The City manages approximately 5,300 metered parking spaces. The Office of the City Treasurer is responsible for installing, repairing, maintaining, monitoring and enforcing appropriate use of the spaces and collecting meter coins. The San Diego Police Department provides enforcement, and the Economic Development Department acts as the City's liaison with the Community Parking Districts (CPD).

Parking meter rates, length of stay limits and hours of operation are variable and are adjusted to encourage turnover and maximize utilization. Adjustments are recommended by the affected CPD, reviewed and approved by Economic Development in consultation with other City departments, and implemented by the Office of the City Treasurer, Parking Meter Operations Program.

Enforcement

The majority of parking meters are enforced Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.; however, meters within the Hospitality Zone in Downtown or Hillcrest Commercial Zone in Hillcrest operate until 8 p.m. Always check the posted signs for enforcement hours.

Payment Options

Starting November 1, 2025, a $0.35 transaction fee will apply to all credit card payments to cover merchant processing costs. This fee applies whether you pay at the meter, through the Park Smarter app, or via Text to Pay. The fee is collected by the parking meter vendor and is not retained by the City. To avoid the fee, customers may cancel a credit card transaction and pay with coins instead.

Currently, meters accept payments via:

• Credit Card (Visa, Mastercard and Discover)
• Mobile App: Park Smarter (look for meters with the blue sticker)
  • Note: The City does not use QR codes for payment—only to download the app.
• NFC Payments: Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay (on supported meters)
• Coins

The City of San Diego strives to remain technologically current and respond to user demand. We have implemented various methods of payment to keep up with technological trends.

Broken Parking Meter

If you come across a broken meter, the best thing to do is move to another meter. Report the broken meter to Parking Meter Operations at 619-744-1705. Be sure to note the number on the parking meter before you call. The parking meter number can be found on the street side of the meter housing or on the bottom of the display screen. An example of a meter number is 4-1615 (Fourth Avenue, 1600 Block).