Last updated
By Ron McMinn, Esq. | Official sources checked November 12, 2026.
Read this article in Español.
Garden Grove streets, sidewalks, and City vehicles can all be part of an injury claim. A claim against the City is not the same as a claim against a private driver, and it is not the same as reporting a pothole or waiting for a police report. This guide covers the filing step, based on the City’s official Claim for Damages page. See also our Garden Grove personal injury page.
Is it a City of Garden Grove claim?
The City’s page warns that a claim must be against the City of Garden Grove, not another public entity, and that the City is not responsible for injury or damage caused by third parties not associated with the City. OCTA buses and stops go to OCTA (see how to file a claim against OCTA). Freeways such as the SR-22, I-5, and I-405 generally go to Caltrans (see our Caltrans claim guide). County facilities go to the County (see our County of Orange claim guide). For comparison, we also have city-claim guides for the City of San Diego and the City of Chula Vista. When more than one public entity may be involved, a timely claim to each can be required.
The six-month deadline
The City’s Claim for Damages page says all claims must be submitted no later than six months of your incident. The City’s Claim for Damages form, revised July 2026, says a claim must be filed with the City Clerk of the City of Garden Grove within six months after the incident or event occurred.
Government Code section 911.2 says a claim relating to a cause of action for death or for injury to a person or to personal property or growing crops shall be presented not later than six months after the accrual of the cause of action. A claim relating to any other cause of action shall be presented not later than one year after accrual. Accrual is a legal question. Do not invent the start date, and do not wait for every medical bill to arrive before you calendar the deadline.
How to file with the City Clerk
The City’s page says claims filed against the City for injury or damage caused by the City or its employees are processed through the City Clerk’s office. To file, download the form, complete all required fields, and personally deliver or mail your original form to the City Clerk’s office. You may also contact the City Clerk’s office and request that a form be mailed to you. The City’s City Clerk’s Office page lists the office telephone as (714) 741-5043. We did not find instructions on that page, or on the Claim for Damages page, that authorize filing by email.
The Claims Process section on the City’s page says to submit your original claim form and any supporting documents to the City Clerk’s office at 11222 Acacia Parkway, P.O. Box 3070, Garden Grove, 92842-3070. The July 2026 form uses the same street, post office box, and ZIP Code, and it includes the state: Garden Grove, CA 92842-3070. The form also says to be sure the claim is against the City of Garden Grove, not another public entity. Keep a complete copy of whatever you present, and consider using a method that creates a delivery record.
As of November 12, 2026, the City Hall hours posted on the Claim for Damages page were Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and alternating Fridays, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Confirm those hours before you travel, because the City also posts holiday and Friday closures.
Government Code section 910 lists what every claim must show, including the claimant’s name and address, the address for notices, the date, place, and other circumstances of the occurrence, a general description of the injury or loss, the name of any public employee who caused it if known, and the amount claimed if it totals less than $10,000, or, if the amount exceeds $10,000, whether the claim would be a limited civil case. The City’s July 2026 form follows that structure. If the amount claimed exceeds $10,000, the form asks whether the case would be a limited civil case of $35,000 or less, and it asks for the basis of the damages computation, with estimates or receipts attached. The form must be signed and dated under penalty of perjury.
The City’s page also states that the claim form on that page is not intended for claims for injury or damage arising out of an emergency not directly caused by the City or its employees, and it refers readers to the Emergency Services Act. Read the City’s current page before you file.
What happens next
The City says that upon receipt of the original claim form, the City Clerk’s office processes the claim and forwards it to Risk Management in the Finance Department. The Risk Management Division reviews all claims filed against the City and, the City says, will contact you within six weeks.
Under Government Code section 945.4, you generally cannot sue the City 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. The City’s statement that Risk Management will contact you within six weeks does not change that 45-day statutory clock.
After written notice of rejection, Government Code section 945.6 generally gives you six months from the date the notice is personally delivered or deposited in the mail to file suit. If written notice under section 913 is not given, a different 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.
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. We speak Spanish and Vietnamese.
Call us at (657) 235-8097, reach us through our contact page, or start online with our intake form. Office: 17291 Irvine Blvd., Suite 210, Tustin, CA 92780.
This article is general information and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. City filing instructions can change, so confirm the current process on the City’s Claim for Damages page before you file.
Sources
- City of Garden Grove, Claim for Damages, official City Clerk page, reviewed November 12, 2026.
- City of Garden Grove, Claim for Damages to Persons or Property, official form revised July 2026, linked from that page.
- City of Garden Grove, City Clerk’s Office, listing the office telephone (714) 741-5043.
- Government Code section 910, section 911.2, section 911.4, section 912.4, section 945.4, and section 945.6.
Frequently asked questions
How do I file a claim against the City of Garden Grove?
The City’s Claim for Damages page says to download the form, complete all required fields, and personally deliver or mail the original form, with any supporting documents, to the City Clerk’s office at 11222 Acacia Parkway, P.O. Box 3070, Garden Grove, CA 92842-3070. You may also contact the City Clerk’s office and ask for a form to be mailed to you.
What is the deadline for an injury claim against Garden Grove?
The City’s page says all claims must be submitted no later than six months of your incident. The City’s Claim for Damages form also says a claim must be filed with the City Clerk within six months after the incident or event occurred. Government Code section 911.2 requires a claim for death or for injury to a person or to personal property to be presented no later than six months after the cause of action accrues. Accrual is a legal question, so do not guess at the start date.
Can the City mail me a claim form?
Yes. The City’s Claim for Damages page says you may contact the City Clerk’s office and request that a form be mailed to you. The City Clerk’s Office page lists the office telephone as (714) 741-5043.
What happens after I file a Garden Grove claim?
The City says that upon receipt of the original claim form, the City Clerk’s office processes the claim and forwards it to Risk Management in the Finance Department. The Risk Management Division reviews all claims filed against the City and, the City says, will contact you within six weeks.
Does a claim against Garden Grove cover an OCTA bus or a freeway crash?
No. OCTA buses and stops, and freeways such as the SR-22, I-5, or I-405, generally involve different public entities with their own claim processes. The County of Orange is also separate from the City. When more than one agency may be involved, a timely claim to each can be required.
What if I missed the six-month claim deadline?
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.
If the City rejects my claim, how long do I generally have to sue?
Government Code section 945.6 generally requires filing suit not later than six months after written notice of rejection is personally delivered or deposited in the mail. If that written notice is not given, a different two-year period from accrual can apply. Confirm which clock fits your claim with counsel.