Traffic Division

Traffic Citations

Bail Forfeiture & Fine Payment Options

You should receive a courtesy notice in the mail prior to the due date located on the bottom of your citation. If you have not received notification within 5 days of your appearance date, please contact the court to review your options. Fines may be paid on line using our self-service traffic payment system, by phone, by mail or by coming into our office.

If you need time to pay your ticket, payment plans are available through California Service Bureau. You must be referred by the Court for a payment plan before you can begin making payments. There is also a $35.00 administrative fee. Come to the traffic front counter to receive your referral and further information. Payment arrangements must be made prior to your due date.

Traffic School Options & Eligibility

The Courtesy Notice identifies if you are eligible for traffic school and the fees that must be paid to the Court before you may sign-up. These fees are the bail amount (varies by violation) and a State/Court administrative fee. An additional fee will be charged by the traffic school provider when you enroll in their class. Upon payment of the fees, the Court will provide a date on which the traffic school completion is due. If you fail to attend the traffic school, or if you do not successfully complete the course, your fine and administrative fee will be forfeited and a conviction will be reported to the DMV.

You may attend traffic school if you meet the following guidelines:

You have not attended a traffic school in the last 18 months since the date of last violation

You have a valid California driver's license (non-commercial)

Your speeding violation is not more than 25 mph over the speed limit

Your violation did not occur in a commercial vehicle

If you are eligible, and decide not to attend traffic school your automobile insurance may be adversely affected.

Correctable Offenses

If one or more of the violations are correctable offenses, your fine may be reduced by providing proof of correction. The Proof of Correction fee is $25.00 per correction. Should you choose not to provide proof you may pay the total fine due as indicated on your courtesy notice. The Proof of Correction, along with the reduced fine/fee amount, must be received by the court before your due date.

Proof of correction cannot be provided over the phone or on the internet.

Proof of correction for equipment violations can be obtained by having a law enforcement officer sign off your copy of the citation.

Proof of insurance cannot be signed off by a law enforcement officer and must be presented to the Court.

Driver’s license and registration violations may be certified at an office of the Department of Motor Vehicles or you may present the original documentation to the Court.

Court Trials

Options for scheduling a Court Trial

Option 1: Contact the court to post the fine amount as bail and have an arraignment and court trial held on the same day.

Option 2: Contact the court to schedule an arraignment which will not require bail to be posted. At the time of arraignment, a future date for a court trial may be set.

Trial by Written Declaration (pursuant to VC40902):

When requesting a trial by written declaration, the fine amount must be posted as bail. If found not guilty or if the charges are otherwise dismissed, the full amount of bail will be refunded.

October 1, 2015 to March 31, 2017.

To determine eligibility to participate in the amnesty program, please contact the California Service Bureau at (707) 251-0724 or appear in person at 1111 Third Street, Room 100, Napa, CA.