Parking Citation Information
Parking citations for the City of Piedmont are issued by the Piedmont Police Department. Parking citations are not criminal violations; however, they are civil violations against the City of Piedmont.
The City Council, by resolution, designates areas of unlawful parking. To view these areas, please see the Red Curb No Parking Map.
How to Pay a Parking Ticket
The City of Piedmont has a contract with DATA Ticket, Inc. in Huntington Beach, California. This firm collects penalties and mails notice of violations to the registered owners of vehicles cited for illegal parking.
Parking citations may be paid online: Citation Processing Center.
Effective July 1, 2018, California Vehicle Code (CVC) Section 40220 requires than an agency issuing parking citations shall provide a payment plan option for indigent persons. The City of Piedmont will consider individuals who meet one of the eligibility criteria defined in 68632 (b) of the Government Code. If approved and once enrolled in an Indigent Payment Plan for Parking Citations, late fees and penalty assessments will be waived. Individuals will have up to eighteen (18) months to pay off the payment plan balance.
The City of Piedmont offers payment plans for indigent registered owners in receipt of a parking citation. If you wish to apply for a payment plan, you must make the request within 60 days of the issuance of the citation.
How to Contest a Parking Citation
Individuals who are issued parking citations have the right to contest them. All Administrative reviews and hearings are conducted in Piedmont. Those individuals who wish to contest parking citations must request an Administrative Review within 21 days of issuance of the citation or within 10 days of the mailing of the notice of parking and violation by DATA Tickets, Inc.
The Administrative Review Form (PDF) may be downloaded or obtained from the Piedmont Police Department at 403 Highland Avenue. Once this form is completed and turned in, an administrative review of the citation will occur and the results of that review will be shared by mail.
Within 15 days of receiving the mailed results of the Administrative Review, citizens may request a second review of the parking citation by a City Council appointed Volunteer Parking Hearing Examiner. The Request for a Hearing (PDF) must be accompanied by payment of the full amount due for the citation or proof of inability to pay the amount due.
A hearing is scheduled by the police administrative assistant after speaking with both the recipient of the ticket and the Parking Hearing Examiner. Hearings usually take place at the Piedmont Police Department. The Parking Hearing Examiners will listen to the case and render a decision. If the Parking Hearing Examiner decides in favor of the citizen, the payment will be returned by mail. Otherwise, the penalty will be retained by the City of Piedmont.
Citizens also have the right to appeal the decisions of the Hearing Examiners in Small Claims Court. Within 20 days of the mailing of the Parking Hearing Examiner’s decision, an appeal may be filed with the Small Claims Court in Alameda County. There is a filing fee of $25.00. If the Small Claims Court overrules the decision of the Parking Hearing Examiner the City of Piedmont must refund the filing fees and any part of the parking penalty that the court may order to be refunded.
The goal of the Piedmont City Council and the Piedmont Police Department is for citizens to comply with parking regulations and restrictions. It is also our goal to make the contesting of parking citations as easy and fair as possible.