Traffic Division

After receiving a traffic citation, the court will mail a courtesy notice to the address on your citation. If you do not receive a courtesy notice, you must still appear at the courthouse or settle your case by mail. You must contact the court if your address is incorrect. The courtesy notice will supply the information about how to take care of your situation. If you do not understand your options, you may come in person to the clerk's office or correspond by mail prior to your appearance date. The courtesy notice will state whether your situation requires a mandatory appearance. Courtesy notices are not processed immediately after you receive the citation. It may take up to two (2) weeks prior to due date for processing.

Either proof of correction and the $25 dismissal fee or proof of correction and bail is required on mechanical, registration and license violations. Proof of correction can be obtained by having an authorized representative of the issuing police agency complete the Certificate of Correction located on the reverse of the courtesy notice or citation. Registration and/or driver's license violations may be certified by a Department of Motor Vehicles clerk. Submit the proof of correction and any required fee to the court by the due date.

Your courtesy notice will state if you are required to appear in court. You must do so on or before your due date. Make sure to call the Court to schedule an appearance date. Check in at the Traffic division clerk's office at least 30 minutes prior to the court session you are required to attend. Extensions are not allowed on citations that require a mandatory court appearance. If you fail to appear in court as you have promised you may be subject to an additional "Failure to Appear" charge. This is a misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine, or jail, or both. The Department of Motor Vehicles may withhold the issuance or renewal of your driver's license, and may revoke or suspend your driving privilege.

Non-Correctable Violations

The courtesy notice mailed to your home will indicate the options for your situation. These options may include paying your traffic ticket, attending traffic school, walking in and appearing in court, mandatory appearance, requesting (by mail or in person) a court appearance, and/or requesting a court trial by declaration (written statement). The following sections will further explain these options, in the order given above.

To be eligible for the Traffic School Dismissal Program, you must meet certain requirements. You may qualify if:

1. The citation is for a moving violation. If the moving violation is speeding, then you must have been ticketed for less than or up to 25 miles per hour over the limit.;
2. You have not attended traffic school in the last 18 months from your first violation date to the most recent violation date;
3. You were not cited for a violation of Vehicle Code section 22406.5 (tank vehicles);
4. You were not cited for a violation related to alcohol use or possession, or drug use or possession;
5. You were not cited for a violation on which you failed to appear under Vehicle Code section 40508(a) unless the failure-to-appear charge has been adjudicated and any fine imposed has been paid;
6. You were not cited for a violation on which you have failed to appear under Penal Code section 1214.1 unless the civil monetary assessment has been paid.
7. You live in California.
8. You did not commit a serious traffic violation in a commercial vehicle
9. DMV Traffic School Information

To request traffic school, pay the non-refundable traffic school fee of $52 plus bail by the due date either in person or by mail to the Superior Court. Your case will be extended 60 days for the completion of school and the receipt of the certificate of completion.

It is your responsibility to make sure the Court receives the proof of completion.

Go to: Pay Traffic Fines.

If you wish to plead not guilty and contest the ticket, you must notify the clerk in person, by telephone or in writing no later than the appearance date and time on your ticket or courtesy notice.

You may choose which of three methods below to challenge the ticket. Call the court clerk’s office if you have any questions about whether an appearance is required or when and where to appear. The clerk may help you arrange a different date but you must request it before the time listed in your courtesy notice.

You may plead “not guilty” by appearing in court for arraignment and request a trial to be held at a later date when the officer will be present. To appear in court for arraignment on your citation, you must do so on or before the appearance date indicated on your citation. Check your courtesy notice for day, time, and location of appearance.

Rather than appear on two separate court days, one for arraignment and another for trial, California Vehicle Code § 40519 provides that as a convenience, you may arrange to have your arraignment and trial on the same date if you plead not guilty in writing, or if you notify the clerk that you intend to plead not guilty. If you use this procedure you are deemed to have given your promise to appear at trial, and failure to appear may be deemed a misdemeanor. Use of the procedure in this paragraph, including payment of a deposit, is offered for your convenience and is not required to contest your ticket. If you have questions regarding the procedure, you may contact the court clerk.

You may elect to have a trial by declaration of any charged infraction, but you must appear in court should the infraction require a mandatory appearance. The Trial by Declaration needs to be requested on or before the appearance date shown on your ticket or courtesy notice. Your case will be decided without requiring that you appear in court. The Judicial Council forms that are needed may be obtained in person at the clerk’s office or by mail if you request them by phone or mail. The forms may also be photocopied from the county Law Library or downloaded from the Judicial Council Website.

TR205 – Request for Trial by Written Declaration – Traffic

TR200 – Instructions for Defendant – Traffic Infraction

TR220 – Request for New Trial (Trial de Novo) – Traffic

Not Guilty Plea Form - Obtain by contacting the court clerk

Testimony by Mail Form - Obtain by contacting the court clerk

Financial Hardship

As part of your request, you must show proof that you do not have the financial means to pay your fine. You may ask the court to consider your ability to pay at any point in the process, but you must enter a plea of guilty or no contest before the court can give you an answer.

The easiest way to request a fine reduction is to use the court’s new online request tool (recommended). The MyCitations online tool allows you to enter a plea and make an ability to pay requests on eligible infractions without going to court. In addition to requesting a reduction, you can request a payment plan, more time to pay or ask to complete community service instead of paying fines and fees. If your case is currently in collections and you cannot afford to pay your debt, you may still use MyCitations.

The other way to request a fine reduction is to use form TR-320/CR320  - Can't Afford to Pay Fine: Traffic and Other Infractions. Please contact the clerk’s office for more information about using the form.

Please note that if you do not act by the date on your citation and reminder notice, the court may add an additional fee of up to $100. If you cannot afford the fine amount, you can request a reduction to the amount you owe at any time while the fines remain unpaid.

If you are experiencing financial hardship and you use the online tool to request a reduction, you may also use the online tool to ask the court to set up a payment plan, ask for an extension of time to pay what you owe and/or ask to complete community service hours in place of the fine. Payment plans will be approved for no more than $25 per month if you are approved for an ability-to-pay request.

Fines and fees owed from a misdemeanor or felony offense are not eligible to request a reduction.

Do not use the online tool if you want to:

1. Contest the citation
2. Attend traffic school
3. Get a dismissal or reduction of charges with proof of correction