▼

Traffic Questions

Show All Answers

1. Where can I get my child safety seat checked?

The City of San Mateo no longer provides this service, however the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office does.
Free inspections will be held every Friday by appointment only. Appointments are made between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Please contact CSO Armando Landaverde (650) 599-9186 for more information or to book an appointment.

2. What is the city doing about speeding in my neighborhood?

Speeders Beware! The San Mateo Police Department is out in force with state-of-art laser equipment and new radar guns. We are committed to slowing down our motoring public and reducing the incident of injury crashes. Our records indicate that speed is the primary factor in injury crashes. If you have a speeding problem on your street, call the Traffic Bureau at 522-7745 and talk with the Traffic Sergeant, and we will deploy our radar trailer to count the amount of vehicular traffic on your street and to record the speed of all vehicles passing by the trailer.

3. How do I report a traffic accident?

The driver of a vehicle involved in a traffic accident should immediately stop as close to the scene as possible without causing a traffic hazard. If there are injuries, the police department should be notified immediately by calling 9-1-1. If there are no injuries, the involved parties should exchange information including names, addresses, phone numbers, drivers license numbers, vehicle license numbers, and insurance policy numbers.
The driver of any vehicle in any accident resulting in injury, death, or property damage in excess of $500 must report the accident to the Department of Motor Vehicles within ten days by completing a DMV SR 1 form. This form is available from the Department of Motor Vehicles, the San Mateo Police Department, or most insurance companies.

Anyone needing further information should call (650) 522-7745 between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.

4. How/Where can I pay my parking ticket?

Parking tickets may be paid by mailing payments to:
Office of Parking Violations
PO Box 9003
Redwood City, California 94063
Make Checks payable to: City of San Mateo

If you wish to contest a citation you must do so within 21 days from the date of issuance by writing to the above address.

Please be sure to include your name, address, citation number, and vehicle license plate number when making payments or contesting a citation.

If you need further information or if you wish to pay by credit card, call (800) 352-7567 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

5. I received a traffic violation, what do I do now?

If you are an adult and you have received a traffic citation and you need information, you should call the Municipal Court Central Branch at (650) 573-2622. If you are a juvenile and you have received a traffic citation and you need information, you should call the Juvenile Traffic Court at (650) 312-5372.

6. How do I report an abandoned vehicle?

The procedure for handling abandoned vehicles is shared by the Code Enforcement Division and the Police Traffic Bureau. Jurisdiction is based on if the vehicle is located on public or private property.
Citizens wishing to report an abandoned vehicle on private property should report the vehicle to the Code Enforcement Division at (650) 522-7150.

Citizens wishing to report an abandoned vehicle located on public property should report the vehicle to the Abandoned Vehicle Hotline at (650) 522-7766.