Turkish-Speaking Immigration Attorney in San Francisco

1. Book an appointment. The DMV San Francisco field office is at 1377 Fell Street, San Francisco, CA 94117. It is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on weekends. It handles licensing, testing, registration and title transfers and has a self-service kiosk. With only 10 days to work with, book as soon as your documents are ready rather than counting on a walk-in. Offices in nearby cities are listed in the DMV office locator.
2. Pick your card. California issues three kinds of cards: a standard license, a REAL ID and an AB 60 license. Since May 7, 2025, you need a REAL ID (or a passport) to board domestic flights or enter federal facilities. A REAL ID costs the same as a standard card.
3. Gather documents. For a REAL ID you need proof of identity (such as a passport), your SSN and two documents proving California residency. Check which documents are accepted on DMV's REAL ID page before you go.
4. Take the tests. The office gives the vision test and the written knowledge test, plus a drive test when required. The written test is not offered in Turkish; see the language list below. A driving retest costs $9.
5. Pay the fee. Card payments carry a service fee of roughly 1.95% to 2.1% depending on the channel. Cash is accepted in person only.

Most other transactions, such as registration renewals and address changes, can be done online without an office visit.

Who can get which card?

• Standard license and REAL ID: for applicants who can prove lawful presence in the U.S. The only difference is that a REAL ID also works as federal ID.
• AB 60 license: AB 60 licenses are for residents who cannot prove lawful presence but can prove identity and California residency. They are not REAL ID compliant and do not work for domestic flights or federal facilities. If your status changes, you may be able to upgrade to a REAL ID.
• ID card: family members who will not drive can get a California ID card for $40, free for seniors 62 and older. A reduced-fee ID costs $11.

• No Turkish test: DMV's official list offers the knowledge test in English, Spanish, Armenian, Chinese, Farsi, Punjabi, Russian, Tagalog, Vietnamese and American Sign Language. Some test-prep sites claim California offers it in Turkish; as of September 28, 2026, that is not true.
• The 10-day rule: it is written into Vehicle Code section 12505 and starts on the day you establish California residency. Texas gives new residents 90 days; California gives 10.
• Visitors: nonresidents may drive on a valid foreign license for as long as they remain nonresidents (section 12502).
• International Driving Permit: it is not a California license. It works as an English translation and is recommended, not required, for visitors and for renting a car. Get it in your home country before you travel.
• Renting a car: rental companies may ask for the International Driving Permit as well, so check when you book.

Coming from Türkiye? Your Turkish license will not convert, so the first-license steps above apply. If you read Russian more comfortably than English, you can pick that language for the test.

1. Buy California insurance. For policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, minimum liability is $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident and $15,000 property damage (Vehicle Code 16056). Older policies move to these limits at their next renewal. From January 1, 2035, the minimums rise to $50,000/$100,000/$25,000.
2. Get a smog check. A smog certificate is required for gasoline vehicles from model year 1976 on, diesel vehicles from 1998 on under 14,001 lb, and natural gas or propane vehicles. Motorcycles and electric vehicles are exempt. Some newer vehicles pay a $20 smog abatement fee instead of testing; check yours on DMV's smog page. The certificate is valid for 90 days from the inspection.
3. Get the vehicle verified. A car from another state or country needs a vehicle verification on form REG 31, done by a DMV employee, a law enforcement officer or a licensed vehicle verifier.
4. Apply. Bring form REG 343 signed by all owners, the last title, the last registration, the verification, the smog certificate and proof of insurance. You also turn in the old plates. Even if the title or smog certificate is not ready yet, pay the fees within 20 days. Late penalties start at about $10 for 1 to 10 days late and grow from there.

See the full breakdown on DMV's registration fees page. The license and the registration are handled by the same agency but filed as separate transactions.

Bringing a car from abroad

California does not allow residents to bring in or register a vehicle that is less than 2 years old with fewer than 7,500 miles unless it was built to California emissions standards or qualifies for an exemption (REG 256F). Check this before you ship a car.

Golden Gate Bridge

• Who runs it: the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District sets this toll, separately from BATA, which runs the other Bay Area bridges.
• When you pay: southbound only, from Marin County into San Francisco. Northbound trips, walking and cycling are free. There are no toll booths; tolling is all electronic.
• Rates: in the table below, in effect since July 1, 2026 per the bridge district's toll page. The district has raised the toll every July under a multi-year schedule, so check the current rates before you budget.

The Bay Bridge and six other state-owned bridges

• Which bridges: the Bay Bridge, San Mateo-Hayward, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael, Carquinez, Benicia-Martinez and Antioch bridges are tolled by the regional Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA).
• Rates: since January 1, 2026, two-axle vehicles pay $8.50 (up from $8.00). It is the first of five yearly January increases through 2030, and from 2027 the price depends on how you pay.
• Carpools: on the Bay Bridge, vehicles with 3 or more people get 50% off on weekdays from 5 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. The other bridges also require 3 people for a carpool discount.
• Accounts: no cash is accepted. Through Bay Area FasTrak you can use a toll-tag account, a License Plate Account, or a Short-Term License Plate Account opened up to 48 hours after crossing or up to 30 days ahead.

• How to pay: pay Muni fares with a Clipper card, the MuniMobile app or, since December 2025, by tapping a contactless bank card. A single ride is good for 120 minutes. SFMTA's adopted budget plans to drop the Clipper discount and switch to a daily fare cap (free rides after 2 paid trips) in a later phase; check the fares page for the current rules.
• Proof of payment: keep your card or ticket for the whole trip. Fare inspectors can cite riders who cannot show proof of payment.
• Clipper: the Bay Area's shared fare card works on Muni, BART and most other transit in the region, and you can add it to your phone wallet.
• BART: the regional rail system. Fares rose 6.2% on January 1, 2026, and the fare depends on the distance you travel. You can pay with Clipper; check BART's site for other payment options.
• SFO to the city: the free AirTrain connects every terminal to the SFO BART station in the International Terminal. BART's fare calculator shows the current fare to your station. Check the fare and hours on BART's airport page.

Electricity: PG&E and CleanPowerSF

• Who does what: PG&E runs the grid and sends a single monthly bill. CleanPowerSF is a city program run by the SFPUC. For most homes and businesses in San Francisco it is the default supplier of the electricity, and its generation charges appear on the bill in place of PG&E's.
• Automatic enrollment: you do not sign up for CleanPowerSF separately. It is opt-out, so you can choose to buy your power from PG&E instead.
• Renewable share: CleanPowerSF says its default product has a higher renewable share than PG&E's standard mix. Both publish yearly power content labels if you want to compare the current figures.
• Discounts: PG&E takes part in the state's CARE and FERA programs. CARE gives qualifying low-income households 30% to 35% off electric bills and 20% off gas bills; households just above the CARE limit can get 18% off electricity through FERA. From June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027, the yearly income limit for a household of four is $66,000 for CARE and $82,500 for FERA. If you are a CleanPowerSF customer, ask how the discount shows up on your bill when you apply.

Water and sewer: SFPUC

1. Apply. San Francisco's water and sewer service comes from a city department, the SFPUC, not a private company. There are separate online forms for residential and commercial service.
2. Or call. SFPUC Customer Services, 415-551-3000: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesdays 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed on legal holidays.
3. Wait for confirmation. Online requests are reviewed within 5 business days, then a representative contacts you to finish the request. A deposit is required when you start service.
4. New installations: if you need a new water connection rather than service at an existing unit, apply by email or by appointment at 525 Golden Gate Avenue, 2nd Floor. Appointments: 415-551-2900.

• Bins: blue for recycling, green for compost (food scraps and other organics), black for trash. Keeping compost out of the trash is not a courtesy; it is required by city ordinance.
• Landlords' duty: property owners and businesses must place all three bins where tenants and customers can easily reach them. If your building has no green bin, ask the manager.
• Enforcement: the ordinance allows fines, but in practice the city leans on warnings and education.
• The hauler: Recology works under an exclusive franchise through three companies that serve different neighborhoods: Recology Sunset Scavenger, Recology Golden Gate and Recology San Francisco. Your bill or your landlord will tell you which one serves your address.
• Street problems: report street cleaning, dumped items or sewer overflows to SF311 (city services).
• Water: water and sewer come from the SFPUC; see power and water for how to start service.

SF311: SF311 is the city's customer service center. Use it for blocked driveways, street and sidewalk cleaning, abandoned vehicles, damaged trees, potholes, graffiti, flooding and sewer problems, broken curbs and general non-emergency city information. TDD/TTY: 711. The app is available in English, Chinese, Filipino and Spanish. For emergencies, always call 911.

San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) card: free for California residents. Cards are not issued fully online: apply online, then visit any branch with valid photo ID. Teens 13 to 18 can show their own ID or have a parent or guardian co-sign; a parent or guardian must sign for children under 13.

Visitor card: people who live outside California can buy a Visitor card for $10, valid for 3 months. It is handy for family members who visit before your own move is complete.

State rules

• Deposit cap: since July 1, 2024 (AB 12), most landlords may collect no more than one month's rent as a deposit (Civil Code 1950.5). There is an exception for certain qualifying small landlords.
• Refund: within 21 days after you move out, the landlord must send what is left of the deposit with an itemized statement. Deductions over $125 need receipts, invoices or a description of the work.
• Rent cap (AB 1482): yearly increases may not exceed 5% plus the change in CPI, or 10%, whichever is lower, measured from the lowest rent in the prior 12 months, in no more than two increases per 12 months (Civil Code 1947.12). Exempt: buildings from the last 15 years, owner-occupied duplexes, certain single-owner properties not held by a corporation, and housing already under local rent control. Some San Francisco units without local rent control still fall under this state cap.

San Francisco: the Rent Ordinance

• Rent control and eviction protection: units in buildings built on or before June 13, 1979 (other than single-family homes) generally have both. Check your building's year on the city's Property Information Map.
• Yearly increase: the Rent Board announces the rate each year, applied to the tenant's base rent. For March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027 it is 1.6%: on a $2,000 base rent, that is $32, for a new rent of $2,032. The prior year's rate was 1.4%. A landlord can sometimes go above it, but only through a separate legal process.
• Eviction protection only: units built after June 13, 1979; most single-family homes and condos where the tenant moved in on or after January 1, 1996; substantially rehabilitated units; and units regulated by another government agency.
• Fully exempt: commercial units, hotel and rooming-house units not occupied by the same tenant for 32 days or more, resident-controlled nonprofit co-ops, dormitories, hospitals and licensed care facilities, among others.
• Just cause: an eviction needs a reason listed in the ordinance, such as nonpayment or habitual late payment, a lease violation, disturbing other residents, an owner or relative move-in, a condo conversion, major improvements that make the unit unlivable for a time (the tenant may return afterward) or an Ellis Act withdrawal from the rental market.
• Help: Rent Board counselors answer at 415-252-4600, weekdays 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m., free. If you are served with court eviction papers, get legal help right away.

• Taxable value: it resets to market value on a purchase, new construction or change of ownership, then rises only by an inflation factor (Revenue and Taxation Code 110.1). Two similar houses on the same street can have very different tax bills depending on when they were bought.
• Tax rate: the base rate is 1% of taxable value, plus voter-approved local add-ons such as bonds.
• Homeowners' Exemption: $7,000 off the taxable value (section 218), which the city puts at roughly $80 less tax a year. It applies only to your principal residence, not to rented, vacant or vacation homes.
• How to file: because San Francisco is both a city and a county, the city's Assessor-Recorder handles taxable values and the exemption. New owners are mailed a claim form automatically. File through the Assessor-Recorder's online portal or by appointment at City Hall, Room 190 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.).
• Deadline: file by February 15 to get the full exemption.

1. Know the residency rule. Under SFUSD's enrollment requirements, the student's parent or legal guardian must live in San Francisco when applying and for the entire period of enrollment. If parents are separated, the student must live with the San Francisco parent at least 50% of the time during the school year. A temporary San Francisco address used only to attend school does not count, and neither does owning property in the city without living there.
2. Apply online. Applications go through SFUSD's online system. SFUSD's Education Placement Center handles residency documents and change-of-address forms.
3. Gather documents. SFUSD's list includes the parent's photo ID, the child's birth certificate or official hospital record, and proof of your San Francisco address, such as a PG&E, water, cable or garbage bill, car registration or insurance, or homeowner's or renter's insurance. Add any custody or educational-rights court orders. The list can change, so check SFUSD's site before you apply.
4. Immunization records. They are not needed to submit the application, but they are required at enrollment.
5. Language assessment. At first enrollment in California you fill out a Home Language Survey. If a language other than English is spoken at home, the child takes the state's ELPAC test.

• If you move: when you change address within the city, file a change-of-address form with the Education Placement Center within 14 days.
• Special cases: homeless students are exempt from the residency-document requirement. Students in foster placements, living with a caregiving adult or holding an interdistrict permit can also establish residency in other ways.
• Transitional Kindergarten (TK): state law sets the age cutoff. For 2026-27, children born between September 2, 2021 and September 1, 2022 can start TK, with no exceptions. Kindergarten requires age 5 by September 1.
• Vaccines: California ended the personal-belief exemption for school vaccines in 2016 (SB 277). Only a medical exemption from a licensed physician is accepted.

For clinic visits, also see our free and low-cost clinic directory.

• Healthy San Francisco (HSF): the San Francisco Department of Public Health's program for uninsured city residents. It is not insurance; it makes the city's health services available and affordable. Los Angeles closed its similar program, but San Francisco's is still running in 2026.
• Who qualifies: according to HSF's eligibility page, you must live in San Francisco, be 18 or older, be uninsured, not be eligible for Medi-Cal or Medicare, and have household income at or below 500% of the federal poverty level. Costs depend on income: lower-income participants pay little or nothing, and higher incomes under the ceiling may have fees.
• How to join: pre-enroll through the HSFConnect portal. HSF Customer Service: (415) 615-4555, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Medi-Cal: California's Medicaid program opened to all income-eligible adults regardless of immigration status in 2024. Since January 1, 2026, however, adults 19 and older without a satisfactory immigration status can no longer newly enroll in full-scope Medi-Cal; new applicants get restricted coverage for emergencies and pregnancy only. Children (0 to 18) and pregnant people are not affected. People already enrolled keep full coverage if they renew on time, with 90 days to re-enroll after a lapse.
• How to apply for Medi-Cal: through the state's BenefitsCal portal. In San Francisco, applications are handled by the city's Human Services Agency (SFHSA).
• Asset limit: Medi-Cal brought back an asset test in 2026: $130,000 for one person plus $65,000 for each additional household member. Your home, one vehicle and household items do not count. It mainly affects people 65 and older and people with disabilities.
• Covered California: the state's insurance marketplace is open to lawfully present immigrants (green card holders, refugees, asylees, many visa holders) but not to undocumented people. DACA recipients lost Marketplace eligibility in 2025 but may qualify for Medi-Cal. From 2027, some lawfully present immigrants lose premium subsidies under the federal H.R. 1 law.
• Sliding-fee health centers: search by address with the HRSA health center finder. Not every listed center is free.
• 988: the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline answers calls, texts and chats 24/7, with phone interpreters available.

Free care options

San Francisco Free Clinic · California Street

The clinic says it provides free, accessible medical treatment to the uninsured. Services include primary care, help enrolling in health insurance, nutrition counseling and stress management. It sees patients by appointment only. Its official page lists no income threshold or immigration-status rule, so call to confirm eligibility.

Address: 4900 California St. (at 11th Ave.), San Francisco, CA 94118.
Hours: Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., by appointment only.
Phone: (415) 750-9894 · San Francisco Free Clinic

Clinic by the Bay · Excelsior

The clinic says all of its services are free for patients. It serves uninsured adults who live or work in the Bay Area, with medical, dental and mental health care and a food pharmacy program. Appointments are required; there are no walk-ins.

Address: 35 Onondaga Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112.
Hours: medical Monday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday noon to 8 p.m.; dental Wednesday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Phone: (415) 405-0222 · Clinic by the Bay

Clínica Martín-Baró · Mission

A free clinic run by UCSF and SFSU health professional students. It offers free basic health care, psychotherapy and health education in Spanish to the underserved, economically disadvantaged Spanish-speaking community of the Mission. It is open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; arrive at 8 a.m. to be seen. The clinic operates out of Mission Neighborhood Centers in the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District. Its site gives no fixed street address and the location can change, so check the current location on the clinic's website before you go. The site states no income, insurance or immigration-status rules.

The city's program: income-based costs

Healthy San Francisco · San Francisco residents

The San Francisco Department of Public Health's program for uninsured city residents. You must live in San Francisco, be uninsured and have household income at or below 500% of the federal poverty level. Costs depend on income: lower-income participants pay little or nothing, and higher incomes under the ceiling may share costs. It is a program, not a free clinic; see health care without insurance for details.

Customer Service: (415) 615-4555 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) · About Healthy San Francisco

Questions to ask before booking

• Are you accepting new patients? Are there age, income, insurance or residency requirements?
• Are visits, lab tests, medications, dental care and outside referrals charged separately?
• Which documents should I bring, and is an interpreter available?

For more options, use the HRSA health center finder; not every listed center is free. See health care without insurance for emergency care and Medi-Cal.

• Where: Office of the County Clerk, City Hall, Room 160, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102. Because San Francisco is a consolidated city and county, there is only one office. You need an appointment, and you submit the license application when you book it. The steps are in sf.gov's marriage guide.
• Who can marry: two unmarried people, both 18 or older. You do not need to live in California or be a U.S. citizen. If a previous marriage ended less than 90 days before your appointment, bring a certified copy of the divorce, annulment or death record.
• ID: both of you need unexpired, government-issued photo ID: a passport, driver's license, green card or military ID is accepted. If your ID does not show your full legal name, bring a certified birth certificate or your Social Security card.
• Public or confidential: a public license needs at least one witness at the ceremony and is a public record. A confidential license is for couples already living together; no witness is needed, and only the couple can get the record.
• Timing: there is no waiting period, so you can marry anywhere in California the day the license is issued. The license is valid for 90 days.
• After the ceremony: the officiant returns a public license to the Assessor-Recorder and a confidential license to the County Clerk. Certified copies of a public marriage certificate are available 10 days after recording, $19 each: at City Hall, Room 190, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last request 4:45 p.m.), or by mail with a notarized application and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Phone and international orders go through VitalChek, (800) 669-8312, for an added fee.

See the current County Clerk fee list.

• Whose record: this sf.gov process covers people born in San Francisco after 1906 who are over 3 years old. For a newborn, ask the County Clerk's office which process to use.
• Online: orders are for pickup only and are not mailed; the office calls you when the copy is ready. If the record is not found locally, the county automatically requests it from the California Department of Public Health, which can add 4 to 6 weeks.
• In person: City Hall, Room 160, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bring unexpired, government-issued photo ID.
• By mail: fill out the form, have it notarized, and mail it with a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment (money order or a personal check from a U.S. bank, payable to "SF County Clerk"). Expect 4 to 6 weeks.
• VitalChek: a third-party ordering site; allow up to 6 weeks. Support: (800) 708-6733.
• State office: the California Department of Public Health Vital Records office in Sacramento (CDPH-VR) issues copies of any California birth by mail, $31 per copy since January 1, 2026. Use it for births outside San Francisco.
• Which copy: for a U.S. passport and for registering the birth in Türkiye, ask for a Certified Authorized Copy. An "informational" copy is certified too, but it is not valid for identity purposes. Authorized copies go to the registrant, their parent, spouse, child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling or registered domestic partner, or someone with a court order or power of attorney. Anyone can request an informational copy.
• SSN: if you request the SSN during hospital birth registration, the card arrives by mail and no SSA visit is needed.

• What to bring: current immigration documents (green card, I-94 or EAD) with a valid passport, and a birth certificate if you have it. No photocopies or notarized copies. SSA suggests waiting 10 days after arrival so DHS records can be verified.
• F-1 and J-1: an SSN is available only once you are authorized to work (on-campus job, CPT, OPT), not just for enrolling in school.
• Appointments: since 2025, SSA generally expects you to book before an in-person visit. Call the office or the national line, 1-800-772-1213.
• Offices in San Francisco: the city has more than one SSA office, including one in Chinatown at 560 Kearny Street. Your ZIP code decides which office serves you, so confirm the address and hours with the SSA office locator before you go.
• Replacement card: free, often started online; the card arrives in 5 to 10 business days.

According to SSA, you do not need an SSN for school registration or private health insurance. California law also bars schools from requiring one.

1. Complete Form W-7 and attach it to your federal return unless an exception applies.
2. Get documents verified. Mail originals to the IRS in Austin, use a Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA), or book a free document review at an IRS office that offers it. With a CAA or IRS office, your passport does not go in the mail; documents are returned at the end of the appointment.
3. Wait. Processing takes about 7 weeks, or 9 to 11 weeks during tax season (January 15 to April 30).

The California return and CalEITC

• Form 540: most California residents who file a federal return also file a state return with the FTB. If you have no SSN, an ITIN is enough.
• CalEITC: according to the FTB, for tax year 2025 (returns filed in 2026) workers earning up to $32,900 can get up to $3,756. ITIN filers can claim it, but qualifying children still need valid SSNs. The Young Child Tax Credit and the Foster Youth Tax Credit are also open to ITIN filers who meet the other rules.
• Free help: the FTB points filers to VITA sites, where volunteers prepare returns for free; many handle ITIN returns.

The IRS office in San Francisco

• Location: San Francisco's IRS office is in the Phillip Burton Federal Building in Civic Center, 450 Golden Gate Avenue. No walk-ins.
• Appointments: all IRS offices work by appointment, booked at 844-545-5640. Confirm the address with the IRS office locator and check the IRS list of offices with ITIN document review. Appointments can take several weeks.
• Expiration: an ITIN not used on a federal return for three years in a row expires.

State: the LLC and the $800 tax

• Fees: Articles of Organization $70, online only. A Statement of Information ($20) is due within 90 days of formation and every two years after that. Owners do not need to be U.S. citizens, but you need a registered agent with a California address.
• The $800 franchise tax: per the FTB, every LLC organized or doing business in California owes at least $800 a year, even with no activity, until it is cancelled. The first payment is due on the 15th day of the 4th month after filing. The first-year exemption covered only tax years 2021 to 2023, so an LLC formed in 2026 pays in its first year.
• Higher revenue: LLCs with more than $250,000 in California income also owe an extra fee of $900 to $11,790.

City: business registration

• Who registers: every person and company doing business in San Francisco registers with the Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector. The application is online and asks for your estimated San Francisco payroll, gross receipts and industry (NAICS) code.
• Fee: the registration fee is tiered by San Francisco gross receipts or payroll. Check the Treasurer's fee schedule for current amounts.
• Certificate: after payment, the Business Registration Certificate arrives by mail in about 5 to 10 business days.
• Landlords: anyone renting out 4 or more residential units in one building files a separate registration for each such building. Landlords of a single building with fewer than 4 units, or of one condo, are exempt from the fee.

First Year Free

• What it covers: for a new business, or a new location of an existing one, the city waives the initial business registration fee, initial license fees and first-year permit fees. Participating departments include Building Inspection, Public Health, Public Works, Fire, Planning and the SFPUC.
• Who qualifies: San Francisco gross receipts under $5 million and a commercial location. Home-based businesses and short-term residential rentals are not eligible.
• Limits: only city fees are waived, not state surcharges on the same bill, and a renewal that falls due in the same year may not be covered. A business that passes $15 million in San Francisco gross receipts in its first year or the following three years must repay the waived fees.
• How long: per the Treasurer's program page, the program runs through June 30, 2027, or until its funding runs out.

Fictitious business name (DBA)

Sole proprietors and general partnerships using a name that does not include the owner's surname file a fictitious business name statement with the county clerk where the business is based, as state law requires. San Francisco is a combined city and county, so that is the County Clerk at City Hall. State law also requires publishing the statement in a newspaper once a week for four weeks in a row within 45 days. Ask the County Clerk for current fees and steps.

• Where to apply: BenefitsCal is the statewide portal for CalFresh, Medi-Cal and CalWORKs. For in-person help, SFHSA's service center is at 1460 Mission Street (the former 1235 Mission Street center moved there).
• April 1, 2026, CalFresh immigrant rules: refugees, asylees, parolees, trafficking survivors, people granted withholding of removal and some battered noncitizens lost federal CalFresh eligibility. Current recipients in those groups keep benefits until their next recertification.
• June 1, 2026, work requirements: according to SFHSA, new federal rules require some recipients to take part in work-related activities when they apply or renew. This is a separate rule from the April 1 immigrant change.
• Who still qualifies: U.S. citizens, most green card holders, Cuban/Haitian entrants and citizens of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. California waives the federal 5-year waiting period for most green card holders.
• CFAP: the state-funded California Food Assistance Program covers some, not all, of the people who lost federal CalFresh. Check your own situation instead of assuming your category is cut off.
• January 1, 2026, Medi-Cal: adults 19 and older without a satisfactory immigration status can no longer newly enroll in full-scope Medi-Cal; they get emergency and pregnancy-related coverage only. People already enrolled keep full coverage if they renew on time. Children and pregnant people are not affected. For uninsured adults, the city's own program, Healthy San Francisco, is covered in the health section.
• U.S.-citizen children in the household may still receive benefits in their own right.
• The new public charge rule: for green card applications filed on or after September 18, 2026, officers may consider any means-tested benefit (CalFresh, Medi-Cal, housing assistance and others) received on or after that date. Benefits received earlier count only if they were cash assistance or long-term institutional care. Benefits received by family members are generally not counted.
• Who is exempt: humanitarian categories such as asylees and refugees, T and U visa holders, VAWA self-petitioners and TPS. Family-based, most employment-based and diversity visa applicants are subject to it.
• Litigation: California is one of the more than 20 states that sued over the rule on September 14, 2026. As of September 25, 2026, no court has blocked it.

1. Log in to your USCIS account and open Change of Address. Reporting online satisfies the legal requirement; no paper AR-11 is needed.
2. Enter the receipt number of every pending case. Otherwise notices may still go to the old address.
3. Tell USPS separately. A post office change of address does not update USCIS, and USPS does not forward USCIS mail.
4. If you are in court proceedings, file Form EOIR-33/IC within 5 days. The court changes your address only through this form. If your case is now under the Concord court and you cannot use the online system, contact the Concord court.
5. If you have ICE reporting obligations (for example, check-ins set when you were released), update ICE too through the ICE Portal. ICE's page asks for updates within 5 business days of moving.

A and G visa holders and Visa Waiver visitors are exempt from the USCIS requirement.

• Appointments and questions: USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283, or book online. Appointments are free.
• Processing times: on the USCIS processing times page, pick the form, category and "San Francisco CA" as the office. Times update monthly.
• Biometrics: the center is assigned on your I-797C notice; you do not choose it. Go to the address on the notice. Our biometrics guide covers what to bring.
• The asylum office: according to its USCIS page, the San Francisco Asylum Office has offered no in-person information services since April 20, 2026, and takes no walk-ins. Use the online tools on uscis.gov or call 800-375-5283. The office's phone is 415-575-1300. Some applicants are scheduled at the Oakland location instead, so follow the address on your interview notice.
• Your attorney at the interview: since May 18, 2026, attorneys may no longer join field-office or affirmative asylum interviews remotely, except in limited circumstances. Your attorney has to attend in person.
• 630 Sansome Street: the federal building also houses ICE and immigration court hearings. Check the room or suite number on your notice.

• What happened: the Montgomery Street courtrooms stopped holding hearings in May 2026, and the court closed at the end of the business day on September 4, 2026. Cases at 630 Sansome Street are still heard in San Francisco but are now administered by the Concord court. If an old document or website shows "100 Montgomery Street," ignore it.
• The Concord court: per EOIR's page, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the filing window until 4 p.m. Free visitor parking is on levels 5 to 8 of the building's garage. The trip from San Francisco can take about an hour, so leave early.
• Online lookup: ACIS needs only your A-number (A + 8 or 9 digits). Your hearing notice is still the official source; the system may show new dates and locations late.
• ICE ERO San Francisco: 630 Sansome St., Room 590, San Francisco, CA 94111, (415) 365-8800. It covers Northern California, Hawaii, Guam and Saipan. It is in the same building as the hearings but a different room. Check-ins are scheduled at checkin.ice.gov. If you have a check-in, talk to your attorney before you go.

Where do I find my I-94, and how do I fix an error?

Download your most recent I-94 from CBP's website. Errors made at entry (wrong visa class, name or admit-until date) are corrected by CBP Deferred Inspection. The SFO office is on the 2nd floor of the airport's International Terminal, open Monday to Thursday, 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. (closed Friday to Sunday), (650) 742-4470. It fixes only mistakes made at the time of entry, and any deferred inspection office can help no matter which airport you entered through.

• At the DMV: if you are offered voter registration while applying for a license or ID card and you are not a citizen, decline.
• The regular form: the state voter registration form has a U.S. citizenship box. Checking it as a noncitizen counts as a false claim of citizenship for USCIS.
• Consequences: registering or voting in a federal election as a noncitizen is a federal crime (18 U.S.C. 611 and 1015(f)). In immigration law it can mean permanent inadmissibility, deportability and denial of naturalization.
• Do not fill out voter registration forms handed out door to door or at events.
• School board elections: according to sf.gov, noncitizens who live in San Francisco, are 18 or older and are the parent, guardian or caregiver of a child living in the city can register on a separate form (not the regular voter form) to vote only in Board of Education elections. The next one is on November 3, 2026. The city gives two warnings: the name and address you give the Department of Elections may be obtained by ICE and other agencies, and the naturalization application asks whether you have ever registered to vote. The city adds that people who registered or voted only in these elections may answer "No" to that N-400 question, and that a new form is needed for each election. Talk to an immigration attorney before you register.
• Jury summons: California Code of Civil Procedure §203 makes noncitizens, people under 18 and people not domiciled in California ineligible for jury service. If the San Francisco Superior Court summons you, follow the instructions on the summons to report that you are not a citizen; do not leave it unanswered.

Recently naturalized? The deadline to register for the November 3, 2026 election is October 19, 2026 (online, or postmarked by that date). San Francisco's elections are run by the city's Department of Elections. California's elections line is (800) 345-VOTE (8683).

• Find an acceptance facility: use the passport facility locator. These locations accept new applications (DS-11) only; appointments and hours vary by location.
• What to bring: your original proof of citizenship, valid ID and a passport photo.
• Fees: a passport book for a child under 16 costs $100 plus the $35 acceptance fee. A passport card is $30. Urgent service adds a $60 expedite fee.
• San Francisco Passport Agency: 450 Golden Gate Ave., 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94102 (Phillip Burton Federal Building). Appointment only. Check current hours on the agency's page before you go.
• Who qualifies: travel abroad within 14 days, or a foreign visa needed within 28 days, with proof. Book at passportappointment.travel.state.gov or (877) 487-2778. Appointments are free; third parties charging for them are scams.
• Online renewal: for adults 25 and older with a 10-year passport, only at opr.travel.state.gov.

de Young and Legion of Honor: free-day rules can change, so check famsf.org before you go.

Free

• Golden Gate Bridge: the walking and biking path is free.
• Randall Museum: no admission fee. Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Corona Heights Park next door has city views.
• Twin Peaks, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39: free to explore.
• Alcatraz: the island is free, but you can only reach it on a ticketed ferry.

Free on certain days and hours

• Japanese Tea Garden: free for everyone Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 to 10 a.m.
• San Francisco Botanical Garden: free every day from 7:30 to 9 a.m., and on the second Tuesday of each month.
• Conservatory of Flowers: free on the first Tuesday of each month. Current hours for all three gardens are on gggp.org.
• de Young Museum and Legion of Honor: free for everyone on the first Tuesday of the month, and always free for ages 17 and under.

Discounted (EBT and Museums for All)

• California Academy of Sciences: $5 with an EBT card.
• Exploratorium: $5 with an EBT, Medi-Cal or WIC card, at the box office rather than online.

With kids

• Randall Museum: nature, science and art activities, completely free.
• California Academy of Sciences: aquarium, planetarium and rainforest.
• Exploratorium: a hands-on science museum.
• Pier 39: watching the sea lions is free.
• Alcatraz: ranger talks and the audio tour. Tickets sell out, so book ahead.

To book: konsolosluk.gov.tr → Randevu Al → Türk Vatandaşları İçin Konsolosluk İşlemleri → Los Angeles. The 24/7 Consular Call Center: +1 888 566 76 56. Emergency line: +1 310 779 3288. Email: [email protected]. The consulate's English site is losangeles-cg.mfa.gov.tr.

Ask the consulate for current fees, and which services can be done by mail, before your appointment.

Tips for the trip from San Francisco

• Distance: Beverly Hills is about 380 miles from San Francisco, roughly a 6-hour drive, so many people take a short domestic flight from SFO to the Los Angeles area. Applications are taken in the morning only, so consider arriving the night before.
• Several errands? Book a separate appointment for each one and try to put them on the same day. It saves a second trip.
• The building: the consulate is in an office building on Wilshire Boulevard. Leave time for building security and parking.
• Holiday: the consulate is closed October 29, 2026 (Republic Day). Check the site for other closures before you book.
• A large district: besides California, the consulate serves Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, plus Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa. Try to book early.
• Birth registration: parents' names must match Turkish records. For a baby born in San Francisco, the certified birth certificate comes from the County Clerk at City Hall.
• Military service (askerlik): men born in 2007 must complete their registration (yoklama) by December 31, 2026, at the consulate or through e-Devlet. The paid military service option (dövizle askerlik) for July to December 2026 is the foreign-currency equivalent of 472,653.60 TL, paid in U.S. dollars at the Turkish central bank rate of the payment day; ask the consulate whether a transfer fee applies. The amount changes on January 1, 2027. You need a U.S. residence or work permit, at least 3 years (1,095 days) of work abroad, the MSB online training and residence in the consulate's district, and you apply in person by appointment, which means a trip to Beverly Hills. Dual citizens born in the U.S. or who came before 18 can defer until the end of age 35 after registering their U.S. citizenship. F-1 students defer through an Education Attaché; ask the consulate which one serves you.

• By mail: Notary Public Section, P.O. Box 942877, Sacramento, CA 94277-0001 (courier: 1500 11th Street, 2nd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814). $20 per document with no $6 fee. Requests are handled in the order received; there is no expedited mail service.
• Sacramento office: 1500 11th Street, 3rd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814. Walk-in, take a number, same-day service. Visa/Mastercard, check, money order or cash.
• Los Angeles office: there is also a walk-in office at 300 South Spring Street in Los Angeles, but it is far from San Francisco and does not take cash.
• Pop-up events: the Secretary of State holds one-day apostille events around the state. The closest upcoming one to San Francisco is in Richmond, in the East Bay, on December 9, 2026. Venues and rules are posted closer to the date on the Secretary of State's apostille page.
• Which documents qualify: California birth and death certificates signed by a county clerk, county recorder or the State Registrar. In San Francisco, the County Clerk at City Hall issues birth certificates. Notarized documents and documents signed by a California public official also qualify.
• Marriage certificates: the San Francisco Assessor-Recorder issues the certified copy, but the apostille comes from the Secretary of State, not the city.
• Federal documents: FBI background checks and naturalization certificates go to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, Form DS-4194, $20 per document.
• Turkish documents: Turkish criminal records and civil registry extracts can get an e-Apostil through e-Devlet (eapostil.gov.tr). Consulates do not issue apostilles.

• U.S. clock changes: daylight saving time starts on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November: November 1, 2026 and March 14, 2027.
• Calling home: early morning in San Francisco is the easiest time. At noon in San Francisco it is already 10 p.m. in Istanbul in summer and 11 p.m. in winter.
• Nonstop flights: Turkish Airlines flies between San Francisco (SFO) and Istanbul Airport (IST). Frequency changes by season, so check current schedules on turkishairlines.com.
• Los Angeles: Turkish Airlines also flies nonstop between Los Angeles (LAX) and Istanbul, an option if SFO flights are full on your dates.
• One-stop options: airlines at SFO with European and Gulf hubs can connect you to Istanbul. Schedules vary.