What is 311?
3-1-1 is an easy-to-remember telephone number that connects customers with highly-trained Customer Service Representatives ready to help you with non-emergency City and County of San Francisco government matters.
Just dial 3-1-1 or 415-701-2311 if calling from outside area code 415.
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Who can call 311?
San Francisco residents, businesses or tourists wishing to get non-emergency information or request services pertaining to San Francisco government may call. If calling from a San Francisco 415 area code, you can simply dial 3-1-1.
If calling from outside a San Francisco area code, you may call by dialing 415-701-2311. The San Francisco 3-1-1 Customer Service Center understands and is sensitive to people of all cultures and all abilities offering assistance in over 145 languages as well as TTY access.
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Can I open a service request online?
Yes. You are able to submit/track requests for our most commonly used services at https://sf311.org/
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Why haven't I received my registration email?
Many email systems will classify automated emails such as our registration confirmation as 'junk' or 'Spam'. Please check your email folders to see if your email was filed incorrectly. If you are not receiving your registration email, you can contact us here.
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Can I call using my TTY phone?
Yes. If you are in San Francisco, you may simply dial 3-1-1 and then press 7 to reach a Customer Service Representative specially trained for TTY. If calling from outside of San Francisco, please call 415-701-2323.
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When can I call 311?
The 311 Customer Service Center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Just dial 3-1-1 or call 415-701-2311 if calling from outside the 415 area code.
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Why 311?
With over 2,300 different telephone numbers listed to access local government services, many people did not know what number to dial to reach the appropriate department. Now you can connect to city services with only two numbers to remember: 911 for emergencies and 3-1-1 for everything else.
Before 311, over 50% of calls to the 911 center were not emergency related. 311 relieves 911 operators from these non-emergency calls. If a catastrophic emergency such as an earthquake occurs, 311 operators will be able to provide accurate information to assist during the recovery. In the unlikely event the 911 facilities becomes inoperative, the 311 call center will function as a back up.
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Why can't I get through when I dial 3-1-1?
Dialing 311 will work from most San Francisco 415 landlines and cell phones; however, you may experience problems for the following reasons:
- You are calling from a high-rise, multi-tenant building. In those cases, the Building Manager or your Private Branch Exchange (PBX) vendor has to manually program 311 into the building's local telephone system and he/she has not yet done so. Please contact the Building Manager or PBX vendor and ask for the programming to be done
- You may wish to call your service provider to request for this service to be added by your carrier.
- You are calling from your San Francisco 415 wireless phone but are outside your "roaming" area.
- You are calling from a Voice over IP carrier other than Comcast DVC and Vonage. Agreements have not been made with other companies as of this time although it is something that we are hoping to obtain in the near future.
Until your problem is resolved, you may reach us by dialing 415-701-2311.
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Is it FREE?
311 is Toll Free when calling from a San Francisco 415 area code phone number whether it is a landline or a cell phone; however, please beware that your wireless carrier will charge for the minutes used during the call according to your contract.
Calling 311 from phone booths may charge a fee depending on the vendor. AT&T phone booths are free when calling 3-1-1.
Should you need to reach us by dialing 415-701-2311, regular fees, according to your carrier's contract will apply.
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Can I still submit anonymous service requests?
Yes, you can submit most service requests anonymously; however, there are some types of reports such as encampments and illegal dumping, where the contact information is critical in responding to the request. We encourage users to create an account as there are many benefits associated to it, such as eliminating the need to re-enter your contact information each time you submit a request and can easily track the status and view the history of your requests.Click the option to 'Continue as Guest (anonymous)' and you can submit service requests that do not require contact information. If you have signed in and wish to submit anonymously, please sign out, then submit your request.
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When do I get my Service Request Number?
When you submit your request on line, the Service Request number is normally available in a few seconds, but sometimes it can take longer. Simply refresh the page after you submit, and the request will change from "Submitted" to "Opened" with your Service Request number. You can see all your service requests clicking on the "My Requests" button on our home page.
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How can I help by being more accurate with my service request?
You see issues you'd like resolved. The departments would like to resolve them quickly and completely. Work is routed by the options you select in the service types. The better information information you provide, the better and faster the agencies can respond.Help the departments by following a few simple tips, and share the tips with your friends:
- Pick the category that best matches the problem you want to report.
- Add a photo if safe to do so, making sure the photo is clear and shows enough surrounding area to help locate the problem
- Verify the location using the cross-hairs.
- Be sure to tap Done (IOS) or OK (Android) to set the location.
- A good location is key to a good response.Add a description even if there is a photo. Sometimes the photo isn’t usable.
- Select the best options in the other drop-downs
- Optionally provide contact information (except where required)
- Verifying the location on your map is important even if the address doesn't populate immediately. Sometimes the street has no "official addresses" on that side of the block, so we associate the request to the best we can find.
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Why should I create an account?
When you create an account, it becomes much easier for you to create and track your service requests. We will use your phone and street address to link your online account with your existing service requests to provide a comprehensive view of your requests.
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Where is my registration email?
Many email systems will classify automated emails such as our registration confirmation as 'Junk' or 'Spam.' Please check your email folders to see if your email was filed incorrectly. If you are not receiving your registration email, you can contact us here.
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How do I open a service request online?
You can go to https://sf311.org/ and choose from the categories listed or by using the search feature to your right. If you still cannot locate your service please call 3-1-1 (within SF only) or (415) 701-2311; TTY direct (415) 701-2323. 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
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Why can't I select a sub topic on the form?
There is a issue with Firefox in the way some of the fields work. If two fields work together, sometimes the second field isn't available until the first field is changed. If you have this problem, try changing the value in the first field and then the second category should populate. (NOTE: As of Firefox 21, this problem is resolved and drop down boxes function normally.)
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Which browsers are supported?
Internet Explorer 6+: fully supported with no issues.
Firefox (known issue) functional except for instances where a category is pre-populated. If you see a menu that does not allow you to make a selection, change the menu directly above it to another option, then set it back to the previous option. Making the change will allow the browser to show the options in the second menu.
Safari, Chrome, and Mozilla: no reported issues
Use the 311 Feedback Form to report any issues.
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Can I use my smart phone or mobile device?
Full mobile support is planned as a future upgrade. At the present, only Apple iPhone users using the built-in Safari browser are able to access the site from a mobile device.
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What information do I need to open a service request?
Each service request requires slightly different information but in general you will need a location (address or intersection) and a description of the problem that you would like to report. In most cases except for apply for a permit, you can choose to remain anonymous. However, remaining anonymous will restrict your ability to track the case and also will not allow us to follow up if we require additional information.
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How do I change or add notes to my request?
Call 3-1-1 (within SF only) or (415) 701-2311; TTY direct (415) 701-2323. 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
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Why can't I find my address in the location search?
To successfully perform a location search:
Enter an exact address using street number and street name OR
Enter an intersection using street name and cross street
Clicking the search button to return the address list
Select the correct address from the results list and click next to proceed
There are a few situations where your address cannot be found in the system. If this is your situation, please call 3-1-1 to submit your request. We are constantly working on improving the mapping features and also expanding our list of verified addresses to be much more comprehensive. We apologize for the inconvenience.
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How can I provide feedback about the online services?
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How do I report any technical issues?
You can either:
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How can I track my existing service request?
There are two ways to track a service request. You can either:
To track your case online, you will need to know the service request number and the email address. If you submitted your request anonymously, you will only be able to track the request if you call 3-1-1.
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What is the attach file/photo option at the end of the service request?
Many of our service requests will give you the option to attach a file or photo to the service request. You can attach photos of graffiti, potholes, garbage, etc. to assist the department that is completing your request. The limit is 4 files, 2MBs each for a total of 8MBs per request.
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