The City Attorney's Office represents and advises the City Council and all City officers in matters of law pertaining to their offices; represents and appears for the City in actions or proceedings in which the City is concerned or is a party; and represents and appears for any City officer or employee, or former City officer or employee, in actions and proceedings in which such officer or employee is concerned or is a party for acts arising out of his employment or by reason of his official capacity.
The City Attorney's Office approves the form of all contracts made by and all bonds and certificates of insurance given to the City, and prepares any and all proposed ordinances or resolutions for the City and amendments thereto. The Office also acts as General Counsel to the Redevelopment Agency.
The Riverside City Attorney's Office does not provide legal advice to the public. If you need a lawyer, please contact the Riverside County Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service at (951) 682-7520 or Inland Counties Legal Aid Services at (951) 368-2555.
The Riverside City Attorney's Office does not prosecute violations of the California Penal Code, California Vehicle Code, or violations of other state laws that have not been adopted by the Riverside Municipal Code. If you wish to report a violation of state law, you should contact the Riverside Police Department at (951) 787-7911 (report emergencies by dialing "9-1-1") or the Riverside County District Attorney's Office at (951) 955-5400.
If you have a question or complaint regarding code enforcement or nuisance abatement, please contact the City's Code Enforcement Division at (951) 826-5633.
The Riverside City Attorney’s Office is dedicated to providing professional, ethical, high-quality legal services to the City Council, Boards and Commissions, and City staff for the benefit of all. Working as a team with individual strengths and collaborative efforts, we strive to achieve our united goal of serving our community and making the City of Riverside a better place to live, work and play.