1945 S. Hill St · Downtown traffic court
Metropolitan Courthouse
Where most downtown Los Angeles traffic citations are processed, plus limited misdemeanor matters. Bail on a custody case is posted at the jail, 24/7 — not at this counter.
Table Of Contents
Everything on this page is built around one question: what has to happen before someone walks out — and what a hearing at Metropolitan Courthouse actually decides.
Courthouse Overview
What Metropolitan Courthouse actually handles, and which cases land here.
Hours of Operation
Court hours and jail bond hours are two different clocks.
Our Reviews
What families say after a bond actually got posted.
Bail Options & Charges We Handle
All 19 California charge pages and all 9 payment structures.
Parking & Directions
Getting there, where to park, and what screening looks like.
Departments & Case Types
The calendars actually heard at this courthouse.
How To Post Bail Here
The statutes behind the number, and what a judge can change.
Nearby Jails & Detention Centers
The county facilities whose bookings feed this calendar.
Related Courthouses & Cities Served
Where cases go next, and every city that routes here.
Bail FAQs
Real questions about venue, timing, and overnight bonds.
Courthouse Overview
Metropolitan Courthouse handles most downtown Los Angeles traffic matters — it is the venue our Central Arraignment page points to for the citations that do not belong on a criminal calendar. If a DTLA traffic ticket has a court date on it, this is usually the building.
Traffic is the bulk of the work here, but not all of it. Metropolitan also carries limited misdemeanor and criminal matters, which is why a case that starts as a citation can end up with a real appearance requirement and, in some situations, a bench warrant if the date is missed.
That last point is where bail comes in. A failure to appear on a traffic or misdemeanor matter can produce a warrant with a bail amount attached. When that happens the defendant is booked at the arresting agency's facility, and the bond is posted there — not at the Metropolitan counter. The courthouse resolves the case; the jail releases the person.
Metropolitan sits south of the Civic Center near Washington Boulevard, separate from the downtown court cluster. Do not assume a downtown court date means the Civic Center — check the citation for the address before driving.
What We Have Not Confirmed
- The complete official list of case types assigned to this courthouse was not retrieved from a court-published page this research pass. Traffic is confirmed as the primary function.
- Parking is subterranean and paid; the exact rate is from third-party sources and unconfirmed.
Court date coming up at Metropolitan Courthouse?
(213) 510-2764Give us a full legal name and date of birth. We confirm the booking, the current bail amount, and which facility is actually holding the defendant before anyone drives anywhere.
At A Glance
Courthouse
Metropolitan Courthouse
Address
1945 S. Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Court
Los Angeles County Superior Court — Central District
Case types
Traffic, plus limited misdemeanor and criminal matters
Main line
(213) 745-3200
Traffic line
(213) 742-1884
Hours Of Operation
Court hours and jail release timing are two different clocks. Metropolitan Courthouse runs on a weekday court calendar; the jail holding your family member runs 24 hours a day, every day.
Courthouse Schedule
Court calendar vs. bond window
Monday – Friday
8:00 AM – 4:30 PM (county listing)
Saturday & Sunday
Closed
Court holidays
Closed
Jail bond window
Open 24 hours, every day
The Bail Network
Open 24 hours, every day
Courthouse Phone Lines
- Main line(213) 745-3200
- Traffic information(213) 742-1884
- The Bail NetworkAvailable 24/7 for warrant and bail questions
The 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM range comes from the county's court locator listing. Counter hours for individual services can be shorter than building hours — call the traffic line at (213) 742-1884 before making a trip for a specific transaction.
Traffic windows are busiest first thing in the morning and immediately after lunch.
Our Reviews
Real reviews from the families we’ve helped — pulled straight from Google.
Bail Options & Charges We Handle
Every charge type and every payment structure available for a case calendared at Metropolitan Courthouse, in one place.
California Charge Pages
DUI / DWI Bail Bonds
24-hour bail for drunk-driving arrests under Vehicle Code §23152.
View pageDomestic Violence Bail Bonds
Bail and protective-order guidance for PC §273.5 and §243(e)(1) cases.
View pageDrug Possession & Drug Charge Bail Bonds
Bail for possession, sales, trafficking, and prescription-related cases.
View pageTheft Bail Bonds
Bail for petty theft, grand theft, shoplifting, and receipt of stolen property.
View pageBurglary Bail Bonds
Bail for first-degree, second-degree, and auto burglary under PC §459.
View pageRobbery Bail Bonds
Bail for armed and unarmed robbery charges under PC §211.
View pageWarrant Bail Bonds
Clear bench warrants and arrest warrants fast without unnecessary jail time.
View pageElder Abuse Bail Bonds
Bail for financial, physical, or neglect-based elder abuse charges.
View pageManslaughter Bail Bonds
Bail for voluntary, involuntary, and vehicular manslaughter under PC §192.
View pageMurder Charge Bail Bonds
Bail for first-degree and second-degree murder charges under PC §187.
View pageMisdemeanor Bail Bonds
Bail for misdemeanors with quick release and flexible payment plans.
View pageFelony Bail Bonds
Bail for felony charges and serious criminal allegations.
View pageTraffic & Vehicle Code Bail Bonds
Bail for reckless driving, hit-and-run, and suspended-license arrests.
View pageAssault & Battery Bail Bonds
Bail for simple battery, assault, and aggravated assault cases.
View pageFailure To Appear (FTA) Bail Bonds
Bail for FTA warrants and missed court dates.
View pageProbation Violation Bail Bonds
Bail for technical and substantive probation violations.
View pageWeapons Charge Bail Bonds
Bail for illegal firearm, concealed carry, and weapons allegations.
View pageFederal Charge Bail Bonds
Bail for federal court charges and pretrial release.
View pageImmigration Bonds
Bonds for ICE detainers and immigration court proceedings.
View pagePayment & Financing Options
1% Bail Bonds
Start the bail process for a fraction of the standard premium.
View page1275 Hold Bail Bonds
Specialized bonds for PC 1275 holds requiring a source-of-funds hearing.
View page2% Bail Bonds
Low down-payment option for qualified cosigners and collateral.
View page24-Hour Bail Bonds
Bonds posted any time, day or night, including weekends and holidays.
View pageAffordable Bail Bonds
Payment plans designed to fit most budgets and credit profiles.
View pageCosigner Bail Bonds
Use a qualified cosigner to strengthen the application and lower upfront cost.
View pageNo-Collateral Bail Bonds
Signature-release options when qualifying employment and residence criteria are met.
View pageNo Money Down Bail Bonds
Deferred-down arrangements that let release move forward immediately.
View pageOnline Bail Bonds
Complete paperwork, payment, and signatures digitally from any location.
View pageParking & Directions
Metropolitan Courthouse is at 1945 S. Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90007. Plan the trip around the courthouse itself — the jail holding the defendant is usually somewhere else entirely.
Getting There
1945 S. Hill Street, south of downtown near Washington Boulevard — roughly two miles from the Civic Center courthouses, and a separate trip.
Parking
Subterranean paid parking serves the building. We did not find a court-published rate, so treat any price you see online as an estimate.
Transit
The Metro A Line runs nearby along Washington and Grand, with local bus service on Hill and Broadway.
Before You Go
Bring the citation itself. Traffic clerks work from the citation number, and having it in hand is the difference between one window visit and three.
Departments & Case Types
The calendars actually heard at Metropolitan Courthouse, and where a bail decision fits into each one.
Traffic
The bulk of downtown Los Angeles traffic citations, arraignments, and trials by written declaration.
Limited Criminal
Certain misdemeanor and limited criminal matters assigned to this courthouse.
Warrants
Bench warrants arising from missed traffic and misdemeanor appearances originate here, with bail set by the warrant.
Not Heard Here
Felony arraignments and trials, which go to Central Arraignment Courthouse and Clara Shortridge Foltz.
How To Post Bail At Metropolitan Courthouse
The starting bail figure comes from the Los Angeles Superior Court’s felony and misdemeanor bail schedule, adopted under Penal Code §1269b, and review or reduction of that figure runs under Penal Code §1270.1.
Bail moves in two stages. At booking, the county schedule applies administratively — no judge involved, postable immediately. At the first court appearance, a judicial officer reviews that figure and can leave it, raise it, reduce it, or grant own-recognizance release.
Posting before that hearing isn’t a gamble. If the court later reduces bail, the premium is already earned — but the defendant spent the intervening days at home rather than in custody. If bail is increased instead, having posted early is exactly why they weren’t in custody for the hearing.
The bond itself is posted at the facility physically holding the defendant, not at a courthouse counter. We handle that. What we need to start: a full legal name, a date of birth, and a short cosigner conversation.
Every bond is issued by a California Department of Insurance-licensed agent under Cal. Ins. Code §1800, at the statutory 10% premium — as low as 1% down on approved credit.
If A Court Date Here Is Missed
A missed appearance at Metropolitan Courthouse can mean a forfeited bond and a bench warrant the same day, with a limited statutory window to bring the defendant back before forfeiture becomes a judgment against the cosigner.
Failure To Appear Bail BondsNearby Jails & Detention Centers
These are the county facilities whose bookings feed this courthouse’s calendar — and where a bond is actually posted.
Inmate Reception Center (IRC)
450 Bauchet St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
The county's central booking and processing point. Most county custody passes through here before housing.
View facility pageTwin Towers Correctional Facility
450 Bauchet St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
The county's largest downtown custody facility and its primary medical and mental-health housing site.
View facility pageMen's Central Jail
441 Bauchet St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
The other large downtown men's facility, one block from Twin Towers on the same complex.
View facility pageCentury Regional Detention Facility
11705 S. Alameda St, Lynwood, CA 90262
The county's primary women's facility. Women booked anywhere in the county are generally housed here.
View facility pageBail FAQs
The questions families actually ask when a court date is set at Metropolitan Courthouse.
Is Metropolitan Courthouse only for traffic tickets?
Traffic is the main function, but the courthouse also handles limited misdemeanor and criminal matters. Felony cases are heard at Central Arraignment Courthouse and Clara Shortridge Foltz instead.
I missed a traffic date and there is a warrant. What now?
A failure-to-appear warrant usually carries a bail amount. If the person is taken into custody, the bond is posted at the facility holding them and they are released, with the underlying case still to be resolved at this courthouse. Call us before the arrest happens if you can — it is far easier to plan.
Can bail be posted at Metropolitan Courthouse?
No. Bonds are posted at the jail holding the defendant, 24 hours a day. The courthouse handles the case, not the release.
What number should I call about a citation?
The traffic line is (213) 742-1884; the courthouse main line is (213) 745-3200. Have the citation number ready before you call.
Is this courthouse downtown at the Civic Center?
No, and this is a common mistake. Metropolitan is at 1945 S. Hill Street, about two miles south of the Civic Center cluster. Check the address on your citation before you drive.
Is parking free?
No. There is subterranean paid parking at the building. We have not seen a court-published rate, so budget for standard downtown pricing.
Post A Bond For A Metropolitan Courthouse Case
Licensed agents, 24 hours a day, including nights, weekends, and court holidays. A full legal name and date of birth is all we need to start.