Can you get a ticket for parking at a broken meter in San Diego?
Not if the meter can't take payment at all: state law lets you park up to the posted time limit. But the City says if the meter still takes cards or coins, you must pay. Report it at 619-744-1705, note the meter number, and snap a photo.
- Vehicle Code
- §22508.5
- Typical meter ticket
- $53.50
- Possible cap
- 4 hr
- Report a broken meter
- 619-744-1705
Broken meter law
Includes $11 state fee
Only if signs say so and no limit is posted
Parking Meter Operations
The short version
- California Vehicle Code §22508.5 lets you park at a broken meter up to the posted time limit; cities may cap it at 4 hours only with posted signs.
- City of San Diego staff told Voice of San Diego in March 2026 that if any payment method still works, you have to use it.
- State law bars a nonpayment ticket when a meter can't physically accept payment, even if an app would still work.
- A meter ticket in San Diego is usually $53.50, including an $11 state fee.
- Report broken meters to Parking Meter Operations at 619-744-1705 with the meter number (e.g. 4-1615).
You pull up, the screen is dead, the coin slot is jammed. Can you just walk away? In California the answer is mostly yes, because a state law covers exactly this. But San Diego's meters now take coins, cards, tap-to-pay and an app, and that's where people get caught. We checked the City's meter operations page and the Vehicle Code on November 7, 2026, plus Voice of San Diego's March 2026 report quoting City staff.
What state law says
- Posted time limit: you may park at an inoperable meter or pay station up to the posted time limit.
- No posted limit: you may park without a time limit, subject to other rules like street sweeping, unless the city has posted signs setting a 4-hour limit for broken meters.
- No local bans: cities can't otherwise prohibit or restrict parking at inoperable meters.
- The app doesn't count: if a meter can't physically accept payment, a city 'shall not issue a citation for nonpayment,' even if it would accept payment by other nonphysical means, like an app.
What happens at the meter
| What you see | What to do | |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing works: no coins, no card, no tap | Protected by §22508.5. Park up to the posted limit, photograph the meter and its number, and report it. | |
| Coin slot jammed, card reader works | Pay by card. City staff: 'If the coin slot is jammed, but the meter can still accept credit cards, you must pay the meter.' | |
| Only the ParkSmarter app works | City staff say to use the app or move. If you're cited anyway, appeal and cite §22508.5(d). | |
| Pay station for the block is down | The law covers the nearest pay station that can't take payment or print a required receipt. Document it. |
What you see
- Nothing works: no coins, no card, no tap
- Protected by §22508.5. Park up to the posted limit, photograph the meter and its number, and report it.
- Coin slot jammed, card reader works
- Pay by card. City staff: 'If the coin slot is jammed, but the meter can still accept credit cards, you must pay the meter.'
- Only the ParkSmarter app works
- City staff say to use the app or move. If you're cited anyway, appeal and cite §22508.5(d).
- Pay station for the block is down
- The law covers the nearest pay station that can't take payment or print a required receipt. Document it.
What to do
If you get a ticket anyway
- 01
Keep the evidence
A timestamped photo of the dead screen, jammed slot and meter number is your best case.
- 02
Report it
Call Parking Meter Operations at 619-744-1705 or use the City's Get It Done app. The meter number is on the street side of the housing or at the bottom of the display.
- 03
Appeal online
File at sandiego.gov/parking/citations/appeal. Our guide to contesting a parking ticket in San Diego walks through the deadlines and steps.
These rules cover City of San Diego meters. Port of San Diego meters along the bay and meters in other cities are run by those agencies, though the state law applies everywhere in California.
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on November 7, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.
Prices, fees, hours and rules change, often at the start of a year or season. Confirm with the official source linked below before you rely on a number.
This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
- PrimaryVehicle Code §22508.5
California Legislature (via California Public Law) · Checked November 7, 2026
Parking at inoperable meters up to the posted limit, 4-hour signed cap, no citation when meter can't physically accept payment
- PrimaryParking Meter Operations
City of San Diego · Checked November 7, 2026
Enforcement hours, payment options, $0.35 card fee since Nov 1, 2025, broken-meter reporting at 619-744-1705, meter number location
Voice of San Diego · Published March 10, 2026
City staff guidance when some payment methods work, $53.50 fine, Get It Done reporting, appeal link