Fight a San Francisco parking ticket for a stolen, sold, or unauthorized vehicle
The vehicle was stolen or used without your consent, or you had sold or transferred it before the citation date, so you were not the person in possession or control of the vehicle at the time of the violation.
the statement
Copy, customize, submit.
To: San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) — Citation Review Re: Citation No. [CITATION NUMBER] Plate: [PLATE] ([STATE]) Date/Time: [DATE], [TIME] Location cited: [LOCATION] I am submitting this protest to Citation No. [CITATION NUMBER] and respectfully request that it be dismissed. I was not in possession or control of the vehicle bearing plate [PLATE] on [DATE], the date this citation was issued. [SELECT AND COMPLETE THE APPLICABLE SCENARIO: (a) The vehicle was stolen or used without my consent — it was reported stolen to police on [DATE OF POLICE REPORT], before this citation was issued. / (b) I had sold or transferred the vehicle before this citation was issued, on [TRANSFER DATE], as shown by [DMV transfer-notice confirmation under CVC §5602, or the executed sale/transfer agreement]. / (c) This is not my vehicle — I have never owned, registered, or had any connection to the vehicle described on this citation.] Under CVC §40200(b), the registered owner is not liable for a parking penalty where the owner can show the vehicle was used without their consent, express or implied. [IF SOLD OR TRANSFERRED: Under CVC §40210, the processing agency must cancel a notice against a former registered owner once DMV confirms compliance with the CVC §5602 transfer-notice requirement, or upon timely documentation proving the sale predated the violation.] I ask that this citation be dismissed on that basis. Attached: [complete police report of the theft filed before the citation date (not just the report number); or proof of DMV transfer notice under CVC §5602, or the executed sale/transfer agreement showing a transfer date before the citation; or other documentation showing I was not in possession or control of the vehicle on the citation date]. Respectfully, [YOUR NAME] [ADDRESS] [PHONE] [EMAIL]
This template is for informational use only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Square-bracketed placeholders must be replaced with your specific facts. Rules and deadlines can change; if your situation is urgent, complicated, or high-stakes, email info@imfrustrated.org for a free conversation with a volunteer attorney before you send it.
how to submit it
A few things before you send.
- 1Note your citation number and confirm the violation code, date, time, and location printed on the ticket. Do not pay the citation if you intend to protest it — SFMTA places a paid citation outside the protest process.
- 2Within 21 calendar days of the citation's issuance (or of the date of the first mailed courtesy notice), submit an initial protest one of three ways: online at sfmta.com/protest (upload photos/receipts as evidence); by mail using the Citation Protest Form, mailed to SFMTA Customer Service Center, ATTN: Citation Review, 11 South Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94103; or in person at that same address for an unscheduled walk-in review (Mon–Fri, 8:30am–4:30pm).
- 3Select your protest reason from SFMTA's recognized grounds (e.g., meter paid/malfunction, missing/obscured sign or curb painting, stolen vehicle/plate, sold/not yet owned, valid permit/DP displayed, disclaimer/not my car) and attach supporting evidence. If the vehicle was stolen, SFMTA requires the complete police report, not just the report number. The citation is placed on hold while the protest is reviewed; review can take up to 90 days, and the decision is mailed or emailed to you.
- 4If the initial protest is denied, you may request a second-level administrative hearing within 25 calendar days of the date on the denial letter — there are no exceptions to this deadline. California Vehicle Code §40215 requires a deposit equal to the citation's fine amount to request the hearing, with waivers available for low-income individuals (at or below 200% of the federal poverty level), international visitors with valid passports, and other listed categories. Choose a hearing format: written (online Citation Hearings Request Portal), phone, video conference, email (hearingsgeneral@sfmta.com), or in person at 11 South Van Ness Avenue.
- 5A civil administrative hearing officer — independent of SFMTA's citation, collection, and processing functions under CVC §40215 — decides the case, usually within two to three weeks, mailed or emailed to you.
- 6If the hearing officer upholds the citation, you may seek de novo review by the San Francisco Superior Court within 30 calendar days of the decision, under CVC §40230. File the notice of appeal in person at 850 Bryant Street, Room 145, or by mail, and pay the filing fee set under Government Code §70615 (reimbursed to you if the court finds in your favor).
bring receipts
Attach this evidence.
- ✓Stolen or unauthorized use: a complete police report of the theft filed before the citation date (SFMTA requires the full report, not just a report number)
- ✓Sold or transferred vehicle: proof you notified DMV of the transfer under CVC §5602, or a copy of the executed sale/transfer agreement showing a transfer date before the violation
- ✓Any documentation showing you were not in possession or control of the vehicle on the violation date
what San Francisco rules say
The rule this rests on.
CVC §40200(b) — Registered owner/driver joint liability; non-consent exception
SFMTA's Citation Protest Form lists "Stolen Vehicle/Plate," "Sold/Not Owned Yet," and "Disclaimer/Not My Car" as separate but related protest reasons, and requires a complete police report (not just the report number) for stolen-vehicle protests. Codified basis: CVC §40200(b) makes the registered owner jointly liable for parking penalties "unless the owner can show that the vehicle was used without consent of that person, express or implied" — covering theft or unauthorized use. For a prior sale, CVC §40210 requires the processing agency to cancel a delinquent notice against the former registered owner once DMV confirms the owner complied with the CVC §5602 transfer-notice requirement, or if the owner supplies timely documentation (e.g., the executed transfer agreement) proving the sale predated the violation.
if this doesn’t work
Your next move.
If your first-level protest is denied, you may request a second-level administrative hearing within 25 calendar days of the date on the denial letter — SFMTA states there are no exceptions to this deadline. California Vehicle Code §40215 requires a deposit equal to the citation's fine amount to request the hearing (waivable for low-income individuals at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, international visitors with valid passports, and other listed categories). Choose a written, phone, video-conference, email, or in-person hearing format; an independent civil administrative hearing officer — statutorily required to be independent of SFMTA's citation, collection, and processing functions — decides the case, usually within two to three weeks. If the hearing officer upholds the citation, you may seek de novo review by the San Francisco Superior Court within 30 calendar days of the decision under CVC §40230, filing the notice of appeal in person at 850 Bryant Street, Room 145, or by mail, and paying the filing fee set under Government Code §70615 (reimbursed to you if the court finds in your favor).
questions people ask
FAQ.
My car was stolen — what exactly does SFMTA need?
SFMTA requires the complete police report of the theft, not just the report number, and the report needs to be filed before the citation date. Attach the full report along with your protest.
I sold the car months ago but never removed the plates — does that matter?
It can complicate things. Your strongest evidence is documentation of the transfer date itself — proof you notified DMV of the transfer under CVC §5602, or the executed sale/transfer agreement showing a date before the citation.
Which protest reason do I select if this simply isn't my car at all?
SFMTA's Citation Protest Form lists "Disclaimer/Not My Car" as its own reason, separate from "Stolen Vehicle/Plate" and "Sold/Not Owned Yet." Select whichever reason matches your actual situation and attach whatever documentation you have supporting it.
Nervous about sending it yourself?
we’ll read it over with you.
Email the situation and a volunteer attorney will respond. No commitment, no invoice, no judgment — just an honest second pair of eyes from someone who actually understands the law.
info@imfrustrated.org