Your Right to Appeal
Parking Violations are not considered a criminal offense and may not be contested through Superior Court without first completing the administrative procedures outlined below. The procedures are established by Section 40215 of the California Vehicle Code.
There are three levels at which a citation may be reviewed:
- Administrative Review
- Administrative Hearing
- Small Claims in the Superior Court
If you are not satisfied with the results at one level, you may proceed to the next level. Each level must be completed before proceeding to the next. To preserve your right to appeal a citation, you must submit your appeal at each level within the timeframe given.
Timeliness. You may request an Administrative Review within 21 days of the citation issue date. Requests submitted after 21 days will not be processed. Your right to appeal will be forfeited, and all fines will have to be paid.
Filing. Click here to file for an Administrative Review. Alternatively, you may contact our Adjudication Office at (805) 893-3680 to obtain a handwritten appeal form. Once submitted, an appeal cannot be amended. Appeals are not conducted over the phone or by a personal visit to the Transportation & Parking Services Office.
Written Explanation. You will be asked in the Administrative Review to provide a written explanation as to why you are contesting the citation and to provide any documentation to verify or substantiate your explanation.
Decision. The Administrative Review Officer will review your appeal and render a decision, which will be sent to you within approximately 10 business days. If your appeal is denied, you may either continue your appeal at the Administrative Hearing level or pay the penalty. Either action must be completed within 21 days of the Administrative Review results date.
Timeliness. If you decide to continue your appeal, you must request an Administrative Hearing within 21 days of the Administrative Review results date. Requests submitted after 21 days will not be processed and will result in a forfeiture of your appeal rights.
Zoom is a web-based video conferencing tool with a local, desktop client and a mobile app that allows users to meet online, with or without video.
Please note that all hearings of the date and time selected are scheduled for the same time and in much the same way that you may be required to wait in a waiting room for your turn to be heard, so also you must wait until the Hearing Officer joins your room. A Parking Representative will check in to confirm that you are successfully linked but waiting time may vary and can be up to an hour or more depending on the number of hearings scheduled and the order in which you are seen.
Filing. To schedule a hearing, click here and follow the steps to pay the citation within 21 days of the appeal result notification. Immediately after paying the citation send an email to: tps-citations.ucsb.edu and state that you would like to request an Administrative Hearing. Please include the citation number and vehicle license plate. The request for Administrative Hearing must be sent via email within the same day of payment.
Payments received without a corresponding email will be considered paid and closed. Late requests will not be accepted.
You will be asked to select the preferred date for your hearing, held on the second full week of the month, Tuesday at 9:00am or Thursday at 1:00pm, or you may choose to submit in writing.
Within a week of the scheduled hearing, you will receive a confirmation email that is also mailed out via USPS which will include all the details regarding the hearing, including
the Zoom meeting ID and password.
Should you prefer to make your advance payment for the hearing by check, please contact our office in advance for the request form for Administrative Hearing which must accompany your mailed in payment and be received within 21 days (USPS postmark required) of the Administrative Review results date.
Payment. Be prepared to pay the full citation amount when you request an Administrative Hearing. Your payment will be refunded back to the original payment method in the event that your appeal is successful at the Administrative Hearing level.
Assembly Bill 1228 (CVC40215b) allows the registered owner of a vehicle to request a hearing without payment of the parking penalty upon satisfactory proof of inability to pay the amount due. A Request for Hearing Waiver form, detailing income and expenses, must be completed and approved by the Adjudications Manager. The completed application must be received by our office within the 21-day deadline. Late applications will be denied.
Decision. The hearing will be conducted by a trained Hearing Examiner employed by the University Police Department. The Hearing Examiner will personally deliver the results of the hearing once it has concluded. Whether the hearing is conducted via Zoom or by mail, you will receive a Notice of Disposition by mail with the hearing results.
If you are not satisfied with the results of the Administrative Hearing, you may continue your appeal at the third and final level, Superior Court.
Timeliness. If you decide to file an appeal with the Santa Barbara Superior Court, you must do so within 30 days of the mailing or emailing date of the second level Notice of Disposition.
Filing. Please call (805) 893-3680 to request a copy of the Level 3 Superior Court Hearing Process
Payment. The Superior Court requires a $25.00 court filing fee. This amount is refunded by Parking Services along with the citation amount that had already paid if the hearing be found in your favor.