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1. What is an administrative citation?

An administrative citation is a tool used to enforce appropriate provisions of the Alhambra Municipal Code, county, and state codes without criminal arrest or prosecution.

2. What type of violations can I be cited for?

Reasons for receiving an administrative citation include but are not limited to:

• Non-compliance of city-issued permits
• Substandard property maintenance
• Violations of Alhambra Municipal Codes, county and state codes

3. What is the code section that covers administrative citations?

Administrative Citations can be found online in the Alhambra Municipal Code Chapter 1.13 which is under Title 1 - General Provision.

4. Will I receive a warning before receiving an administrative citation?

If the violation is a matter of public health and safety, you may not receive a warning but in most cases, prior warning is provided along with a compliance date. If the violation(s) is not corrected by the compliance date then you may be subject to an administrative citation.

5. How much are the fines for administrative citations?

Fines for General Code Violations are as follows;

• 1st offense is $100 for each violation
• 2nd offense is $200 for each violation within one year from the first citation
• 3rd offense is $500 for each violation within one year from the first citation

Fines for Building and Safety Code Violations are as follows;

• 1st offense is $100 for each violation
• 2nd offense is $500 for each violation within one year from the first citation
• 3rd offense is $1,000 for each violation within one year from the first citation
• 4th offense or subsequent offenses may be subject to additional administrative citations, criminal prosecution or any other legal remedy available to the City. An administrative citation may also be issued independently or concurrently to any other legal action taken by the City.

There may be fine amounts that differ as adopted by City code or ordinance or mandated by a State, County, or Federal law which can be legally imposed.

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6. What happens if I receive an administrative citation?

The responsible party must pay the designated fine, or file an appeal within 10 days of the date of issuance of the citation. Paying the fine does not relieve you from correcting the violation; the violation must be corrected for the case to be closed, and prevent receiving additional citations.

7. How and where do I pay the administrative citation?

Citations are not payable at City Hall. Payment must be made in full within 30 calendar days of the date of issuance of the citation. Payment is to be made in the form of a cashier's check, money order, or personal check. Do not send cash. Check should be made out to the: City of Alhambra. Please indicate the citation number on your check. Payment may also be made online by credit card at the Citation Processing Center website or by calling 800-969-2058. Please use a personal envelope to mail payment to the address list on the front of the citation.

Checks should be mailed and made payable to:
City of Alhambra
C/O Citation Processing Center
P.O. Box 7275,
Newport Beach, CA 92658-7275

8. Can I pay for the administrative citation online or by phone?

Payment may also be made online by credit card at the Citation Processing Center website or by calling 800-969-2058. Citizens can pay or get general information on their citations 24/7 through an integrated voice recognition phone system as well as speak with a live customer service representative Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 5 pm (excluding holidays).

9. What happens if I don’t pay the administrative citation?

Consequences of Failure to Pay the Fine and Correct Violations:

• If payment is not received within 30 calendar days of the issuance of the citation, an additional late fee will be assessed to the amount.
• A penalty of 10% will be added on any delinquent fines on the last day of each month after the due date.
• In addition to the late penalty provided by this section, delinquent fines will accrue interest at the rate of 1% per month, exclusive of penalties, from the due date.
• The failure of any person to pay the fine(s) assessed by the Administrative Citation within the time specified on the citation or on the invoice from the Revenue Collector may result in Notification to the State Franchise Tax Board, or the City pursuing any legal remedies to collect civil fines. Payment of the citation does not relieve you of the responsibility to correct the violation(s) which can result in any legal action against you.

10. How do I contest an administrative citation?

Citations may be appealed by submitting a written request for an administrative hearing. The Request for Administrative Hearing must be received within ten days of the date of issuance of the administrative citation. The Request for Administrative Hearing form is on the back of the citation issued to you. Complete the Appeal of Administrative Citation form found online and email it to Code Enforcement or mail to:

City of Alhambra
C/O Citation Processing Center
P.O. Box 7275,
Newport Beach, CA 92658-7275

11. Is there a Financial Hardship Waiver I can complete if I can’t afford to pay the fine to contest the citation?

Yes. A person seeking an administrative hearing may request a hardship waiver of the monetary fine by filing a request in writing with the City Clerk's office, which must be signed under penalty of perjury. The request must be submitted along with the request for a hearing. The person requesting the waiver bears the burden of establishing that such person does not have the financial ability to make the deposit. Complete the Advanced Deposit Hardship Waiver Request form found online and email it to Code Enforcement or mail to:

City of Alhambra
C/O Citation Processing Center
P.O. Box 7275,
Newport Beach, CA 92658-7275

12. How long does it take to find out if my Hardship Waiver has been approved or denied?

The Development Services Director will evaluate the request for a Hardship Waiver and make a decision within 3 days of receiving such request unless extended. The Director's decision is final. You will be notified by telephone, facsimile, or pursuant to Section 1.13.030. If the waiver is denied then you will need to pay the fine prior to the hearing, otherwise, no hearing will be conducted. If it's approved then you will be notified of the hearing date, time, and location.

13. What happens at an administrative hearing?

The person appealing the citation, or his/her attorney, will appear before a Hearing Officer. The Hearing officer will consider all of the testimony, witness statements, and evidence submitted at the hearing before rendering a decision. The Hearing Officer must issue a written decision within five business days after the hearing unless otherwise extended by the city, to uphold the order and deny the appeal, or modify the order. The hearing officer must identify and describe the reasons for that decision. The hearing officer will use preponderance of evidence as the standard of evidence in deciding issues. The decision of the hearing officer will be final. So if the Hearing Officer determines no violation existed, the person charged will not be responsible for the fine based on the circumstances. If the Hearing Officer upholds the findings then the person charged is required to pay the fine as designated by the Hearing Officer and correct the violation.

14. What if I do not agree with the Hearing Officer’s Decision?

Once the person appealing the citation has received the Hearing Officer's Decision and is not satisfied with the Decision then it may be appealed by filing a petition for judicial review pursuant to the provisions of California Government Code Section 53069.4. The person appealing the citation must file this petition with the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Alhambra Courthouse, within 20 days of receiving the written decision from the Hearing Officer. The Court will then notify you of the hearing date and time.

Alhambra Courthouse
150 West Commonwealth Avenue
Alhambra CA 91801

15. How is an administrative citation different from a criminal citation?

An administrative citation is a civil citation not punishable by jail and does not appear as a criminal record.