Come to the El Cajon Police Department Headquarters Main Lobby, Public Counter located at 100 Civic Center Way, during normal hours of operation. The vehicle must be currently registered. The vehicle will only be released to the licensed registered owner*. If the registered owner does not have a valid driver’s license he or she will need a State of California identification card, or another acceptable form of identification, and accompanied by a valid, licensed driver.

*With the registered owner’s consent, a vehicle release can be issued to another licensed driver. You must contact the El Cajon Police at (619) 579-3365, for this requirement. Only the driver listed on the vehicle release may obtain the vehicle from the tow yard.

REQUIREMENTS FOR VEHICLE RELEASE

Click this link for hours of operation.

Outside of regular hours of operation, please call 619-579-3311. After hours, the phones are forwarded to our dispatch center. This 24-hour dispatch center is the 911 center for all of El Cajon. 

All phone lines are recorded at this agency.

Citizens wishing to obtain a copy of a police crime report may request one in person or by mail. Come to the Records Department Public Counter located at 100 Civic Center Way, during normal hours of operation.

You will need to complete this Request Form, which states your interest in the police report, and pay an administrative fee of $10.00. Please include the case number or detailed information to assist us in determining the correct case number. You can only obtain copies of reports in which you are the victim, property owner, insurance company representative, attorney or parent of a juvenile who is the victim of a crime. If you do not meet these criteria, your request will be returned and any payment of fees refunded.

All report copies are mailed to the address listed on the report order form. Once your request has been received, please allow 7-10 business days for your report to arrive in the mail.Please send your request, along with payment to:

El Cajon Police Department
Attention: Records Division (Report Request)
100 Civic Center Way, El Cajon, CA 92020.

When you receive a ticket from an El Cajon Police Officer, the ticket will indicate if you are required to appear in court (summons) or have been assessed a penalty.

If you have been assessed a penalty, mail your payment to the address indicated on the ticket, or show up in court on the court date indicated.

If you have any questions about your ticket, contact the respective court listed on your citation.

You must contest a parking citation within 21 days of receipt of the citation. After 21 days, citations may not be contested and must be paid. To contest a citation, please follow the instructions on the back of your citation or click on the Administrative Review Form below.

To Pay a Parking Ticket Issued by the El Cajon Police Department:

In-Person

Come to the El Cajon Police Department during normal business hours. Click here for Hours of Operation.

By Mail

Mail your citation with the full payment amount in money order or check, payable to the City of El Cajon. DO NOT SEND CASH. Out of state or two party checks are not acceptable. Write the citation number and vehicle license plate number on your check or money order.  The PENALTY WILL INCREASE IF NOT PAID WITHIN 31 DAYS FROM DATE OF ISSUE.

 Mail to:

CITY OF EL CAJON
PARKING ENFORCEMENT CENTER
P.O. Box 3214
Milwaukee, WI 53201-3214

By Phone

866-353-0463 (Payments & Inquiries – Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm)

Online Payments

To make a payment online click here:

www.dspayments.com/elcajon

The vehicle release fee is:$135 or $150 ($150 if any driver license violation; i.e., No Driver License, Suspended or Expired Driver License).

These fees are payable to the City of El Cajon and payable by cash, cashiers check, postal money order or credit card.

You will be given the Tow Company’s name, address and phone number to reclaim your vehicle after all fees have been paid.

California Vehicle Code section 14602.6 mandates the impoundment of a vehicle if the driver is cited for driving with a suspended license. The vehicle can be impounded for 30 days. The owner of the vehicle is responsible for storage fees.

At the end of the 30-day hold period, you will be able to obtain a vehicle release and pick up your vehicle from the tow company. For more information, please come to the Records Division Business Office during normal business hours.

The Records Division is open to the public,Monday through Thursday (8 am – 5 pm) & on Friday’s from 9am to 5pm, excluding holidays.

Beginning, September 02, 2011, Records will be closed to the public every other Friday for all services except vehicle repossessions and impound releases.

We are located at 100 Civic Center Way, El Cajon, CA 92020.

If you do not pay the fine on your ticket, you will have to appear in court before the judge to plead your case. The judge will decide if you have to pay the fine or not. You may not be able to register your vehicle if the fine is not paid and interest accrues on all unpaid balances.

If you do not show up for court, the judge will issue a warrant for your arrest. This warrant information is entered into a nationwide law enforcement computer system. Any officer that contacts you and obtains warrant information about you from the computer will arrest you and take you to the nearest jail facility.

Click here for an Administrative Review Request Parking Citations form to request an administrative hearing.

If you suspect a neighbor of performing some type of illegal activity, (domestic violence, child abuse, drug use, etc.) we ask that you report this even if you don’t want to become involved. If the situation is critical and someone could be harmed please call 911.  For all other incidents please call our Communications Center at 619-579-3311. 

To obtain a copy of a traffic accident, you must be listed as the driver, passenger, or an authorized representative of the people listed in the report or someone filing a claim. To obtain a copy of a property or crime against a person report, you must provide a case number or other information to assist in identifying the incident. The report may be released if it is not still under investigation or restricted. We do not release copies of arrest reports.

If you are the arrested party on a police report, you may obtain information through the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office when you appear in court for arraignment. If a juvenile is listed on the police report as a suspect, is arrested, or involved in criminal activity which may result in dependency procedures, you may only obtain a copy of a report after obtaining a court order through the San Diego County Juvenile Court.