Last updated
By Ron McMinn, Esq. | Official sources rechecked November 9, 2026.
Read this article in Español.
The County of San Diego is a different public entity from the City of San Diego, Chula Vista, or MTS. If a County vehicle, a County-maintained road in an unincorporated area, a County park, or another County operation caused your injury, the claim goes to the County, not the city. Here is what the County Counsel’s Claims page says.
County, city, or transit agency?
Picking the wrong agency can cost you the deadline. City of San Diego incidents go to the City’s Risk Management Department; see our City of San Diego claim guide. Chula Vista has its own process (see our Chula Vista claim guide), and trolley or MTS bus injuries go to MTS (see how to file a claim against MTS). State highways point to Caltrans. When it is unclear, consider presenting a timely claim to each entity that may be responsible.
The six-month deadline
Government Code section 911.2 says a claim for death or for injury to a person or to personal property must be presented no later than six months after the cause of action accrues. Most other claims get one year. Accrual is a legal question, so do not guess at the start date.
How to file with the County
According to the County’s Claims page, the Claims and Investigation Division administers the County’s self-insured public liability program and accepts claims by U.S. mail and in person. A claim must be in writing and completed in accordance with Government Code sections 900 to 915.4.
No particular form is required, but the County provides Claim Form CD-1 for convenience and lists versions in Arabic, Chinese Traditional, Dari, Farsi, Korean, Persian Farsi, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. The form must be accurately completed and signed. You may print, sign, and mail it, or present it in person, to:
Office of County Counsel, Claims and Investigation Division, 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 335, San Diego, CA 92101. Phone: (619) 531-4899.
The County states in capital letters that facsimile filings will not be accepted. Use mail with proof of mailing, or hand-deliver and ask for a file-stamped copy.
Supporting documents and timing
The County says to allow 45 days to process and investigate a claim, and that you can speed things up by giving written justification for the amount of loss. Property damage claims require an estimate and photographs. Personal injury claims need unaltered copies of bills from treating physicians or other expenses.
The County says a request for information is not a commitment to pay or an admission of liability. It lists three possible outcomes: a settlement offer, a formal denial letter (after which a lawsuit may be filed within the time allowed by law), or no formal denial (in which case the claimant may still file an action within the time allowed by law).
After the County acts, or does not
Under Government Code section 945.4, you generally cannot sue the County for money damages until a required claim has been presented and acted on, or deemed rejected. Section 912.4 generally gives the public entity 45 days to act. If it does not act, the claim is deemed rejected on the last day of that period.
After written notice of rejection, Government Code section 945.6 generally gives you six months from the date the notice is personally delivered or mailed to file suit. If no written notice is given, a two-year period from accrual can apply instead.
Missed the six-month window? Government Code section 911.4 allows a written application for leave to present a late claim within a reasonable time, not more than one year after accrual, with the proposed claim attached. Relief is not automatic. See our guide on a missed six-month government claim deadline.
For County roads and other public property, see our dangerous road guide and our SR-67 San Diego County article on how State and County responsibility can differ.
Talk to us
If you were hurt in California and a city, county, transit agency, or the State may be involved, Win Attorneys handles government claims and personal injury matters statewide from our Tustin office. See our San Diego page. We speak Spanish and Vietnamese.
Call us at (562) 296-5380, reach us through our contact page, or start online with our intake form. Office: 17291 Irvine Blvd., Suite 210, Tustin, CA 92780.
Frequently asked questions
How do I file a claim against the County of San Diego?
The County Counsel Claims and Investigation Division accepts claims by U.S. mail and in person. The County asks claimants to complete and sign Claim Form CD-1 and include supporting documentation. Fax filings are not accepted.
What is the County of San Diego claims address?
Office of County Counsel, Claims and Investigation Division, 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 335, San Diego, CA 92101, phone (619) 531-4899.
Do I have to use the CD-1 form?
The County says no claim form is required, but it provides Form CD-1 for convenience. Any claim must be in writing and comply with Government Code sections 900 to 915.4. The County lists CD-1 versions in several languages, including Spanish and Vietnamese.
How long does the County take to process a claim?
The County says to allow 45 days to process and investigate. Government Code section 912.4 generally gives a public entity 45 days to act, and a claim not acted on in that time is deemed rejected.
What is the deadline for an injury claim against the County?
Government Code section 911.2 requires claims for death or injury to a person or personal property to be presented no later than six months after accrual. Most other claims have one year.