What California online traffic schools do and don't do
An online traffic school in California is a course you take on your computer or phone to dismiss a traffic ticket or reduce points on your driving record. You complete it entirely remotely — no classroom, no in-person test. When you finish, the school sends a Certificate of Completion to the court that issued your ticket, and the court decides whether to dismiss the charge or reduce the points.
Online traffic school does not erase the ticket from your record permanently. It removes the point from your driving record for insurance purposes, but the ticket itself stays in court records. If you are trying to hide a ticket from your insurance company or an employer, traffic school will not do that. It also does not work for all violations — serious offenses like DUI, reckless driving, or driving with a suspended license cannot be dismissed through traffic school, no matter which school you choose.
California law allows you to take traffic school once every 18 months. If you have already taken it within that window, you cannot take it again, even if you get another ticket. The court will tell you whether you are may be able to access when you receive your ticket notice.
Key Takeaways
- California requires all online traffic schools to be approved by the court system, and the court — not the school — decides whether your ticket is dismissed.
- You must complete the course and receive a Certificate of Completion within the important date set by your court, usually 30 to 90 days from your ticket date.
- The cost of traffic school ranges from $20 to $50 depending on the provider, and you pay the school directly; court fees are separate.
- Not all traffic schools are equally fast or user-friendly, and some have technical problems that delay your certificate, so checking recent reviews matters.
- You must request traffic school from the court before you pay your ticket fine, or you lose the option to dismiss it.
How to request traffic school from your California court
Before you enroll in any online traffic school, you must first request traffic school from the court that issued your ticket. This is a separate step from choosing a school. You do this by responding to your ticket notice, either online through the court's website, by mail, or in person at the courthouse.
Most California courts now allow you to request traffic school online through their traffic ticket portal. Go to the court website for the county where you received the ticket, find the traffic or citation section, and look for a link to request traffic school or contest your ticket. You will need your citation number, which is on your ticket. The court will ask you to confirm that you want traffic school and will give you a important date to complete it — usually 30 to 90 days.
If the court approves your request, it will send you a list of approved traffic schools you can choose from. Some courts email this list; others mail it. Do not pay your ticket fine yet. Once the court approves traffic school, you enroll with one of the approved schools on that list, complete the course, and the school sends the certificate to the court. Only after the court receives the certificate and processes it will the ticket be dismissed.
What to look for in an approved California traffic school
All online traffic schools in California must be approved by the court system, so you cannot choose a school that is not on your court's list. However, approved schools vary in how fast they process certificates, how straightforward their website is to use, and how much they cost. The court does not rank them, so you have to compare them yourself.
Speed matters because you have a important date. Some schools send your certificate to the court within one business day of completion; others take five to seven business days. If your important date is tight, choose a school that guarantees fast processing. Check the school's website for this information, or call them and ask how long the certificate takes to reach the court after you finish.
Cost varies from $20 to $50 per course. The lowest price is not always the best choice if the school has a slow website or takes two weeks to send your certificate. Read recent reviews on Google or Yelp to see whether people had technical problems, long wait times, or difficulty contacting customer service. If a school has many complaints about delays, pick a different one even if it costs a few dollars more.
Mobile-friendly design matters if you plan to take the course on your phone. Some schools have outdated websites that are hard to navigate on a small screen. If you will be taking the course on a phone, test the school's website before you enroll to make sure you can read the text and click buttons easily.
Steps to complete your California online traffic school course
Once you have chosen a school from your court's approved list, go to the school's website and create an account. You will need your citation number, driver's license number, and the date you received the ticket. Enter this information carefully — if you enter your citation number wrong, the school may send the certificate to the wrong court or it may not match your ticket in the system.
Pay the course fee with a credit card or debit card. The school will give you when ready access to the course material. Read through each section and watch any videos. California traffic school courses cover topics like right-of-way rules, speed limits, distracted driving, and how to share the road with pedestrians and cyclists. The content is the same across all approved schools because it is set by state law.
At the end of the course, you will take a test. You must pass with a score of at least 70 percent. If you fail, you can retake it when ready at no extra cost. Most people pass on the first try because the test covers only the material in the course and you can review it before you answer questions.
After you pass, the school will generate your Certificate of Completion. The school then mails or emails the certificate to your court. Some schools send it the same day; others send it within a few business days. Check your school's website to see the status of your certificate. Once the court receives it and processes it, your ticket will be dismissed and the point will be removed from your driving record.
Common mistakes that delay or block your traffic school dismissal
The most common mistake is requesting traffic school after you have already paid your ticket fine. Once you pay the fine, you cannot request traffic school — the ticket is closed. Always request traffic school first, wait for the court to approve it, then enroll in a school. If you have already paid, contact the court when ready to ask if you can still request traffic school; some courts will refund your fine and let you start over, but this varies by county.
Another frequent error is entering your citation number incorrectly when you enroll in the school. Double-check this number against your ticket before you submit it. If the school sends the certificate with the wrong citation number, the court will not be able to match it to your ticket and will not dismiss the case. If you realize you made a mistake after you have enrolled, contact the school's customer service right away and ask them to correct it before they send the certificate to the court.
Missing your court's important date is also common. Write down the important date the court gave you and set a phone reminder for one week before it expires. If you do not complete the course and submit your certificate by the important date, the court will reject it and your ticket will not be dismissed. You will then have to pay the fine or contest the ticket in court.
Some people enroll in a school that is not on their court's approved list. This happens when they search online for "California traffic school" and pick the first result without checking whether it is approved by their specific court. The court will not accept a certificate from an unapproved school. Always use the list your court provided, not a general internet search.
How traffic school affects your insurance and driving record
When you complete traffic school and the court dismisses your ticket, the point is removed from your California driving record. This means your insurance company will not see the violation and cannot use it to raise your rates. However, the ticket itself remains in court records — it is not erased from history.
Insurance companies can sometimes see tickets even after they are dismissed, depending on how they access records. Some insurers check only your DMV driving record, which will not show a dismissed ticket. Others check court records directly and may see the dismissed ticket but will not count it against you because it was dismissed. Call your insurance company and ask how they handle dismissed tickets if you are concerned about your rates.
You can take traffic school once every 18 months. If you get another ticket before 18 months have passed, you cannot use traffic school to dismiss it. The court will tell you whether you are may be able to access when you receive your new ticket notice. After 18 months from your last traffic school completion, you become may be able to access again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take traffic school if I was speeding more than 15 miles over the limit?
It depends on the court. Some California courts allow traffic school for any speeding violation. Others have a rule that you cannot use traffic school if you were going more than 15 or 20 miles over the limit. Your ticket notice will tell you whether you are may be able to access, or you can call the court and ask. If you are not may be able to access, you cannot take traffic school no matter which school you choose.
What if I do not finish the course by the court's important date?
The court will reject your request for traffic school and you will have to pay the fine or go to court to contest the ticket. There is no extension or late submission — the important date is firm. If you are running out of time, contact your school's customer service and ask if they can rush your certificate to the court, or request a important date extension from the court before the important date passes.
Do I have to tell my insurance company I took traffic school?
No. Once the ticket is dismissed, you do not have to report it to your insurance company. Your insurance company will check your DMV driving record, which will not show a dismissed ticket. You do not need to do anything after the court dismisses your ticket.
Can I take traffic school for a ticket I got in another state?
No. California traffic school only works for tickets issued in California. If you received a ticket in another state, you must follow that state's procedures. Some states have online traffic school; others do not. Contact the court in the state where you received the ticket to find out what your options are.
What happens if the school sends my certificate to the wrong court?
Contact the school when ready and tell them they sent it to the wrong court. Ask them to contact that court and request the certificate back, then send it to the correct court. This can take several days. If your important date is very close, also contact your correct court and explain what happened — some courts will give you a brief extension if the school made the error.