Downtown Village Parking & PARKING Permit Program

ENFORCEMENT:  Parking meters are enforced Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m., excepting certain holidays.

HOLIDAY PARKING: Parking meters are not enforced on the following holidays: January 1st; the third Monday in January, known as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; the third Monday in February, known as Presidents Day; March 31st known as Cesar Chavez Day; Good Friday from 12 noon until 3 p.m., the last Monday in May, known as Memorial Day; June 19th, known as Juneteenth National Independence Day; July 4th, known as Independence Day; the first Monday in September, known as Labor Day; November 11th known as Veterans Day; the fourth Thursday in November, known as Thanksgiving Day, and December 25th, known as Christmas Day.

PAYMENT: The vast majority of the parking meters in the Downtown Village Parking District are coin-only meters, accepting nickels, dimes, and quarters. There are  145 parking meters on La Mesa Boulevard, from Grant Street to Acacia Avenue and portions of Palm Ave., 3rd St. , and 4th St., that accept not only coins and credit/debit cards (there is no additional fee to the consumer for using a credit/debit card to pay the meter) but also digital smart phone payments, and payment using the ParkSmarter digital app.

MAXIMUM PARKING TIME: In most locations, the maximum parking time is two hours at a cost of $0.75/hr. If you need more than two hours time there are several locations in the Parking District that allow 4-hour parking, including 1) the Allison Avenue municipal parking lot ($0.50/hr, 4-hour max.), 2) Allison Avenue, from Spring St. to 4th Street ($0.50/hr, 4-hour max.), 3) Lemon Avenue, from Spring St. to 4th Street ($0.75/hr., 4-hour max). Each meter is clearly marked with a sticker indicating maximum time limits and days of operation. Please observe the posted time limitations, as remaining parked past time limit and/or “feeding the meter” can result in issuance of a parking citation.

MALFUNCTIONING METER: If you believe the parking meter has malfunctioned, please contact the Parking Control office at (619) 667-1482 and report the problem. Stickers on each parking meter identify the location of the meter pole and meter (e.g., pole 50, meter ‘A’), as well as phone contact information.

PARKING CITATIONS: Parking citations must be paid within 21 days of issuance. For your convenience, La Mesa provides four easy ways to pay your citation: by mail, by phone, online, or in person here at City Hall.  More information is found on the back of a parking citation or at www.paymycite.com.

DISPUTING A PARKING CITATION: There are several ways to request an administrative review of a parking citation. You can visit www.paymycite.com and select the "Contest Citation" option and make your case by filling in the online form. Alternatively, you can visit the La Mesa Police Department, located at 8085 University Avenue, La Mesa, CA 91942, and fill out a Citation Contest form. Regardless of which method you choose, the La Mesa Police Department will review the form and make a determination at a later date. You will be notified of the outcome by a letter from the Parking Citation Processing Center. Contact the Parking Citation Processing Center at 855.544.9373 for additional information.

Failure to pay a parking citation within 21 days could result in the original penalty being doubled and the placement of a $10 Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) hold, and the forwarding of the citation penalty due being forwarded to the DMV. The DMV will refuse to register or re-register the vehicle cited until all citations are paid in full or dismissed.

PARKING PERMIT PROGRAM: The Downtown Village Parking Permit Program provides Downtown Village business owners and their employees with access to all-day parking at up to 276 spaces spread across seven designated areas throughout the Downtown Village.  The cost to permit holders is substantially lower than standard parking meter rates.  Starting July 1, 2021 permits can be obtained online by visiting www.paymycite.com  to order and pay for either a quarterly permit or an annual permit.  Quarterly permits range in price from $40/qtr. to $60/qtr. and annual permits range in price from $144/yr. to $216/yr.   A service fee equivalent to the greater of $3.95 or 3.25% will apply to all parking permit orders.  Once you have paid for your permit purchase online, you will receive an email link to print a temporary permit, which you can display until your permit sticker arrives by mail.

If you are interested in obtaining information regarding parking permits outside of the Downtown Village, please visit the Citywide Permit Program page.