A Guide to Paying Your City of San Jose Utility Bills and Municipal Fees

As a resident of the city of San Jose, you likely receive monthly or quarterly bills for services like garbage collection, sewer, recycling, and utilities. The city makes paying your municipal bills quick and easy through various payment options

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll explain everything you need to know about paying city of San Jose utility bills, permit fees, business taxes, and other municipal charges

Overview of City of San Jose Bill Payments

The city of San Jose provides water sewer storm drainage, and garbage/recycling services to residents and businesses. They also assess various municipal taxes and fees. Here’s an overview of the types of city bills you may need to pay

• Water, sewer, storm drainage utility bills
• Garbage and recycling collection fees
• Electricity through San Jose Clean Energy
• City taxes for businesses
• Permits for construction, events, code enforcement
• Parking citations
• Traffic and other fines/citations
• Dog licenses
• Municipal stadium fees
• Transient occupancy taxes for hotels

The city offers multiple ways to pay your bills conveniently online, by phone, by mail or in person. I’ll go through the various payment options step-by-step next.

Paying Bills Online

The fastest and most convenient way to pay your city of San Jose bills is online through the city’s self-service web portal.

To pay online:

1. Go to www.sanjoseca.gov/Payments

2. Click on “Pay Bill Online”

3. Search for your bill by account number or phone number

4. Select bill type (utilities, permits, citations, etc)

5. Enter credit/debit card details or bank account

6. Submit payment

You can see your full billing and payment history anytime by logging into your online account. Online payments post instantly to your account.

Paying Bills by Phone

You can also pay your city bills quickly over the phone using the automated IVR payment system.

Simply call (408) 535-3500 and follow the prompts to make a payment. Have your account number and credit/debit card ready.

Phone payments go through immediately and help avoid having to pay online if you prefer calling.

Paying Bills by Mail

To pay your city bills by physical check, detach the payment stub from your paper bill and mail to:

City of San Jose
Accounts Receivable
200 East Santa Clara St.
San Jose, CA 95113

Be sure to mail at least 7 business days before the due date to ensure your check arrives on time.

Paying in Person

For in-person bill payment, you can visit the City of San Jose Customer Service Center at:

200 E Santa Clara St
San Jose, CA 95113

They accept cash, checks, money orders and credit/debit payments. Get a printed receipt as proof of payment.

In-person payment works if you prefer handling billing in-person or need same-day payment processing.

Setting Up Auto-Pay

For maximum convenience, you can enroll in auto-pay to have your city bills paid automatically each month from your bank account or credit card.

Call (408) 535-3500 or visit the online payment portal to sign up. This ensures you never miss a payment due date.

Avoiding Late Fees

To avoid late payment penalties of 10% or more, follow these tips:

• Set calendar reminders for city bill due dates
• Pay a few days early to account for processing time
• Opt for automatic payments to ensure on-time payment
• Update billing address/contact info if you move
• Resolve billing disputes quickly before due date
• Call (408) 535-3500 if you need a payment extension

Paying your municipal bills on time is easy with San Jose’s convenient online and phone payment options. Use auto-pay for efficiency and enroll in paperless billing to get email notices when bills are ready. Contact the city treasurer’s office if you have any payment issues.