Billing and Collections

Billing Program

The office was recently formed combining utility billing with other invoicing and the new collections program. Our vision is to centralize and standardize billing and collections operations. The Billing Unit’s primary responsibility is to manage receivables (billing, payments and other account level transactions) for other departments’ products and services, such as Utilities (water, sewer, resource recovery and recycling), Fire Inspections, Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA), Affordable Housing Monitoring, Police Event Services, Swim Center Usage, and more.

Utility Billing

Collections Program

The Collections Unit is responsible for performing collections actions on delinquent accounts for City departments. The collections unit staff issue a final notice on delinquent accounts and perform additional contact attempts before referring an account to collections.

The City uses an external collection agency, I.C. System, Inc., to assist with collecting on delinquent accounts after the City Collections Unit has attempted to collect.

Financial Assistance

Low Income Allowance (for Water & Sewer)

Please visit the Utility Billing website for more details.

Advanced Deposit Hardship Waiver & Ability-to-Pay Determination

For Administrative Citations, excluding Parking Citations - Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 1.09.070(a) allows any person who intends to request a review of the administrative citation to contest that there was a violation of the Code, that he or she is the responsible party, or that he or she is financially unable to make the advance deposit of the fine as required in Section 1.09.050. He or she may file a request for an advance deposit hardship waiver.

For Sidewalk Vendors Only - Pursuant to Senate Bill No. 946, as codified at Government Code Section 51039(f), you have the right to request an ability-to-pay determination. Ability-to-pay requests must be filed with the City of Santa Monica Finance Department. A vendor who is issued an administrative fine may request an Ability-to-Pay Determination at adjudication or while the judgement remains unpaid, including when a case is delinquent or has been referred to a comprehensive collection program.

For instructions on submitting the Advanced Deposit Hardship Waiver & Ability-to-Pay Determination Form, please click on the link below:

santamonica.gov - How to Obtain a Financial Hardship Waiver

Please refer to your citation for payment methods.