Traffic School

(This page is also available en Español.)

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 the violation you were cited for is traffic school eligible for a confidential traffic school conviction. You must meet the eligibility requirements noted below. 

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

Steps You Take

• 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 to the court 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.

If you meet the eligibility requirements, mail the bottom 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.

Find a Traffic School

San Luis Obispo Court approved traffic schools:

• classroom/Internet/home study
  (If attending a classroom based traffic school you must call them and make an appointment.)

This list of approved traffic schools is from the California Traffic Safety Institute; you may contact them at (661) 940-1907 or at www.ctsi-courtnetwork.org. If the website asks for an access code, use '143' (no quotes).

Traffic schools charge an additional fee to enroll, separate from the Court's traffic school fee.

Be On Time

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 School Eligibility Requirements

If you are eligible and decide not to attend Traffic Violator School (TVS) your automobile insurance may be adversely affected. In order to receive a confidential Traffic School conviction your must meet the following eligibility requirements listed below.  

1. You must have a valid Class C 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.
3. You have not attended a traffic school within the last 18 months and one day from your current violation date.

Non Eligibility

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

• A 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).
• A violation 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).
• A violation of Vehicle Code §22406.5 (tank vehicles).
• A violation related to alcohol use or possession or drug use or possession.
• A violation 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.
• A violation 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.
• A violation that occurs in a commercial vehicle as defined in Vehicle Code § 15210(b).
• A violation 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.

After Completing Traffic School

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 may mail your traffic school certificate Original Courts Copy to:
San Luis Obispo Superior Court, Traffic Processing Center
1050 Monterey St., Rm 222, San Luis Obispo, CA  93408

If you complete an on-line traffic school, your certificate will be submitted electronically to the court by the Traffic School provider.  The court will respond by email to you once proof has been filed and to let you know if anything further is required from you.

You will not receive any further information from this court unless it is found you do not qualify for traffic school or your request was not completed correctly. You may check the status of your citation on our website though, which will indicate we have received proof of your traffic school attendance.

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.