Can you take
traffic school
in California?
Usually yes: a valid US driver's license, your court's permission, a moving violation, and no traffic school in the last 18 months.
Check in 60 seconds
Four questions, then a straight answer
The same four questions Mirai Traffic School students answer before they start the course.
Do you have a valid driver's license from any US state or territory?
Required by California DMV to enroll in traffic school.
You qualify if
All four need to be true, the same four the check above asks about.
- A valid US driver’s license
- Your court allowed traffic school
- A moving violation
- No traffic school in the last 18 months
Question by question
What each question is checking
The four questions in the check above, word for word, and the answer that means you may not be eligible.
- 01
Do you have a valid driver's license from any US state or territory?
Required by California DMV to enroll in traffic school.
If you answer No: A valid US driver's license is required to take a California traffic school course.
California Rules of Court, rule 4.104 - 02
Did the court approve you to attend traffic school for this violation?
Check your citation or court notice — it should say if traffic school is available.
If you answer No: Court approval is required before attending traffic school. Please contact your court to request traffic school eligibility.
California Courts self-help: traffic school - 03
Is your violation a moving violation (not a parking ticket or equipment violation)?
Traffic school only applies to moving violations like speeding or running a red light.
If you answer No: Traffic school is only available for moving violations. Parking tickets and equipment violations are not eligible.
California Courts self-help: traffic school - 04
Have you completed a traffic school course in California in the last 18 months?
California law allows traffic school once every 18 months. If you're unsure, select "No".
If you answer Yes: California law limits traffic school attendance to once every 18 months. You may not be eligible at this time.
Vehicle Code section 1808.7
General information, not legal advice. Your court has the final say on your citation.
Exclusions
Why a court may say no
Question 2 asks whether your court allowed traffic school for this ticket. A court clerk cannot allow it in any of these cases. A judge still can, on the facts of your case.
Any violation committed in a commercial vehicle
Excluded outright, whatever license the driver holds.
Vehicle Code section 42005Any misdemeanour
A clerk may only authorise traffic school for an infraction.
California Rules of Court, rule 4.104Anything related to alcohol or drug use or possession, including DUI
Named as excluded in both rule 4.104 and section 42005.
Vehicle Code section 42005Reckless driving, and any violation worth more than one point
Section 12810 sets the point counts. Two-point violations are outside the rule.
Vehicle Code section 12810Failing to stop after an accident
A two-point violation under section 12810.
Vehicle Code section 12810Speeding alleged at more than 25 mph over the limit
Exactly 25 over is still within the rule. 26 over is the first excluded speed.
California Rules of Court, rule 4.104Parking, registration and equipment tickets
No DMV point attaches, so there is nothing to keep off the record. Use a certificate of correction instead.
California Courts self-help: traffic schoolA ticket with an unresolved failure-to-appear charge
Excluded until the failure-to-appear is adjudicated and any fine paid.
California Rules of Court, rule 4.104
Vehicle and license
The vehicle and the license are two different rules
One is about the vehicle you were driving. The other is about the license you hold. Most sites collapse them into a single bullet and get it wrong.
You were driving a commercial vehicle when you were cited
Not eligible
Section 42005 binds the court itself, not just the clerk, and it says so regardless of your license class. Ask your court what else your citation allows.
You hold a class A, B or commercial C license but drove your own car
Eligible, but insurers still see it
The court cannot keep the conviction confidential, because federal rules require commercial records be reported. It still will not count toward a suspension.
What it does
Traffic school hides the point. It does not delete the ticket.
The DMV keeps the conviction confidential and assesses no violation point. The conviction itself does not go away.
Who can see it afterwards
- Your insurer
- Hidden
- Anyone else who asks the DMV
- Hidden
- Your DMV point count
- No point added
- The court
- Still sees it
Only one conviction in any 18-month period can be treated this way.
Questions
Common questions
The ones people ask most often about eligibility. The full set covers the course, the exam and refunds too.
Next step
Court said yes? Start today.
DMV license #E0756, accepted by courts across California. $24.99, in English, Japanese, Spanish and Russian.