Am I eligible for traffic school?

Pursuant to Vehicle Code section 42005 and California Rules of Court rule 4.104, court clerks are only authorized to grant traffic school requests if the following criteria is met:

• You must currently possess a valid California driver's license.
• The violation(s) on your ticket must be an eligible Vehicle Code infraction. Any violation that carries a negligent operator point count of more than one point under VC 12810 or one and one-half points or more under VC 12810.5(b)(2) is not eligible. Seat belt, mechanical or equipment violations, failure to have insurance and other certain specified violations are not eligible for traffic school.
• You may not have attended Traffic School for a previous violation committed within the last 18-months. The 18-month eligibility period is determined from violation date to violation date and not from when you attended traffic school.
• If cited for speeding, the alleged speed cannot be more than 25 mph over the speed limit.
• Your citation/ticket must not have defaulted to a failure to appear unless the failure to appear charge has been adjudicated and any fine or civil assessment imposed has been paid.
• Your citation/ticket must not be for a violation of Vehicle Code section 22406.5 (tank vehicles)
• Your citation/ticket must not be related to alcohol use or possession.
• Your citation/ticket must not be related to drug use or possession.
• You must not have been cited while driving with a Class A, Class B or Commercial Class C driver's license or while driving a commercial motor vehicle.

NOTICE: If you are eligible and decide not to attend traffic school, your automobile insurance may be adversely affected. One conviction in any 18-month period will be held confidential and not show on your driving record if you complete a traffic violator school program.

A list of Approved Traffic Schools

Attending Traffic School

If you are eligible to attend Traffic School, you must pay the total bail amount due on your citation/ticket, plus an additional non-refundable $57.00 administrative fee. The traffic school will charge you a separate registration fee when you enroll. If you meet the qualifications and want to attend Traffic School, complete the bottom remittance portion of your bail notice to request traffic school and send to the consolidated traffic clerk's office at 500 County Center in Redwood City along with a check or money order made payable to the Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo. The Court will send you the necessary forms and information. You must sign the forms and return them to the Court. You will be given 60 days to complete traffic school.

You may also request traffic school online through this website or in person by going to the consolidated traffic clerk's office at 500 County Center in Redwood City. If requesting traffic school through our website, information regarding a list of approved traffic schools is available online. If requesting traffic school in person, the clerks at the traffic window will provide you with the necessary information and forms. In addition to paying for the citation/ticket and administrative fees to the court, you will be required to pay a fee to whatever traffic school you choose to attend. Traffic Schools are privately run and accredited by the State of California. Any questions you have concerning the costs, hours, or locations must be directed to the school you choose to attend.

After completion of the Traffic School course

Upon completing traffic school, the school will issue a certificate of completion. You are required to submit the original copy of the certificate of completion to the court by the date you were given to complete. If you fail to return the certificate of completion by the due date, a bail forfeiture disposition [which is the same as a conviction] will be sent to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This could have an adverse effect on your insurance. If you submit your certificate of completion on or before the due date, a disposition of traffic school will be sent to DMV. For violations committed on or after July 1, 2011, courts are required to report attendance/completion of traffic school to the DMV as a confidential conviction instead of a dismissal of the charges. One conviction in any 18-month period will be held confidential and not show on your driving record if you complete a traffic violator school program.

You may submit your original certificate of completion to the consolidated traffic clerk's office at:

• Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo
  Southern Branch Traffic Division
  500 County Center
  Redwood City, CA 94063