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6 min read

How to Report a Pothole or Graffiti in Anaheim

By Anaheim Life Editorial6 min read
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed in our publication workflow. Learn more
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Illustration of a quiet Anaheim street with an orange traffic cone beside a patched pothole, a smartphone resting on the curb, palm trunks and a block wall with an abstract spray-painted scribble, in cream, forest green, citrus orange and dusty blue.

Report pothole Anaheim: the short answer

To report a pothole on an Anaheim city street, request a City service in the City's free My Anaheim app or call 311. If the pothole is on a state highway, file it through the Caltrans Customer Service Request site instead. Graffiti follows the same split, so start by working out who owns the road.

  • Work out whether the problem is on a city street or a state highway.

  • For a city street, use the My Anaheim app or call 311.

  • For a state highway, use the Caltrans site at csr.dot.ca.gov.

  • Give the exact location, and keep any confirmation number you receive.

These steps are for non-emergency problems. City-specific details below come from the App Store listing, older trade reporting and independent guides, each named where it is used.

Start with who owns the road

Caltrans is direct on this point: "We do not have jurisdiction over local city and county roads." It tells people to contact the local roads or public works department of the city where the road is. In practice, a problem on an Anaheim city street belongs with the City, not the state.

State highways work differently. Caltrans takes maintenance problems through its Customer Service Request site, and its maintenance page lists potholes, graffiti, litter, encampments in the state right-of-way and signs or signage issues as categories.

If you cannot tell who owns the road, 311 is a sensible first step. GovTech describes it as one number into City Hall, so callers do not need to know which department handles a request.

Two ways to reach the City

The My Anaheim app

My Anaheim is a free app developed by the City. Its App Store listing says users can "request a City service" and "view commonly asked questions and call 311 with the touch of a button." The listing requires iOS 12.0 or later on iPhone. Its latest version, 2.14, is dated 11/27/2024, with the note "Updates made to request submissions."

You may also see the name Anaheim Anytime. GovTech describes it as a City customer-service initiative with a web service for submitting requests or questions at any hour. The App Store listing does not use that name.

311

GovTech calls Anaheim's 311 a "non-emergency information hotline." That older article says landline callers within city limits can use it and that cell users dial a seven-digit number, so if 311 does not connect from your phone, the app's request option is the alternative.

The same article said representatives answered on weekdays during business hours, and that after-hours callers could hear information on common topics, check a request's status or leave a message for the next business day. Treat that as how the line was described at launch, not as a current schedule.

How to report each problem

Potholes

LocalAnaheim, an independent guide that states it is not affiliated with the City, lists potholes among the problems to report through Anaheim Anytime. For a city street, use the app or 311 and give the exact location. For a state highway, use the Caltrans site.

If a pothole damaged your car, keep the road split in mind. Caltrans says it "does not pay claims for damage related to conditions on city or county roads." On state highways, it says "a filed claim does not automatically mean reimbursement." A driver must show that the roadway was dangerous, that Caltrans knew or should have known, and that it had enough time to fix the problem. Proof such as the time, location and photos is needed.

Graffiti

LocalAnaheim lists graffiti in the same Anaheim Anytime category, so report graffiti in the city through the app or 311. If it is on a state highway, use the Caltrans site, which has its own graffiti category.

Streetlights

LocalAnaheim also lists streetlights. Use the app or 311. Anaheim Beautiful, a community group, offers a useful tip in its undated contacts list: "Provide Light # Or Exact Location."

Illegal dumping

LocalAnaheim gives examples: "Couches on the curb, dumped construction debris, mattresses in alleys." City Laws USA, a third-party guide, says to call emergency services first if the dumping is hazardous.

Reporting dumped items is separate from booking your own household pickup. Anaheim Junk Hauling, a commercial junk-removal site, says an abandoned bulky item on public property should be reported "via 3-1-1 or an Anaheim Anytime Request, and it won't count against your household's three annual pickups." That is the company's description, not a City statement.

What to include in your report

This checklist draws on the City Laws USA tips for reporting illegal dumping and noting vehicles, and most of it applies to potholes and graffiti too:

  • The exact location or nearest address

  • The date and time you saw the problem

  • Photos taken from a safe distance

  • A description of any vehicle involved, for dumping

  • The confirmation or report number, once you have it

What to expect after you report

This guide does not give a repair or removal timeline. To follow up, keep your confirmation number. In a case study dated December 11, 2020, Accela, the City's software vendor, said residents can check request status on the City's website or through an automated telephone system.

A note on names: the City's My Anaheim app is separate from the MyAnaheim community in Anaheim Life's history. Anaheim Life has no partnership with the City on this app.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

How do I report a pothole in Anaheim?

For a city street, request a City service in the City's My Anaheim app or call 311. For a state highway, use the Caltrans Customer Service Request site at csr.dot.ca.gov.

Who do I contact about graffiti in Anaheim?

Use the My Anaheim app or 311 for graffiti in the city. LocalAnaheim, an independent guide, lists graffiti among the problems to report through Anaheim Anytime, and Caltrans has its own graffiti category for state highways.

Does Caltrans fix potholes on Anaheim city streets?

No. Caltrans says it has no jurisdiction over local city and county roads and tells people to contact the local roads or public works department of the city where the road is.

Will Caltrans pay for pothole damage to my car?

Caltrans says it does not pay claims for damage on city or county roads. On state highways, a filed claim does not automatically mean reimbursement, and a driver must show the road was dangerous, that Caltrans knew or should have known, and that it had enough time to fix the problem.

What should I include when I report a pothole or graffiti?

Give the exact location or nearest address, the date and time, and photos taken from a safe distance. Keep any confirmation or report number you receive.