Traffic School

Overview

Traffic School is a program that allows persons cited for certain moving violations to receive instruction in driving and traffic safety.

Your courtesy bail notice will indicate if you can go to traffic school. You cannot attend traffic school unless approved by the court clerk or a judicial officer.

The clerk may grant a request to attend an eight hour traffic school program if you meet all of the program requirements.

Details

• You must meet all eligibility requirements listed below.
• You may attend a dmv certified traffic school in your area of residence.
• You must pay the entire non-refundable fee before you attend the class.

All fees and proof of correction (if applicable) are due by the due date shown on your courtesy bail notice. The traffic school fee is comprised of the highest bail amount for traffic school eligible violations, plus a State Administrative Fee. Your check or money order must equal the total non-refundable fee shown on your courtesy bail notice.

Traffic School proof of completion is due 13 weeks for adults (8 weeks for minors) from your original due date. Your arraignment or due date and Traffic School completion date are indicated on your courtesy bail notice.

You must contact a Traffic School offered by this court (list enclosed) to make an appointment. You may obtain a list of approved traffic schools that service your area of residence by contacting California Traffic Safety Institute at (661) 940-1907, or by accessing their website at www.ctsi-courtnetwork.org.

If you fail to submit proof of Traffic School completion to the Court by the assigned due date, the Court will order your Traffic School fee converted to bail and forfeited with no further proceedings. If you are charged with multiple offenses, you will be required to post additional bail or appear in court. A bail forfeiture is a conviction and will be reported to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Traffic schools will charge an additional fee to enroll.

Traffic School Eligibility Requirements

If you are eligible and decide not to attend Traffic Violator School (TVS) your automobile insurance may be adversely affected. You cannot attend TVS unless approved by the court clerk or a judicial officer. The clerk may grant a pre-trial request to attend an eight-hour TVS program if you meet all of the following requirements:

1. You must have a valid driver's license.
2. You are charged with an infraction that is between §21000 and §28114 of the Vehicle Code which is reportable to the Department of Motor Vehicles, subject, however, to a few exceptions.

Non Eligibility

A defendant charged with any of the following infractions shall NOT BE ELIGIBLE to attend traffic violator school. Any violation...

• that carries a negligent operator point count of more than one point (VC §12810) or one and one-half points under Vehicle Code § 12810.5(b)(2).
• that occurs within 18 months after the date of a previous violation and the defendant either attended or elected to attend a traffic violator school for the previous violation (VC §1808.7).
• of Vehicle Code §22406.5 (tank vehicles).
• related to alcohol use or possession or drug use or possession.
• on which the defendant failed to appear under Vehicle Code §40508(a), or failed to pay under VC 40508(b), unless the failure-to-appear or failure-to-pay charge has been adjudicated and any fine imposed has been paid.
• on which the defendant has failed to appear under Penal Code §1214.1 unless the civil monetary assessment has been paid.
• A speeding violation in which the speed alleged is more than 25 miles over a speed limit as set forth in Chapter 7 (commencing with § 22348) Division 11 of the Vehicle Code.
• that occurs in a commercial vehicle as defined in Vehicle Code § 15210(b); and
• by a defendant having a class A, class B, or commercial class C driver’s license.

If you do not satisfy the above requirements, the clerk cannot grant a TVS request; you must make your request to a judicial officer. If you are allowed to attend a TVS more than once in an 18-month period, the court will require completion of a 12-hour TVS program and the dismissal will appear on your driving record.

Procedure

If you meet the eligibility requirements, mail the top portion of your courtesy bail notice with any proof of correction and your check or money order to the return address indicated on your courtesy bail notice. You must submit your proof of Traffic School attendance to the court no later than 13 weeks (8 weeks for minors) from the arraignment or due date. You will not receive any further information from this court unless it is found you do not qualify for the dismissal or your request was not completed correctly. If you sign up for Traffic School and it is later discovered you do not meet the above requirements, the bail and fee will be applied to your case and closed with a conviction and no further proceedings will occur. 2520-TR50 (03/2007)