Tickets

How to take care of traffic tickets.

What is a Courtesy Bail Notice?

The Courtesy Bail Notice is sent by the Court and includes the following information:

• The bail amount for the citation
• The due date when payment must be made
• Eligibility criteria for Traffic School
• Information on clearing a “fix-it” violation with proof of correction
• Where and when to report if you would like to appear in court.

You must take action on the citation on or prior to the due date listed on your citation. Not receiving your Courtesy Bail Notice it is not a legal excuse for failing to take care of the citation by its due date. When submitting a payment and/or documents by mail, allow 10 days for delivery and processing.

Failure to appear or take action on a citation on or before the due date may result in the DMV suspending your driver’s license. A DMV hold will restrict your ability to register a vehicle. The citation may also be referred to collections and an additional $300.00 civil assessment may be added. In addition, a misdemeanor may be charged against you and your driving privilege suspended.

Requesting an Extension

The Clerk’s Office may give one 30-day court appearance or due date extension. There are currently two methods for requesting an extension:

• By telephone (see phone numbers)
• In person at one of our Court Locations

Paying the Citation

Methods of Payment -

• By telephone using a Visa, MasterCard or Debit Card.
• Mail the payment (check or money order, do not mail cash) to the Traffic Processing address and make the payment payable to the “SLO Superior Court.”
  • Write your docket number on the check or money order. Your docket number can be found a the top right corner of your courtesy bail notice directly under the print date.
• In person at the court location marked on your citation by check, cash, money order, Visa or MasterCard at any of the court locations listed. (Traffic Court Locations)

The court charges an additional $5 Administrative Fee on all credit card payments.

It is your responsibility to make sure payment is actually received by the court prior to your appearance date.

A $30.00 charge will be added on all returned checks.

Paying Bail

The bail on a citation is the amount of money required to guarantee your appearance in court. If you choose to pay the bail on the citation without going to your arraignment or trial, it is a bail forfeiture. The citation is deemed paid, and the resulting conviction will be reported to DMV if you were cited for a reportable violation. Some violations require a mandatory court appearance and cannot simply be paid.

If there are mechanical or insurance violations included in the citation, the court requires you to submit proof of correction before any reduction in bail can be applied. If you do not provide proof of correction, the total bail amount must be paid. Proof may be submitted either by mail or in person.

Can't pay yet?

For persons who want community work service instead of paying a fine, or for those who just want more time to pay, the clerk of the court is authorized to accept a written plea of guilty at the counter that is taken to the judge for approval.

This procedure is known as a “Counter Arraignment” and is designed to save the time and effort of sitting through a court session. (The Counter Arraignment option is not available for payment of Traffic School fees or the $20 court security fee.)

A defendant who enters a guilty plea in writing at the clerk’s office will be given approximately 3-6 months to pay the fine, do community work service (credited at $10.00 per hour) or some combination of work and fine.

If you just want time to pay, it is recommended that you take advantage of the counter arraignment procedure at the clerk’s office instead of appearing in court.

Proof of Correction

How to obtain Proof of Correction for Mechanical, Registration, License and Insurance Violations (“fix-it tickets”):

The citing officer must allege on the citation that the violation is correctable. Violations marked with an asterisk on your courtesy bail notice designate correctable violations.

Advisement: Fraudulent or altered documentation may be referred to the Office of the District Attorney for a full investigation and possible criminal prosecution.

Mechanical Violations

Proof of correction violations (required under VC40610 (b)) will be dismissed once the following have occurred (if taken care of in a timely manner).

1. The item is corrected (e.g. the taillight is fixed).
2. An authorized representative signs the citation or Courtesy Bail Notice certifying it was corrected.
3. The signed citation is submitted with a $10 processing fee to the court.

Authorized representatives include

• Police and California Highway Patrol agencies
• Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
  (for license and registration issues)
• Any Station in California licensed to inspect and certify for the violation.

Many agencies charge $10 to sign the cite; this is different than the $10 required by the court.

If you are delinquent in appearing, proof of correction will probably not reduce the bail or fine.

Registration and License Violations

If you are charged with a violation of the registration law, you must show proof to the Court that this vehicle has been registered, junked, or receipted as planned non-operation after the date of citation. A $10 processing fee is payable to the Court.

Insurance Violations

If you were charged with a violation of the proof of financial responsibility law (VC16028), the Court will dismiss the charge only if it is shown that the defendant was financially responsible (i.e. there was an insurance policy that covered the defendant/driver on the date of violation). A $10 processing fee is payable to the Court.

If you purchase a 6 month insurance policy and pay the premium, the fine is cut up to half of the bail.

Advisement: Fraudulent or altered documentation may be referred to the Office of the District Attorney for a full investigation and possible criminal prosecution

What if I no longer own the vehicle or it is inoperable?

If you no longer own the vehicle or it is inoperable, it is still your responsibility to clear the citation by either paying the bail or appearing in court. If you have junked the car or it is deemed inoperable, you will need to show proof of a DMV junk certificate or planned non-operation receipt to the Court. A $10 processing fee is payable to the Court.

Am I responsible for an equipment violation on a car I am driving that is not mine?

Yes, unless the ticket is issued in the name of the registered owner of the vehicle you are driving. It is not an excuse that it was not your vehicle; it is still your responsibility to clear the citation if the citation is issued in your name.

Traffic School

See these pages for more details.

• Traffic School Information
  • Eligibility Requirements
• List of Traffic Schools - see ctsi-courtnetwork.org

Getting More Help

Court staff is authorized to provide information regarding the procedures used by the court to process a case.

However, all court staff are prohibited by law (Government Code Section 24004) from giving legal advice to litigants or to assist them in filling out any forms, including forms provided by the court, for the following reasons:

• Court staff are not attorneys. The clerical staff is trained to accept papers for filing and has no expertise in the legal consequences of information included on any of the forms.

• The court must be neutral in any proceeding. By assisting one side or the other, court staff can cause the court to be perceived as taking sides or being biased.

All persons seeking legal assistance from the clerk’s office are to be directed to an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of California without naming any specific person or firm.