Where to pay your Los Angeles parking ticket
Los Angeles parking tickets are paid through the Department of Transportation (LADOT) website at www.lacity-parking.org, not through a separate payment portal. You'll enter your citation number and other ticket details to look up what you owe, then complete payment on that same site. The system accepts credit cards, debit cards, and electronic check payments.
You can also pay in person at LADOT customer service locations, by mail, or by phone, but the online route is fastest — you get a confirmation number when ready and can print your receipt right away. Payment through the website is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you received a ticket from a parking enforcement officer or from an automated camera system (red light or speed enforcement), both types go through the same LADOT payment system. The citation number on your ticket is what you need to start.
Key Takeaways
- Visit www.lacity-parking.org and enter your citation number to look up your ticket and balance owed.
- You can pay online with a credit card, debit card, or electronic check 24 hours a day without visiting an office.
- Payment important date vary by ticket type, but ignoring a ticket leads to late fees, license holds, and collection action.
- If you dispute the ticket, you must request a hearing before paying; paying waives your right to contest it.
- LADOT charges a convenience fee for online credit and debit card payments, but not for electronic checks.
Steps to pay online at lacity-parking.org
Go to www.lacity-parking.org and look for the "Pay a Ticket" or "Manage Your Citations" option on the homepage. Click it and you'll be asked to enter your citation number — this is the ticket number printed on your parking citation. You may also need your license plate number or the date the ticket was issued.
The system will display your ticket details: the violation, the location, the date, and the amount owed. Review this information to make sure it matches your ticket. If the amount shown includes late fees, it means time has passed since the ticket was issued. Once you confirm the details are correct, proceed to the payment screen.
Select your payment method: credit card, debit card, or electronic check. If you use a card, LADOT adds a convenience fee (the amount varies). Electronic check payments do not include an extra fee. Enter your payment information, confirm the total amount, and submit. You'll receive a confirmation number on screen — write it down or take a screenshot, as you'll need it if you need to prove payment later.
Payment important date and what happens if you miss them
Parking tickets in Los Angeles have a important date to pay or contest them, typically 21 days from the date the ticket was issued for most violations. This important date is printed on the back of your citation. If you do not pay or request a hearing by that date, late fees are added to your balance and the ticket moves into collection.
After the initial important date passes, LADOT may report the unpaid ticket to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This can result in a hold on your vehicle registration renewal — you will not be able to renew your registration until the ticket is paid. If the debt remains unpaid for a long time, it may be sent to a collection agency, which can affect your credit and result in wage garnishment or bank levies in extreme cases.
If you believe the ticket was issued in error or you have a valid reason to contest it, you must request a hearing before the important date. Paying the ticket online waives your right to dispute it, so do not pay if you plan to contest the citation.
Disputing a ticket instead of paying
If you want to contest the ticket rather than pay it, you must request a hearing through www.lacity-parking.org before the important date on your citation. Look for the "Request a Hearing" or "Contest a Citation" option. You'll need to explain why you believe the ticket was issued incorrectly — for example, the sign was obscured, you were parked legally, or the meter was broken.
Submitting a hearing request does not mean you win; it means LADOT will review your case and either uphold the ticket or dismiss it. The hearing process can take several weeks. During that time, you do not pay the ticket. If LADOT upholds the ticket after the hearing, you'll be notified and given a new important date to pay the balance owed.
Do not pay the ticket online if you intend to dispute it. Payment is treated as an admission of the violation and closes your case.
What to do if you cannot find your ticket online
If you enter your citation number and the system does not find a match, the ticket may not yet be entered into LADOT's database. Parking tickets can take several days to appear in the system after they are issued. Wait a few days and try again with the exact citation number from your ticket.
If the ticket still does not appear after a week, contact LADOT directly. You can call their customer service line (the number is on the LADOT website) or visit a customer service office in person. Bring your citation with you. Staff can look up the ticket manually and provide you with payment options if the online system is not working.
If you never received a physical ticket but received a notice in the mail about an unpaid citation, that notice will include a citation number you can use to look up the ticket online.
Payment methods and fees
www.lacity-parking.org accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover cards, as well as debit cards tied to those networks. The site also accepts electronic check payments using your bank account number and routing number. Credit and debit card payments include a convenience fee set by the payment processor; electronic check payments do not.
If you pay by mail, send a check or money order payable to "City of Los Angeles" along with your citation number to the address listed on your ticket. Mail payments take longer to process — allow at least two weeks for the payment to be recorded in the system. If you pay by phone, call the LADOT customer service number listed on the website; phone payments also incur a convenience fee.
In-person payment at an LADOT office does not include a convenience fee. Locations and hours are listed on www.lacity-parking.org.
After you pay: what your confirmation means
When you complete payment online, you'll receive a confirmation number on the screen. This number proves you paid on that date and time. Take a screenshot or write down the confirmation number and keep it with your records. The payment typically posts to your account within 24 hours, though it may take longer during weekends or holidays.
Once payment is recorded, your ticket is closed and you will not receive further notices about it. If you paid before the important date, no late fees are added. If you paid after the important date, the late fees remain part of what you paid, but no additional fees will accrue.
If you need a receipt for your records or for insurance purposes, you can log back into www.lacity-parking.org with your citation number and read a paid receipt. Keep this for your files in case there are questions later about whether the ticket was paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pay someone else's parking ticket on lacity-parking.org?
Yes. You need the citation number from their ticket, and you can pay it using your own payment method. The person whose name is on the ticket will see the payment recorded in their account. This is useful if you borrowed someone's car and received a ticket, or if you want to help a family member pay their citation.
What if I paid my ticket but it still shows as unpaid online?
Payment processing can take 24 to 48 hours, especially if you paid on a weekend or holiday. Check back in a day or two. If it still shows unpaid after two business days, contact LADOT customer service with your confirmation number and they can verify the payment was received.
Does paying a parking ticket online affect my driving record or insurance?
No. Parking tickets are civil violations, not moving violations, so they do not appear on your driving record or affect your car insurance rates. However, unpaid parking tickets can lead to registration holds and collection action, which is why paying or contesting them before the important date matters.
Can I set up a payment plan if I cannot pay the full amount at once?
The online system does not offer payment plans. Contact LADOT customer service directly to ask about payment arrangements. They may be able to work with you on a plan, but this must be done before the ticket goes to collection.
What happens if I pay online but later want to dispute the ticket?
Once you pay, you cannot dispute the ticket — payment is treated as acceptance of the violation. If you think the ticket was issued in error, request a hearing before you pay. If you already paid and believe there was a serious error, contact LADOT to ask about a refund request, though these are rarely granted.