You can pay SFMTA parking and transit citations online through the SFMTA portal, and moving/traffic citations through the San Francisco Superior Court’s system.
1. Parking and Muni Transit Citations (SFMTA)
Use this for SFMTA parking tickets and Muni fare/behavior citations.
- Go to “Pay a Parking Ticket or Transit Citation”: https://www.sfmta.com/getting-around/drive-park/citations → Pay Online.
- The payment form (hosted at wmq.etimspayments.com) lets you:
- Search by citation number or license plate for parking.
- Search by citation number for transit violations.
- Pay by credit/debit card and get an electronic receipt with same‑day posting.
Other ways to pay SFMTA citations:
- Phone: 415‑701‑3099 or 800‑531‑7357.
- Mail: Check or money order payable to “SFMTA” to:
SFMTA Customer Service Center
11 South Van Ness Ave
San Francisco, CA 94103
(Write the citation number on your check.) - In person: Same Customer Service Center address, Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Do not pay if you plan to protest; payment is treated as an admission and closes the case.
2. Payment Plans and Community Service (Parking/Transit)
If you can’t pay in full, SFMTA offers help:
- Payment Plan:
- Enroll online, in person, or by mail for monthly payments.
- Standard plan enrollment fee: $25, with minimum suggested monthly payments (for example, $25–$50 depending on balance and timeline).
- Administered via the SFMTA Payment Plan Portal at the SF Treasurer & Tax Collector: http://sftreasurer.org/payments/sfmta-payment-plan-portal
- Low‑income plans can waive late fees; see the Citation Payment Plan for low income customers flyer.
- Community Service Program:
It can take up to five days for a new payment plan to show up on the online payment site.
3. Traffic / Moving Violations (Speeding, Red Light, etc.)
Moving violations are handled by the San Francisco Superior Court, not SFMTA.
- Start from the SFGov “Traffic Citation Payment” page: https://www.sfgov.org/services/traffic-citation-payment → click through to the court.
- Or go directly to the Superior Court traffic payments page: https://sf.courts.ca.gov/divisions/traffic/pay-traffic-citations
- To pay online you need your:
- The court’s payment processor (nCourt) accepts credit/debit cards.
For traffic case info, court dates, or traffic school eligibility, contact the Traffic Division at 415‑551‑8540 or use their LiveChat.
4. Late Fees, Holds, and Collections
- If you don’t pay or protest parking/transit citations by the due date, SFMTA adds late fees and can send cases to collections; vehicles with five or more unpaid SFMTA citations can be booted or towed and may face DMV registration holds.
- For court traffic citations, failing to pay or appear can trigger a $100 civil assessment and referral to collections (Alliance One), plus DMV and wage garnishment actions.
Always check the due date on your notice to avoid extra costs.
5. Quick FAQs
1. Where do I pay an SFMTA parking ticket online?
Use the official SFMTA citation page → Pay Online, then search by citation number or license plate and pay by card.
2. How do I pay a Muni fare/transit citation?
Use the same SFMTA portal, but select Transit Citation and enter your citation number.
3. Can I pay by phone or mail?
Yes. Phone: 415‑701‑3099 or 800‑531‑7357; Mail: check/money order to SFMTA Customer Service Center, 11 South Van Ness Ave, SF 94103, with the citation number on the check.
4. How do I set up a payment plan?
Enroll via the SFMTA Payment Plan page and the SF Treasurer’s SFMTA Payment Plan Portal; standard plans have a $25 enrollment fee, with suggested monthly minimums.
5. How do I pay a speeding or red‑light ticket?
Those are court traffic citations; pay through the San Francisco Superior Court traffic payment page using your case number and amount due, not through SFMTA.
6. Does SFMTA ever ask for payment by text?
No. SFMTA warns that it does not request payment via text message; only use links from sfmta.com, sfgov.org, or printed notices.
Do you need help with a parking/transit citation or a court traffic citation specifically?
