By Michael Shemtoub, trial attorney, Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.
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Before you start
Check your deadline first. Personal injury, wrongful death and damage to a car or other personal property must be filed within six months; other claims within one year (Gov. Code § 911.2). Our deadline page shows how to count it.
Then confirm the City of Los Angeles is the right defendant. Freeways belong to Caltrans, unincorporated roads to the County, Metro buses to Metro. See which agency to file with. Have these ready before you sit down with the form:
- The date, time and closest address or cross streets
- Photos of the place, the defect or the vehicle
- Police, LAPD or 311 report numbers
- Names and phone numbers of witnesses, doctors and hospitals
- City vehicle plate numbers or employee names, if you have them
- Your insurance company and any amounts it has paid
The full list is on our documents checklist.
Three ways to file: online, by mail or in person
| Method | How | What you get | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | claims.lacity.org or, in Spanish, spanish.claims.lacity.org. You can upload or draw the accident diagram. | A claim number right away | If the portal gives an error, the Clerk says to remove the attachments and submit again. Send them later. |
| Office of the City Clerk, 200 North Spring Street, Room 395, City Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Filed on the day you mail it (Gov. Code § 915.2) | Use certified mail with a return receipt. Keep a full copy of what you sent. | |
| In person | Room 395, City Hall, 200 N. Spring St. Enter on Main Street. Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except City holidays. | Ask for a file-stamped copy | Bring two copies, one to keep. |
The Clerk’s pages say emailed or faxed claims are not accepted, and the City Attorney says claims cannot be filed by phone (City Clerk; City Attorney). For questions about filing, call the City Clerk at (213) 978-1133 or email clerk.cps@lacity.org.
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Do not send your claim to the wrong office
State law requires a claim to be delivered or mailed to the entity’s clerk, secretary, auditor or governing body, or submitted electronically where the entity has authorized that by ordinance or resolution (Gov. Code § 915). For the City of Los Angeles, that is the City Clerk (LAAC § 5.169). The City Attorney’s office says it cannot receive a new claim, and neither can any department.
The California Supreme Court enforced this strictly in a case where a lawyer hand-delivered a claim letter, addressed to a public hospital’s risk management department, to a hospital office. It never reached the clerk or the board, so it did not count, even though the hospital knew about the injury (DiCampli-Mintz v. County of Santa Clara (2012) 55 Cal.4th 983). A letter to LAPD, StreetsLA or a Council office is not a claim.
What to write so the claim does not limit your case later
The claim does not need to list legal theories, but a later lawsuit must rest on the facts the claim described. The California Supreme Court held that a suit is allowed when its facts were “fairly reflected” in the claim, and can be barred when it rests on an entirely different set of facts (Stockett v. Association of Cal. Water Agencies Joint Powers Ins. Authority (2004) 34 Cal.4th 441). In practice:
- Describe every cause you know of. If you hit a pothole and there was no warning sign, say both.
- List every injury and every kind of loss, including ones still being treated.
- Give the exact location: street, cross street, lane or side of the street, direction of travel.
- Say why the City is responsible in plain words, for example that the hole had been there for weeks or that a City driver ran a red light.
If the injury claim is over $10,000, the law says to leave out the dollar amount and state whether it would be a limited civil case (Gov. Code § 910(f)). Our claim form guide covers each question. Be accurate: presenting a false claim with intent to defraud is a crime punishable by jail, a fine or both (Penal Code § 72).
Sending supporting documents after you file
You do not have to wait until you have every bill to file the claim. Send documents afterward to the City Attorney’s Claims Section, with your full name and claim number on each one (City Attorney, Claims):
- Email: your adjuster or attclaimsubmit@lacity.org
- Fax: (213) 978-7114, with your name, claim number and adjuster’s name if known
- Mail: City Attorney Claims Section, 200 N. Main Street, Room 600, City Hall East, Los Angeles, CA 90012
- Upload through the claims portal, or hand them to your adjuster
For property damage, the City Attorney asks for proof of ownership, insurance information, police reports, repair estimates, paid invoices and photos. For injuries, medical records, itemized bills and proof of payment. The adjuster cannot decide until these arrive. These channels are for documents only; the claim itself still goes to the City Clerk.
Proof that you filed on time
- Online: save or print the confirmation with the claim number.
- Mail: a mailed claim counts as filed on the day it is deposited (Gov. Code § 915.2). Keep the certified mail receipt and the green return card.
- In person: keep the file-stamped copy.
You can amend a claim before the filing deadline passes or before the City acts on it, whichever is later, if the amendment concerns the same incident (Gov. Code § 910.6). Do not file a second, duplicate claim for the same incident.
After you file
If the City thinks the claim is missing information, it has 20 days to send a written notice listing what is missing (Gov. Code § 910.8). The City has 45 days to act, and if it does nothing the claim is treated as rejected (§ 912.4). Check progress at (213) 978-7040 or by emailing attclaimsubmit@lacity.org with the claim number in the subject line. The City Attorney does not give legal advice or help claimants fill out forms. Read what happens after you file and how to check your claim status.
Related pages
- How to file a claim against the City of Los Angeles
- City of Los Angeles claim form, field by field
- Documents checklist
- Deadline to file
- Which agency do I file with?
- Claim status
- City or county vehicle hit me: what do I do?
- How to file a claim after a public bus accident
- Los Angeles car accident lawyer
Common questions
How do I file a claim against the City of Los Angeles online?
Go to claims.lacity.org (or spanish.claims.lacity.org in Spanish), answer the questions, draw or upload the accident diagram and submit. The portal gives you a claim number right away. If it returns an error, the City Clerk says to remove the attachments, submit again and send the documents afterward.
What is the mailing address for City of Los Angeles claims?
Office of the City Clerk, 200 North Spring Street, Room 395, City Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90012. A mailed claim counts as filed on the day it is mailed, so use certified mail with a return receipt and keep the receipt.
Can I file a claim against the City of Los Angeles by email?
No. The City Clerk does not accept claims by email or fax, and the City Attorney says claims cannot be filed by phone. Once your claim is filed, you can email supporting documents to attclaimsubmit@lacity.org with your claim number.
Can I file my claim at the City Attorney’s office?
No. The City Attorney says only the City Clerk can receive a claim for damages against the City. Send the claim to the City Clerk, Room 395, City Hall. The City Attorney’s Claims Section in Room 600 of City Hall East receives supporting documents after the claim is filed.
Do I need to attach my medical bills when I file?
No. You can file the claim first and send records, bills, photos and estimates afterward to attclaimsubmit@lacity.org, by fax to (213) 978-7114, or by mail to the City Attorney Claims Section. The adjuster cannot make a decision until those documents arrive.
Do I need a lawyer to file a claim against the City of Los Angeles?
No, anyone can file. The City Attorney’s office will not give you legal advice or help fill out the form, and what you write can limit a later lawsuit, so many people talk to a lawyer before filing, especially for serious injuries.
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Sources
- City Clerk, File a Claim
- City Clerk, Claim for Damage
- Los Angeles City Attorney, Claims
- City of Los Angeles claims portal
- LAAC § 5.169
- Cal. Gov. Code § 910
- Cal. Gov. Code § 910.6
- Cal. Gov. Code § 910.8
- Cal. Gov. Code § 911.2
- Cal. Gov. Code § 912.4
- Cal. Gov. Code § 915
- Cal. Gov. Code § 915.2
- Cal. Penal Code § 72
- Stockett v. Association of Cal. Water Agencies Joint Powers Ins. Authority (2004) 34 Cal.4th 441
- DiCampli-Mintz v. County of Santa Clara (2012) 55 Cal.4th 983
Important: This page is general information, not legal or medical advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. Last reviewed: November 6, 2026.