Transit Board Moves Fare Citations Out of Criminal Court
San Diego's MTS board approved an administrative penalty program for fare evasion and certain passenger conduct violations.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Criminal Justice
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The MTS board of directors approved an administrative penalty program on October 15 that moves eligible fare citations out of criminal court. Riders can pay a fine and contest it through the agency rather than face a criminal charge.
Why it matters
Under the current system, unpaid fare citations can grow in cost through court fees and additional fines. The board seeks to prevent a missed transit fare from becoming a financial burden that follows someone for years.
Eligible citations will move from criminal court to administrative review, with the new system set to be in place by January 1, 2029. Riders may pay through installments, deferred payments, or community service, though unpaid citations can still go to collections.
The players
Montgomery Steppe
Montgomery Steppe is a San Diego advocate who pushed for reforming how transit fare citations are handled.
Metropolitan Transit System (MTS)
The Metropolitan Transit System is the San Diego agency that operates the region's buses and trolleys and issues fare citations.
The details
Eligible citations will be processed through an administrative review process instead of the criminal court system. The change follows advocacy beginning in 2019 by Montgomery Steppe and a 2020 board push for staff to study alternative approaches, and MTS expects the transition to take about two years.
Timeline
October 15, 2025: MTS board approved the administrative penalty program.
2018: MTS officers issued 61,560 fare evasion citations.
2019: Montgomery Steppe began advocating for the change.
2020: Board pushed staff to study alternative approaches.
January 1, 2029: New administrative system set to be in place.
Legal Context
Los Angeles Metro created a transit court in 2012 that handles fare tickets as civil matters, and San Diego's program follows a comparable approach. The change moves fare enforcement away from the criminal system at a time when large cities such as Denver and Washington, D.C. also issue thousands of citations each year.
Riders who receive an eligible fare citation will be able to pay a fine or contest it through MTS instead of facing a criminal charge. Because total owed is capped at $125 including fees, a missed fare is less likely to grow into a long-term financial burden.
The takeaway
A missed transit fare no longer has to become a criminal matter in San Diego, and riders facing a citation have a clearer path to resolve it. Anyone with an unpaid citation should check how the new program will apply once it takes effect.
What happens next
The administrative system is set to be in place by January 1, 2029, after MTS completes the purchase of technology, equipment, and administrative services.
Further reading
For more on how the justice system handles minor offenses, see Criminal Justice coverage for San Diego.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The UCSD Guardian.
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