Street cleaning in Chinatown
Schedules here are set block by block — tap any block on the map for its exact posted day, time, and next sweep, then set a free reminder. Below: what the public ticket record shows about Chinatown.
Chinatown in tickets
The street-cleaning fine is $105 (2026). In Chinatown, most tickets are written on Fridays around 2am.
Chinatown parking, live
Every curb in Chinatown, colored by its next street sweep. Tap a block for its posted schedule, meters, permit zone — and a free move-your-car reminder.
By day & hour
Enforcement clusters at predictable times, not at random. These are the days and hours when Chinatown street-cleaning tickets are actually written — your block's posted window is what counts, but the pattern shows when to be careful.
Where tickets cluster
The Chinatown streets with the most street-cleaning citations over ~2 years. High counts usually mean a busy corridor with frequent sweeping — check the exact block on the map.
- JACKSON821 tickets
- PACIFIC676 tickets
- STOCKTON631 tickets
- KEARNY615 tickets
- COLUMBUS564 tickets
- GRANT550 tickets
The 2-hour sign, the 22-minute reality
San Francisco posts a street-cleaning window — often two hours — but the ticket doesn't wait. Across ~650,000 citations, the typical SF block gets all of its tickets inside the same ~22 minutes, usually right after the window opens. In Chinatown, that cluster lands around 2am on Fridays.
Once the sweeper has physically passed your side of the street, SFMTA's own rules let you re-park there — even before the posted hours end. But don't park early assuming it's done, and being even a minute off is still ticketable.
Good to know: a residential parking permit (RPP) runs $215/yr; meters are free on Sundays and three holidays; and a car can't sit in one spot more than 72 hours, even with a permit. The posted sign is always the final word.
Street cleaning in Chinatown, answered
When is street cleaning in Chinatown?
Street-cleaning schedules in Chinatown are set block by block — each side of each street has its own day and time, so there's no single neighborhood-wide schedule. Open Chinatown on the CURB map to see the exact posted schedule and next sweep for any block. In practice, most Chinatown street-cleaning tickets are written on Fridays, clustered around 2am.
How much is a street-cleaning ticket in San Francisco?
As of 2026 the street-cleaning fine is $105 citywide (many older sites still list $73–97 — those are out of date). Over the last ~2 years, Chinatown drivers were issued 6,328 street-cleaning tickets totaling about $638k in fines.
How do I avoid a street-cleaning ticket in Chinatown?
Move your car before the posted window — most tickets here are written around 2am on Fridays. CURB lets you tap your block, see the next sweep, and set a free reminder (calendar or push) ~30 minutes before, plus the night before. The posted sign always wins if it differs.
Can I park after the street sweeper passes in Chinatown?
Yes — under SFMTA's rules, once the sweeper has physically swept your side of the street you can re-park there, even if the posted hours haven't ended. But you can't park during the posted window just because it looks done early, and being even a minute off is ticketable. On most Chinatown blocks the sweep clusters around 2am on Fridays — check your exact block on the map.
Is street cleaning enforced on holidays?
Residential street sweeping is suspended on roughly a dozen observed city holidays (for example New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas); many overnight commercial routes still run. Temporary signs and the posted schedule always override — when in doubt, read the sign on your block.
What if my car was towed for street cleaning in Chinatown?
SF street-cleaning tows go to AutoReturn at 450 7th Street (open 24/7) — call (415) 865-8200 or check autoreturn.com to find your car. Expect a tow fee plus daily storage on top of the $105 ticket; a discounted low-income rate is available. Note: SF's "Text Before Tow" alerts do not cover street-cleaning tows.
How do I contest a street-cleaning ticket?
File a protest within 21 days of the citation through the SFMTA citation portal — ideally with a photo from where you parked showing a missing, faded, or blocked sign, or that you were ticketed outside the posted window. A meaningful share of first-level protests are dismissed, so it's often worth contesting if your sign was unclear.