-specific rule. If you have evidence the sweeper passed before your ticket was issued — dashcam footage, photos of the clean asphalt, or GPS data — this is a valid SF defense.

San Diego: San Diego strictly enforces the full time block. The sweeper's passage does not end the restriction. If your time block was 8–10 AM and the sweeper came at 8:30 but your ticket was issued at 9:45, you don't have a "sweeper already came" defense in San Diego. Focus instead on signage.

This distinction matters enormously. Filing the wrong defense for the wrong city results in automatic denial.

Building the Signage Defense

This is the most common and most effective defense for street sweeping tickets in California. Here is how to build it.

Evidence to Gather

Go back to the block. The most important evidence is photographs of the block where you were ticketed.

1. Block-wide shot: A photo showing the full length of the block from one end to the other. This establishes whether any signs are visible from where you were parked.

2. Sign shot (if a sign exists): A close-up of the sign's text, showing its exact wording and the restriction schedule.

3. Obstruction shot (if the sign is blocked): A photo showing the sign behind tree branches, vegetation, a utility pole, or another obstruction. Make it clear that the sign is not readable from the road.

4. Entrance shot (if claiming no entrance sign): If the sign is supposed to be at the street entrance and is missing, photograph the entrance showing no sign present.

5. Google Street View: Use the historical view to show whether a sign was recently added, removed, or had its visibility change. This establishes timeline.

Document Requests Under the CPRA

The California Public Records Act (CPRA) gives you the right to request sign maintenance logs from the city's public works or transportation department. If a sign on your block was recently reported missing, damaged, or replaced, that record strengthens your case significantly.

This request takes time — submit it immediately after receiving your ticket, even before the 21-day review deadline. You can reference the pending request in your initial protest.

The Written Protest

"I am contesting citation #[number] issued on [date] at [location] for an alleged CVC § 22507.6 street sweeping violation.

CVC § 22507.6 requires that local authorities post signs giving adequate notice of street sweeping restrictions. At the time of the alleged violation, no street sweeping restriction signs were visible on the block of [street name] between [cross street 1] and [cross street 2].

Attached as Exhibit A are photographs taken at [date/time] showing the absence of visible signage at both ends of the block. [If sign is obscured: The nearest visible sign at the entrance to the block was obstructed by tree canopy as shown in Exhibit B.] Absent adequate posted notice as required by CVC § 22507.6, this restriction is not enforceable at this location.

I request that citation #[number] be dismissed."

What to Do If Signs Were Present

If you cannot honestly argue the signage defense — the signs were clearly posted and readable — your remaining options are narrower.

Timing documentation: If you have evidence you left before the restriction began or returned after it ended, time-stamped receipts, transaction records, or dashcam footage may support your case.

Officer error: If the citation was issued at a time outside the restriction window (for example, at 9:58 AM when the restriction runs 8–10 AM and you can prove you moved the vehicle at 9:55), this is contestable with timestamped evidence.

App or payment records: ParkMobile and PayByPhone create digital records with timestamps. If you moved your car using one of these apps and the record shows movement before the violation time, this is strong evidence.

The Street Sweeping Ticket Deadline

You have 21 calendar days from the date on your citation to request an Initial Administrative Review. This is a hard deadline under CVC § 40215(a). Missing it waives your right to contest without paying.

After the 21-day window, your only remaining option is a payment plan under CVC § 40220 (120-day window from citation date, income requirements apply).

Filing Your Contest

Most California cities accept online contest submissions: - Los Angeles: ladotparking.org → Contest a Parking Citation - San Francisco: sfmta.com → Citations → Contest Citation - San Diego: sandiego.gov/parking/citations/appeal - Sacramento: SacPark.org - San Jose: pticket.com/sanjose - Oakland: oaklandca.gov → Challenge a Parking Ticket

Submit all evidence electronically. Keep copies of everything, including a screenshot of the confirmation page.

If mailing, use certified mail with return receipt to document your filing date.

Street sweeping tickets are the most common citation type in most California cities, and also among the most frequently dismissed when contested with proper evidence. The signage defense under CVC § 22507.6 is well-established and recognized by hearing officers statewide. Our California Parking Ticket Dispute Guide includes the complete street sweeping signage defense template, city-by-city rules on sweeper passage, and a photo evidence checklist tailored to this specific violation.