Last updated
By Ron McMinn, Esq. | Official sources rechecked November 9, 2026.
Read this article in Español.
If a City of Los Angeles vehicle, a broken sidewalk, a street defect, or another City operation injured you, California law generally requires a written claim before you can sue. In Los Angeles, that claim goes to one place: the Office of the City Clerk. Here is what the City Clerk’s Claim for Damage page and the City’s claim form say.
Make sure it is a City of Los Angeles claim
Los Angeles has many overlapping public agencies. LA Metro buses and trains belong to a separate agency (see our LA Metro claim guide). County roads, County facilities, and Sheriff’s vehicles point to the County of Los Angeles (see our County of Los Angeles claim guide). Freeways and State highways generally point to Caltrans (see our Caltrans claim guide). If more than one may be responsible, a timely claim to each can be required.
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.
The City’s Claim for Damages form says the same: claims for death, injury to person, or injury to personal property must be filed not later than six months after the occurrence, and claims for any other type of occurrence not later than one year after.
Three ways to file
Online: the City Clerk says its online Claim for Damages portal provides an immediate claim number and can be completed entirely online. If the portal shows an error, the City suggests removing attachments and resubmitting, then sending documents later. The City also links a Spanish-language online form from the same page.
By mail: print the paper Claim for Damages form, sign it, and mail it to Office of the City Clerk, 200 North Spring Street, Room 395, City Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90012. To have a form mailed to you, the City lists (213) 978-1133 or clerk.cps@lacity.org.
In person: deliver or fill out a claim form at the City Clerk, 200 North Spring Street, Room 395, City Hall (entrance on Main Street), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding City holidays.
The City says emailed or faxed claims are not accepted, and its claim form says claims can only be filed with the City Clerk.
What the form asks for
The City’s form marks mandatory fields and warns that leaving them out may cause the claim to be returned as insufficient. It asks how and why the damage or injury occurred, the date, time, and closest address or cross-street, why you claim the City is responsible, names of City employees, City vehicle license plates, and the responsible department if known, witnesses, doctors, and hospitals, an itemized amount, insurance information, and an accident diagram. The claimant signs under penalty of perjury.
If the claim involves a police vehicle, our article on when a police car hits a pedestrian explains the liability questions.
After filing
The City Clerk says the claim then transfers to the City Attorney. For status, the City says to email attclaimsubmit@lacity.org with the claim number in the subject line. Additional documents can be submitted through the portal, by email to that address, by fax, or by mail, or given to the assigned investigator or adjuster.
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.
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.
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 Los Angeles 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
Where do I file a claim against the City of Los Angeles?
With the Office of the City Clerk. The City’s claim form says claims can only be filed with the City Clerk, online at claims.lacity.org, in person, or by mail to 200 North Spring Street, Room 395, City Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Can I email or fax a City of Los Angeles claim?
No. The City Clerk says emailed or faxed claims are not accepted. After a claim is filed, the City says supporting documents can be added later through the portal, by email to attclaimsubmit@lacity.org, by fax, or by mail.
What is the deadline for an injury claim against the City of Los Angeles?
The City’s claim form, citing Government Code section 911.2, says claims for death, injury to person, or injury to personal property must be filed no later than six months after the occurrence, and other claims no later than one year.
Who handles my claim after I file it with the City Clerk?
The City Clerk says the claim process then transfers to the City Attorney. For status on a filed claim, the City says to email attclaimsubmit@lacity.org with the claim number in the subject line.
Is a claim against LA Metro filed with the City of Los Angeles?
No. LA Metro is a separate public agency with its own claim process. Filing with the wrong agency does not protect your deadline against the right one.