AppealDesk
San Francisco · SFMTA parking citations

SFMTA Parking Ticket Help

Fight your San Francisco parking ticket — pay only if we win.

Email your SFMTA citation, a short explanation, and any photos or receipts. Jennifer reviews whether your case is workable and handles the first-level dispute on your behalf.

No upfront fee. You pay $49 if dismissed $25 if reduced $0 otherwise

Email Jennifer your ticket
SFMTA protests have a tight deadline. Most citations must be protested within 21 days of issuance. If your ticket is older than that, email anyway and we'll tell you fast whether anything can still be done.
San Francisco only SFMTA parking citations only Administrative help, not legal advice Reply within one business day

How it works

Four steps. Most of them are ours.

  1. Step 1

    You email your ticket

    A photo or PDF of the citation, a short note about what happened, and any photos, permits, or receipts that help.

  2. Step 2

    We review for fit

    Jennifer replies within one business day with one of three answers: in scope, need more info, or out of scope.

  3. Step 3

    We file the dispute

    For accepted cases we prepare and submit the first-level SFMTA protest, including any evidence you sent us.

  4. Step 4

    You pay only on success

    If SFMTA dismisses your ticket, we send a $49 payment link. If your fine is reduced, $25. Otherwise nothing.

Pricing

You only pay for outcomes — not for trying.

We charge a flat success fee tied to the result SFMTA returns. Intake, review, drafting, filing, and follow-up are all included with no separate cost.

If dismissed
$49

SFMTA cancels the citation. You owe nothing to the city, and a one-time $49 to AppealDesk.

If fine reduced
$25

SFMTA lowers the fine. You owe the reduced amount to the city, and a one-time $25 to AppealDesk.

Anything else
$0

If SFMTA denies the protest, or the case is out of scope, you pay nothing.

Scope

What we handle, and what we don't.

We keep the service narrow on purpose so we can move fast and handle each case well. If your situation isn't a fit, we tell you within one business day.

What we handle

  • SFMTA parking citations issued in San Francisco
  • Notices that are still inside the protest window
  • Cases with at least one factual angle — meter receipt, permit, signage, plate or VIN error, duplicate billing
  • First-level (administrative) SFMTA protest

What we don't handle

  • Moving violations, speeding, red-light camera, DUI
  • Any matter that requires a court appearance
  • Private parking lot or garage tickets
  • Tow, boot, or impound disputes
  • Old citations already deep in collections
  • Muni / transit fare citations (different SFMTA workflow)

What to send

Five things in one email.

  1. The citation. A clear photo or PDF. Make sure the citation number, date, and amount are readable.
  2. What happened. A few sentences in plain English. Don't over-write it — just the facts.
  3. Evidence, if any. Sign photos, meter receipt, permit picture, time-stamped photos of the curb, or anything else that supports your version.
  4. Your name and a phone number. So we know who we're working with.
  5. Anything you've already done. If you already started a protest with SFMTA, tell us where it stands.

Questions

Common questions, fast answers.

Is there really no upfront fee?

Yes — really. We don't bill for intake, review, drafting, filing, or even SFMTA acknowledging the protest. The only billable events are dismissal ($49) and fine reduction ($25). If the protest is denied or the case is out of scope, you owe nothing.

Do you guarantee my ticket will be dismissed?

No. No honest service can. SFMTA protest officers decide each case based on the facts and evidence. We only take cases that have a plausible argument, and we tell you up front when a case is weak.

How fast will you respond?

Within one business day. The first reply tells you whether your case is in scope, what we need from you, and what happens next.

Are you a law firm?

No. AppealDesk is an administrative help service for SFMTA parking citation disputes. We don't provide legal advice or appear in court. If your situation needs a lawyer, we'll tell you and decline the case.

What about tickets outside San Francisco?

The current launch is SFMTA only. We don't handle Oakland, San Jose, Berkeley, Daly City, or anything outside the SFMTA workflow yet.

What happens to my information?

Anything you email us is used only to evaluate and file your dispute. We don't share it with anyone outside the service. If you'd rather we delete your records after the case closes, just say so in your email.

What if my ticket is older than 21 days?

Email anyway. SFMTA's first-level protest window is short, but some situations have other paths. We'll tell you in plain English whether anything can still be done.

Ready when you are

Send your ticket and we'll take it from there.

One email. We'll tell you within one business day whether we can help.

Email Jennifer your ticket