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Ticket guide Reviewed

Traffic school or contest? Compare your two routes.

Quick answer

Choose traffic school if you are eligible and want certainty: you pay the bail and a fee, and the point is masked. Contest if you are not eligible, used school in the last 18 months, or believe the citation is wrong.

A laptop and a notebook on a desk, a person studying an online course

Compare the two routes

Table: Compare the two routes

Traffic school Contest
What you do Ask the court for traffic school, pay the bail and fees, complete the course Go to trial in court, or elect a trial by written declaration
What it costs Bail plus fees; see below Bail is submitted with a written declaration; see the guide
Your record Conviction recorded, point masked (Sacramento court) No conviction if the case ends in your favor
Who can use it Eligible drivers only Any alleged infraction can be contested in writing
Risk Not available if you are ineligible The decision can go against you; you may request a new trial

Check your eligibility for traffic school

Vehicle Code 42005(a) covers a holder of a noncommercial class C, M1 or M2 license. Vehicle Code 41501 says only one conviction within 18 months is held confidential.

Court clerks apply California Rules of Court 4.104, and the Sacramento Superior Court lists these conditions:

  • A valid noncommercial license, and you were not driving a commercial vehicle.
  • No traffic school in the prior 18 months. A violation within 18 months of a school you attended or elected is not eligible.
  • A moving violation that carries one point. A violation that carries more than one point under Vehicle Code 12810 is not eligible, so a 2-point ticket for speeding over 100 mph under 22348(b) is out.
  • No speeding more than 25 mph over the limit.
  • No misdemeanor or commercial-vehicle charge, and no mandatory appearance.
  • No failure to appear, unless the civil assessment has been paid (California Rules of Court 4.104(b)(2)(F)).

Commercial license holders face limits. School is barred if the offense occurred in a commercial motor vehicle under 42005(c)(1). For class A, B or commercial class C holders, the court may not keep the conviction confidential. The Sacramento court lets a commercial license holder attend for a violation in a personal vehicle, only to avoid negligent-operator point counting, and the conviction is not confidential for insurance. Read the CDL ticket rules.

What does traffic school cost?

Costs vary by court, and the school charges its own fee.

  • Santa Clara County. The 2026 schedule adds a $49 fee for monitoring traffic violator schools and a TAP fee to the total bail for school-eligible offenses; the fee is in Vehicle Code 42007.1(a).
  • Sacramento. The school's fee is separate from the court's. The court's ticket options page lists its current charges and deadline.
  • State fee. Ask your court for the amount.

Traffic school sign-up information is on the court's page. Santa Clara links to the self-help traffic school page.

A gavel on a wooden desk beside a document being signed

How does contesting work?

You have two main paths:

  1. Trial in court. You appear and present your case.
  2. Trial by written declaration. Under Vehicle Code 40902, you elect to contest any alleged infraction in writing, with bail submitted. If you are dissatisfied with the decision, you are entitled to a trial de novo. See the written declaration guide.

Decide in three questions

  1. Is school open to you? Check the list above and your court's rules.
  2. Did you use school inside the last 18 months? If yes, school is likely closed.
  3. Do you think the citation is wrong? If yes, contesting keeps that option open.

Paying in full ends the contest option at the Sacramento court, and a monthly payment plan ends traffic school there.

After you choose

  1. Write down your due date and your court.
  2. Ask the court how to request school or a trial, and by when.
  3. Pay or submit what is required before the due date.
  4. Keep copies of everything you send.

See what your choice does to your record on the points and insurance page, and run the numbers in the ticket cost estimator.

Our picks for you

These firms list traffic ticket work on their own websites. The picks are not a ranking.

  1. Ticket Crushers, A Law Corporation

    4.9 on Google · 605 reviews

    Adam Cohen, Esq. (founder). Adam Cohen founded the firm in 2015. The firm says an attorney from its office appears on your behalf for non-criminal violations.

    Speeding tickets and speeding over 100 mphRed light and red light camera ticketsFailure-to-appear notices and suspended-license problemsNegligent operator hearingsCommercial driver citationsCriminal defense and DUI defenseFlat fee from $149Bilingual service available (Spanish)

    Review rating and count taken from the firm’s site on 2026-10-13.

    (866) 842-5384Get a flat-fee quote

  2. The Nieves Law Firm

    • 1100 11th St., 3rd Fl., Rm 311, Sacramento, CA 95814 (Sacramento office)(916) 545-1989
    • thenieveslawfirm.com

    Its Sacramento traffic page says it represents clients with a speeding ticket or a red light violation.

  3. Stephen G. Rodriguez & Partners

    • 633 W 5th St, 28th Floor, Suite 2874, Los Angeles, CA 90071(213) 481-6811
    • lacriminaldefenseattorney.com

    Its speeding-ticket page says it offers a complimentary consultation to drivers facing a speeding ticket in Los Angeles.

Frequently asked questions

Is traffic school an admission of guilt?

Traffic school is open to a person who pleads guilty, pleads no contest, or is convicted of a traffic offense, under Vehicle Code 42005(a). The Sacramento court says the conviction is recorded and the point is masked. Think of it as a route taken after a conviction, not a defense.

What if I already used traffic school this year?

Check the repeat-school rule. Vehicle Code 41501 says only one conviction within 18 months is held confidential, and Sacramento's eligibility list excludes anyone who signed up for traffic school in the prior 18 months. If you are inside that window, contest or pay.

Can I ask for traffic school after contesting?

Courts differ on this, so ask your clerk before choosing. Two things are clear at Sacramento: paying in full ends the option to contest, and the court says a case is not eligible for traffic school after you sign up for monthly payments.

Does the school report to the court?

How completion is reported differs by court, so ask your court how it receives proof. Ask what the court charges and what deadline it sets for traffic school, and get both in writing if you can. Keep any receipt or completion proof the school gives you.

Last reviewed · Reviewed by the californiaticketlawyerhelp editorial team