When is street sweeping on my San Diego street, and how much is the ticket?
You can only be ticketed where signs are posted. On a signed route, parking during the posted hours costs $83.50 on the city's fine schedule. Unsigned streets are swept 7 a.m.–2 p.m. with no ticket. Look up your day on the city's map.
- Posted-route ticket
- $83.50
- If left unpaid
- +$72.50, then +$10
- Unposted routes
- 7 a.m.–2 p.m.
- City streets swept
- 2,700+ miles
City fine schedule, code 86.0112(E)
Late fees on the same schedule
No signs, no ticket
Per the Stormwater Department
The short version
- Only routes with posted "no parking" signs are enforced; the city's data team put that at about 9% of swept blocks.
- The City of San Diego's fine schedule lists $83.50 for a street sweeping sign violation (code 86.0112(E)).
- Unposted streets are typically swept between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. Move your car if you can, but there's no ticket.
- If your sweeping day lands on a City holiday, your street is skipped until the next scheduled day.
- Stormwater Department questions: 619-527-3482. Sweeping requests go through Get It Done.
The City of San Diego sweeps more than 2,700 miles of streets, but most of those blocks can't get you a ticket. What matters is whether your block has a posted sign. The city's street sweeping page splits every route into two kinds.
Posted vs. unposted routes
| Posted route | Unposted route | |
|---|---|---|
| Signs | "No parking" signs with the day and time | None |
| When it's swept | The hours on the sign | Typically 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Can you be ticketed? | Yes, during the posted hours | No. The city asks you to move voluntarily |
| How common | About 9% of swept blocks | About 90% of swept blocks |
Posted route
- Signs
- "No parking" signs with the day and time
- When it's swept
- The hours on the sign
- Can you be ticketed?
- Yes, during the posted hours
- How common
- About 9% of swept blocks
Unposted route
- Signs
- None
- When it's swept
- Typically 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Can you be ticketed?
- No. The city asks you to move voluntarily
- How common
- About 90% of swept blocks
Those shares come from the city's open-data team, who also noted that posted blocks cluster in Downtown, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, La Jolla and North Park. Downtown is mostly swept between 3 and 6 a.m., and Mission Boulevard between 8 and 10 a.m., according to the same analysis. It was written when schedules were last overhauled, so treat it as a guide and trust the sign on your block.
How to find your sweeping day
Look up your street
- 01
Open the city map
Use the interactive street sweeping map and click your block to see its route and schedule.
- 02
Check the curb, not just the map
The posted sign is what's enforced. Read it every time you park on an unfamiliar block, including the week-of-month rules ("2nd & 4th Tuesday").
- 03
Set a reminder
The city's data team pointed to Sweeping Alerts and the SpotAngels app as reminder tools. Neither is run by the city.
What if the sweeper never came?
You still owe it. When NBC 7 asked in 2015, city spokesman Bill Harris said posted streets are "no parking" during the restricted hours "whether the anticipated sweeping occurs or does not," and the city declined refunds. If you think a sign was missing, unreadable or wrong, you have 21 days to contest: see how to fight a San Diego parking ticket.
Routes change
The city adjusts routes when trash loads shift. On Sept 1, 2022, it swept parts of Clairemont, Linda Vista, Miramar, Mira Mesa and University City more often, and parts of the Peninsula, Normal Heights, Kensington, College Area, Golden Hill and others less. New signs came with a 30-day grace period before tickets. In summer 2026 the city also swept every Mission Beach alley on Wednesdays from May 20 through September.
- Street sweeping questions: Stormwater Department, 619-527-3482 or swppp@sandiego.gov.
- Request a sweep or report a problem through the city's Get It Done app.
- Other cities in the county (La Mesa, Chula Vista, Oceanside and so on) run their own sweeping and set their own fines. La Mesa's is $42.50, per Times of San Diego.
Other ways San Diego tickets a parked car: what the curb colors mean and the 72-hour rule.
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on October 30, 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.
KEEP READING
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.
- PrimaryStreet Sweeping
City of San Diego Stormwater Department · checked 2026-10-30
Posted vs. unposted routes, 7 a.m.–2 p.m. window, holiday rule, 2,700+ miles, contact 619-527-3482, schedule map.
City of San Diego · checked 2026-10-30
86.0112(E) street sweeping $83.50; late fees $72.50 and $10; $11 state surcharge included.
City of San Diego Open Data · checked 2026-10-30
~9% of swept blocks posted, ~90% unposted; where posted blocks are; Downtown 3–6 a.m.; reminder apps.
City of San Diego · 2022-08-29
Sept 1, 2022 route changes; 30-day grace period for new signs.
City of San Diego · 2026-05-20
Wednesday alley sweeping in Mission Beach, May 20 through September 2026.
FOX 5 San Diego · 2022-08-31
City spokesperson: citation was $52.50 in 2022.
Times of San Diego · 2025-07-24
City raised most parking fines about 60% in March 2025.
NBC 7 San Diego · 2015-09-25
City: posted hours apply whether or not sweeping occurs; no refunds.
Times of San Diego · 2026-07-06
La Mesa street sweeping fine $42.50.