Frequently Asked Questions

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ABOUT TRAFFIC SCHOOL

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CERTIFICATE

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How Much Does The Course Cost?

  • You take our course for free and pay $19.95 after you pass the final test.
  • No payment or credit card is required to take the course. 
  • You enter your ticket information and pay after you pass the final test.

Who Can Take Traffic School?

According to Vehicle Code section 42005 and California Rules of Court rule 4.104, you are generally eligible to attend traffic school if the following criteria are met.

    • You have a valid driver’s license

    • Your ticket is for an infraction that is a moving violation

    • The violation(s) on your ticket must be an eligible one-point Vehicle Code infraction. See the list of one-point violations here.

    • You have not attended traffic school for an eligible violation that occurred within the last 18 months

    • You cannot go to traffic school for any:

    • Speeding tickets where the alleged speed was more than 25 mph over the speed limit.

    • Equipment or non-moving violations. For more information regarding eligibility, see California Rule of Court Rule 4.104.

    • Misdemeanor

    • A violation that has a mandatory Court appearance

    • Alcohol or drug-related violations

    • Citation/ticket that has defaulted to a failure to appear unless the failure to appear charge has been adjudicated and any fine or civil assessment imposed has been paid.

Commercial Drivers

The California Vehicle Code (see section VC42005 on this state code page ) states that drivers with a commercial driver's license can only attend traffic school if they were not driving a commercial vehicle. Upon completion, the record of conviction will not be held confidential, but the conviction will not add a point count to the DMV record.

Drivers with a commercial driver's license are responsible for contacting the DMV Driver Safety Unit at (916) 657-6452  after completion of traffic school, to ensure that the DMV does not assess the point against their record.

When Do I Enter My Ticket and Court Information?

  • You enter your court and ticket details after you successfully pass the final test.

How Long Does The Course Take?

Because there are no timers to slow you down, you finish the course as fast as you can read. On average people finish in 4 to 5 hours or faster. 

Can I Stop and Start the Course?

Our course is Self-Paced

  • You can start and stop the course as many times as you’d like.
  • Your progress is automatically saved and you continue where you left off.
  • You have access to the course 24/7, 365 days a year.
  • The final test is the only part of the course that you must take all at once.

How Many Chances Do I Get To Pass The Final Test?

  • You have 2 chances to pass the final test of 25 multiple-choice questions with a score of 70% or more.  

  • You can miss 7 questions and still pass

  • There are no trick questions

  • Over 99% of people pass on their first try

  • You can retake the course an unlimited number of times until you pass

How Do I Reset My Password?

If you forgot your password, you can reset it by Clicking Here

Are You DMV Licensed and CA Court Approved?

Our online traffic school course is licensed by the California DMV (License #E0543) and our course Completion Certificate is accepted by all 58 California county traffic courts. Our license can be seen by clicking here.

I’m In A Rush. Do You Send Certificates To The Court The Same Day?

Yes. Our optional Same Business Day Express upgrade sends your certificate to the DMV and court on the same day.  You must pass by 4:30 p.m.  California time (Monday - Friday) and pay for the course. 

I Already Paid The Court For Traffic School. Why do I have to Pay You?

You paid the court's traffic school administration fee. This is the fee the court charges you to process the certificate we send them. If you do not pay this fee, the court will reject your certificate. Our traffic school course fee is separate from the court's fee.

Should I Pay My Ticket First?

We recommend that you pay the court's traffic school administration fee and the bail amount due on your ticket first. This ensures nothing stops the court from processing your certificate once they receive it and it doesn’t get lost in their system.

Be certain to pay the court's traffic school administration fee!  Non-payment of this fee is the #1 reason why courts reject certificates. If you do not see this fee in the information you receive from the court, be certain that you are court-approved to take traffic school. This does not cover the cost of our traffic school course.

Which Courts Accept Your Certificate?

All California traffic courts, all Federal courts, and some out-of-state courts accept our traffic school certificate. The course meets the requirements for an 8-hour California DMV-licensed course.

How Do I Know If I'm Approved To Take Traffic School?

You will receive a courtesy letter from the court approximately 2 or 3 weeks after you get your ticket.  This letter will inform you if you are court-approved to take traffic school and when your traffic school due date is.

Letters from the court are poorly written. If you see an additional court fee for Traffic School Administration it means you are approved to take traffic school. Note that this fee is for the court to process the certificate we send them after you pass. It does not include our traffic school course fee.

If your letter does not mention traffic school, your ticket may not be eligible for traffic school (i.e., took traffic school within the past 18 months, excessive speed, fix it ticket, seat belt, texting, insurance, carpool lane violations). Contact the court to find out if you are eligible.

When Is My Traffic School Due Date?

Your traffic school due date will be stated in the letter you receive from the court. If it is not stated in the letter, you may not be eligible to take traffic school. Check with the court.

Some courts require that you pass traffic school by their due date. Other courts require that they receive your certificate by their due date. Your due date information is in the letter you received from the court.

If you're past the due date, the court will reject your certificate. If you are less than 30 days late, you can sometimes request an extension from the court.

Court and DMV processing time are not counted towards your traffic school due date

How do I check to see if the court received my certificate?

Once you pass our course, it can take the court up to 30 days to review and close your citation with traffic school credit.  In order for you to check if they have processed your certificate, you must contact the court directly by:

    • Going to their website and checking the status of your ticket (not all courts offer this capability)
    • Calling the phone number on the letter the court sent you; or
    • Visiting one of their locations personally

If your ticket is from Los Angeles County, please read the below information.

Be advised that LA county courts have a long history of losing and not processing certificates. To assist people with issues of non-processed traffic school certificates, the LA Traffic Advisory Service was created.

If your ticket is from an LA County Court:

    1. Do NOT waste your time calling or going to an LA court
    2. Go to the LA County Superior Court's website (click here)
      • Enter your information on the bottom left of the page
    3. If your ticket does not show 'Closed' on the court's website after 30 days - contact the Los Angeles Traffic Advisory Service.
    • Tel: 800-555-4452 (Los Angeles Traffic Advisory Service)
    • Email: TrafficSchoolinfo@lacda.org
    • Note: This is ONLY for Los Angeles County tickets

What Devices Can I Use?

You can use an internet-connected smartphone, tablet, or computer to take our course.  You can sign in and out of the course using multiple devices.  Take the course at home, on the go, or from work.  Just go to our website and sign into your account.

What Payment Methods Do You Accept?

We accept all major credit cards, debit cards with the Visa or Mastercard logo, and PayPal. Sorry, we do not accept checks and do not accept payment over the phone.

 

Online Payment Security

The security of your information is a priority for us.  As such, our secure website uses the latest encryption and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to protect the security of your online order information. We do not store any of your credit card information and when your transaction is transmitted, your credit card information is encrypted and replaced with numbers that mean nothing to anyone except your credit card company.

Who Can Take Traffic School?

According to Vehicle Code section 42005 and California Rules of Court rule 4.104, you are generally eligible to attend traffic school if the following criteria are met.

    • You have a valid driver’s license

    • Your ticket is for an infraction that is a moving violation

    • The violation(s) on your ticket must be an eligible one-point Vehicle Code infraction. See the list of one-point violations here.

    • You have not attended traffic school for an eligible violation that occurred within the last 18 months

    • You cannot go to traffic school for any:

    • Speeding tickets where the alleged speed was more than 25 mph over the speed limit.

    • Equipment or non-moving violations. For more information regarding eligibility, see California Rule of Court Rule 4.104.

    • Misdemeanor

    • A violation that has a mandatory Court appearance

    • Alcohol or drug-related violations

    • Citation/ticket that has defaulted to a failure to appear unless the failure to appear charge has been adjudicated and any fine or civil assessment imposed has been paid.

Commercial Drivers

The California Vehicle Code (see section VC42005 on this state code page ) states that drivers with a commercial driver's license can only attend traffic school if they were not driving a commercial vehicle. Upon completion, the record of conviction will not be held confidential, but the conviction will not add a point count to the DMV record.

Drivers with a commercial driver's license are responsible for contacting the DMV Driver Safety Unit at (916) 657-6452  after completion of traffic school, to ensure that the DMV does not assess the point against their record.

Will Points Show On My Driving Record After I Complete Traffic School?

According to California Vehicle Code 1808.7, Section 1803.5, California courts must report traffic safety violations as convictions. If you’re eligible and complete a licensed traffic school course, however, your violation will be kept confidential and no violation points will show on your driving record.  

Commercial Drivers

The court may approve traffic school for a driver with a commercial driver’s license if the eligible offense occurred in a non-commercial vehicle. After completion of traffic school by a driver with a commercial driver’s license, a conviction will still appear on the driving record at the DMV, but a point will not be counted towards a person's total negligent operator point count. 

Drivers with a commercial driver's license are responsible for contacting the DMV Driver Safety Unit at (916) 657-6452. This is required so that the DMV does not assess the point against your record.

Why Should I Take Traffic School?

The cost of taking traffic school is small compared to the hundreds of dollars in increased auto insurance premiums a ticket could cost you over the three years it says on your driving record. According to a 2012 analysis of over 490,000 policy quotes conducted by Insurance.com, getting a single ticket can boost an average policyholder’s auto insurance premium by as much as 22 percent.

Other reasons for taking traffic school include keeping your driving record clean for employment reasons, and when you already have some existing tickets on your record.

How Many Times Can I Take Traffic School?

According to California Vehicle Code (Section 1808.7), you can only take traffic school and have one ticket masked in an 18-month period.   

What's The Deadline For Taking Traffic School?

Once the court receives your intent to attend traffic school along with the required fees, they will give you a date by which you need to complete traffic school.  Look closely at the documents you receive for a date and contact the court using the phone number on your ticket if you do not see one. Some courts require you to finish by a certain date, and other courts require that they receive your certificate by a certain date.  Make certain to look at the information the court sends you carefully.

If the deadline for you to take traffic school has passed, you’ll need to contact the court listed on your ticket to see if they will give you an extension.

How Do I Receive Credit For Completing Traffic School

To receive credit for completing Traffic School you must have:

1. Pleaded guilty and paid the bail/fine amount due to the court

2. Paid the court's traffic school administration fee (this is the fee they charge to process the certificate we send them)

3. Paid for and passed our California DMV Licensed traffic school course by your due date

Once you pass our traffic school course, we electronically submit your Completion Certificate directly to the DMV and Court for you. We also immediately email you a Certificate of Completion for you to keep for your records.

How Long Does Traffic School Take?

Our online traffic school course is considered to be an 8-hour DMV course. On average, it takes our students between 4-5 hours to complete the course but largely depends upon how fast you can read.  Some people finish it much much quicker and some take longer. Since the course is self-paced, how fast you complete the course is completely under your control. Finish it all in one sitting or over multiple sessions.  

With our online course, you can take traffic school using your smartphone, tablet, or internet-connected computer at any time or any place.  Even use different devices throughout the day to log in and out.  We make it convenient for you to take the course whenever you have the time.

In-Classroom Traffic School
The DMV mandates that in-classroom instruction be a minimum of 340 minutes plus 60 minutes for the final test. This means you’ll spend 6+ hours of your day attending an in-classroom traffic school course. Traffic School 4 Busy People does not offer in-classroom courses.

Can I Take Traffic School If I Have A Commercial Driver's License?

Yes. You can take traffic school but the point will still appear on your driving record. The point will not, however, count towards your total negligent operator point count. Once you complete traffic school, you are responsible for contacting the DMV Driver Safety Unit at (916) 657-6452. This is required so that the DMV does not assess the point against your record.

I Received My Ticket From Out of State. Can I Take Your Traffic School?

If you have a California driver’s license but received your ticket while driving in another state, you must contact that court and find out if they will accept a certificate from a California traffic school.  If they do, you will need to print out your certificate after it is emailed to you and send it to the court.  We only electronically send certificates to California courts.

What Information Do I Need To Start?

You only need to provide some basic information to start the free course (no credit card required).

  • Email address
  • Name
  • Answers To Course Security Questions (DMV requirement)

After you pass:

  • You'll enter your ticket, driver's license, and payment information after you pass the final test.

What Forms of Payments Do You Accept?

We accept all major credit and debit cards with the VISA or Mastercard logos and PayPal.

  • Payment is only accepted on our secure website.
  • Payments by phone are not accepted.
  • We do not accept checks or money orders.

What Do I Enter For My Citation Number?

You enter only one of the following numbers:

  • Your citation number (including any letters)
  • Your case number (including any letters)
  • Your docket number (including any letters)

If you do not know any of these numbers, you must contact the court. We do not have access to this information.

When Is My Traffic School Due Date?

Court Due Date

  • The court lists your traffic school due date on the letter they send to you in the mail.  If you do not know it, you should contact the court.  We do not have this information.
  • The time it takes the DMV and Court to process your certificate does not count towards your due date. This is like the IRS and your taxes. The IRS does not immediately process your tax returns the same day you send them. As long as you send them in on time, that’s what counts.

Course Deadline

  • There is no specific deadline by which you need to pass our traffic school course. You do, however, need to meet the court's deadline.

Is Your Website Secure And Safe?

The security of your information is a priority for us.  As such, our secure website uses the latest encryption and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to protect the security of your online order information. We do not store any of your credit card information and when your transaction is transmitted, your credit card information is encrypted and replaced with numbers that mean nothing to anyone except your credit card company. You can check the security status of our website by clicking on the GoDaddy banner in the bottom right corner of our website.

What Kind Of Computer Do I Need To Take The Course?

You can use any internet-connected computer (PC or Mac), tablet, or smartphone to take the course. Your web browser, i.e., Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari, etc. must be up to date for security reasons.

Do You Share Or Sell My Information?

We do not share or sell your personal information. This would be against DMV regulations and we do not do it.

Do I Need To Install Special Software or a Mobile App?

No. Unlike some of our competitors, we do not require that you install any special software or download mobile apps.  Just navigate to our website www.trafficschool4busypeople.com on your device and sign in to take the course.

Is Your Course Mobile Friendly?

Yes. You can use any internet-connected computer, tablet or smartphone with an updated web browser. You can even use a combination of all three to complete the course. 

It Won't Take My Citation Number

If the registration page will not take your citation number, be certain that you do not have any spaces between letters or numbers.

If still will not take the information, look at all of the information on the page and be certain something else isn't wrong or missing. 

How Fast Do I Receive My Certificate?

Your certificate is immediately emailed to you as proof of completion once you successfully pass the final test, enter your court and ticket information, and pay.

Please be certain to check your SPAM folder if you do not see it in your regular email inbox.

How Do I Know The Court Has Received My Certificate

If you want to see if the court has cleared your ticket, you need to contact them directly.  Please note that it can take a court a few weeks to process everything and you must have paid all of your court fees and fines.

We send your completion certificate and the information you entered during registration to the court and DMV electronically. Since it is sent electronically, it can't get lost in the mail and all of your information is received just like you entered it. 

Unless you requested express delivery, your completion certificate will be processed and sent to the court within 3 business days after you pass, enter your information, and pay.

 

How Long Does It Take The Court To Close My Ticket?

The court receives your certificate the same day we electronically send it to them. It is time and date stamped by the court.  This date along with the date you completed traffic school lets the court know if you have met their traffic school deadline requirement. 

Once the court receives your certificate in its main database, each local court must have a court administrator download it for your certificate to show up in their system.  Depending on how backlogged the court is, this can take a few days to a few weeks.

Do not expect your certificate to show up immediately as the court system can be 30 years old! We recommend that you follow up with the court 30 days after you have passed traffic school to be certain the court has processed your certificate.

The Court Hasn't Received My Certificate

Our computer system guarantees to electronically send your certificate to the court within 3 business days (standard processing), or the same business day (Express Upgrade Processing). You can see when we sent your certificate to the DMV and Court by signing into your account. 

Here are some top reasons why a court may say they don't see your certificate:

1) Do not expect the court to see your certificate immediately!

  • Do not expect a court to immediately see your certificate in their computer system. A court administrator must download your certificate from a central computer system into their local court system to process it.  Depending on the court, this can take a few days or a few weeks depending on how busy the court is. 
  • Court and DMV processing time is not counted towards your due date requirement. Your certificate is date and time stamped by the court on the date we send it to them. 

2) Has it been 30 days since you passed the course?

It can take a court 30 days or more to process your certificate. Once they determine you have successfully met all of their requirements, they notify the DMV not to show the ticket on your public driving record. We recommend that you check with the court 30 days after you complete the course to ensure that the court processes your certificate.

3) You entered the wrong information when registering

A court will not match your certificate to their ticket information if you provide the wrong information. Check your certificate and be 100% certain that the information you provided is correct and matches what the court has (name, driver's license number, citation number, etc.). If the information you provided is wrong, email us at support@trafficschool4busypeople.com and ask us to correct your information. A $7.95 reprocessing fee will be charged.

4) You didn't meet all of the court's requirements 

If you do not meet all of the court's requirements, the court will reject your certificate and will inform the DMV to show the ticket on your public driving record. The court may or may not inform you or us of their decision to reject your certificate.

Be 100% certain that you were

1) Court-approved to take traffic school

2) Have paid the court for your ticket

3) Have paid the court's traffic school administration fee (not our course fee)

4) Have met the court's traffic school due date

 

WARNING - Los Angeles County Tickets

Please be aware that LA county courts have a significant history of losing and failing to process certificates. This situation has prompted the establishment of the LA Traffic Advisory Service, which helps individuals with issues related to unprocessed traffic school certificates.

If your ticket is from an LA County Court:

    • DO NOT waste your time calling or going to an LA court
    • Go to the LA County Superior Court's website (click here)
      • Enter your information on the bottom left of the page
    • If your ticket does not show 'Closed' on the court's website after 30 days - contact the Los Angeles Traffic Advisory Service.
    • Los Angeles Traffic Advisory Service Tel: 800-555-4452
    • Email: TrafficSchoolinfo@lacda.org
    • Note: This is ONLY for Los Angeles County tickets

How Do I Change Information On My Certificate?

If the information on your certificate is incorrect and your certificate has not been sent to the DMV or Court yet, you can edit the information by going to your My Account page by logging into your account. If your certificate has already been sent, you must email the correct information to support@trafficschool4busypeople.com. A $7.95 reprocessing fee will be charged to correct and resend your certificate. 

What Should I Do After I Receive My Certificate?

Your certificate is proof of traffic school completion.  The DMV recommends that you save a copy for three years. You can do this by saving it in your emails or by printing it out. The decision is yours.

We send your certificate electronically to the DMV and the Court within three days for free, or the same business day if you have purchased the Express Processing Upgrade. You do not need to bring your certificate to the court. The court will only accept our electronic version as official proof of course completion. 

We recommend that you follow up with the court 30 days after you pass and pay for the course to ensure that the court does its job and closes your ticket. 

I Did Not Receive My Certificate

Your Certificate is emailed to you immediately after you pass the course. If you use multiple email addresses, be certain that you are checking the email address you used to register with. You will also want to check your SPAM folder.  You can also download a pdf of your certificate by logging into your account and going to the My Account page.

Do I Need To Take My Certificate To The Court?

No. The court will only accept the electronic version we send them as official proof of traffic school completion. We send your certificate to the court electronically so you do not need to send it to the court. If your ticket is from an out-of-state or a federal court you will need to print out the certificate we email you and send it to the court.

I Haven't Received My Certificate

  • Your Certificate is emailed to you immediately after you pass and pay for the course.
  • If you use multiple email addresses, be certain that you are checking the email address you used to register with.
  • Check your SPAM folder. 
  • You can also download a PDF of your certificate by logging into your account and going to the My Account page.

When Does The Court Receive My Certificate?

  • Our standard price includes 3 business day processing.  Example: You pass on Monday at 4:00 p.m. California time. We guarantee to send your certificate to the DMV and court by Wednesday.
  • If you purchase the optional Express Same Day Processing upgrade, we send your certificate to the court that same business day you finish. You must pass the course by 5:00 California time. If you pass and pay after 5:00 on a business day, it is sent the next business day.

 Court Processing 

  • Your certificate is time and date stamped by the DMV’s central database as soon as we electronically send it.
  • The court does not process your certificate immediately!
  • A local court administrator must download your certificate from the DMV’s central computer database before it shows up at your local court. This can take a few days or a few weeks.

Depending on the court, it can take the court 30 days or more to process the certificate we send them.

Court Due Date 

The time it takes the DMV and Court to process your certificate does not count towards your due date. This is like the IRS and your taxes. The IRS does not immediately process your tax returns the same day you send them. As long as you send them in on time, that’s what counts.

How Long Does The Course Take?

Because there are no timers to slow you down, you finish the course as fast as you can read. On average people finish in 4 to 5 hours or faster. 

Do I Have To Take The Course All At Once?

No. Our course is self-paced and has no time limit. You can start and stop the course as many times as you'd like. Your progress is automatically saved. Just be certain that you pass by your court due date.

Can I Stop and Re-Start The Course Later?

Yes. To stop the course, simply “log out” by clicking the link at the top of the course. Your progress is automatically saved. To re-start the course, sign in using the Student Login link at the top of the homepage.

How Many Chances Do I Have To Pass The Final Test?

  • You have 2 chances to pass the final test of 25 multiple-choice questions with a score of 70% or more.  
  • You can miss 7 questions and still pass. 
  • There are no trick questions
  • Over 99% of people pass on their first try
  • If you don’t pass on your second try, you can re-take the course an unlimited number of times until you pass. You can also try another traffic school.

How Many Chapters Are There?

The course consists of 12 chapters and meets the DMV's minimum course length. On average, people finish our course in 4 to 5 hours.

Is The Course Narrated?

Yes. You can follow along as the course text is highlighted and read aloud, or read the course without narration. The choice is up to you.

How Much Time Do I Have To Finish The Course?

You have an unlimited amount of time to complete the course but must pass by your court due date.

When Can I Take The Course?

You can start taking the course after you finish registering.  You have access 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.  You can stop and start the course as many times as you need.  Your progress is automatically saved.

Do You Have A Course Taught In A Traditional Classroom?

No. We do not have a course taught in a classroom. Our course is only taught on our website from the comfort of your office or home.  Our online course provides the most flexibility by giving people the ability to take it whenever and wherever they are, any time of day or night.

What Happens After I Pass The Course?

1) After you pass the final test, you enter your contact and ticket information and pay. 

2) We electronically send your certificate to the California DMV/Court Central Traffic School Database within 3 business days for free, or the same business day if you have purchased the Express Processing upgrade.

3) A court administrator from your local court downloads your certificate from the central database to their database; this is when your certificate shows up in a local court system. Depending on the court, this can take a day or a few weeks.

4) The court administrator determines if you have met all of their requirements (paid all fines, met due date, approved to take traffic school, etc.). 

5) If you have met all of the court requirements, they electronically inform the DMV to mask your ticket and not show the ticket on your public driving record.

6) If the court rejects your certificate, they may or may not inform you or us! We do not have access to this private information and we recommend you follow up with the court 30 days after you pass to ensure they have processed your certificate (use the information in the letter or on your ticket to contact the court).

WHAT DEVICES CAN I USE?

You can use an internet-connected smartphone, tablet, or computer to take our course.  You can sign in and out of the course using multiple devices.  Take the course at home, on the go or from work.  Just go to our website and sign into your account.

Which Courts Accept Your Certificate?

All 58 California County Traffic Courts, all Federal courts, and some out-of-state courts accept our traffic school certificate as proof of successful course completion.

How Do I Know If I'm Court Approved To Take Traffic School?

You will receive a courtesy letter from the court approximately 2 or 3 weeks after you get your ticket.  This letter will inform you if you are court-approved to take traffic school and when your traffic school due date is.

Letters from the court are poorly written. If you see an additional court fee for Traffic School Administration it means you are approved to take traffic school. Note that this fee is for the court to process the certificate we send them after you pass. It does not include our traffic school course fee.

If your letter does not mention traffic school, your ticket may not be eligible for traffic school (i.e., took traffic school within the past 18 months, excessive speed, fix it ticket, seat belt, texting, insurance, carpool lane violations). Contact the court to find out if you are eligible.

What Happens After I Pass?

1) After you pass the final test, you enter your contact and ticket information and pay. 

2) We electronically send your certificate to the California DMV/Court Central Traffic School Database within 3 business days for free, or the same business day if you have purchased the Express Processing upgrade.

3) A court administrator from your local court downloads your certificate from the central database to their database; this is when your certificate shows up in a local court system. Depending on the court, this can take a day or a few weeks.

4) The court administrator determines if you have met all of their requirements (paid all fines, met due date, approved to take traffic school, etc.). 

5) If you have met all of the court requirements, they electronically inform the DMV to mask your ticket and not show the ticket on your public driving record.

6) If the court rejects your certificate, they may or may not inform you or us! We do not have access to this private information and we recommend you follow up with the court 30 days after you pass to ensure they have processed your certificate (use the information in the letter or on your ticket to contact the court).

I Already Paid The Court For Traffic School. Why Do I Pay You?

You paid the court's traffic school administration fee. This is the fee the court charges you to process the certificate we send them. Our traffic school course fee is separate.

When Does The Court Receive My Certificate?

  • Our standard price includes 3 business day processing.  Example: You pass on Monday at 4:00 p.m. California time. We guarantee to send your certificate to the DMV and court by Wednesday.
  • If you purchase the optional Express Same Day Processing upgrade, we send your certificate to the court that same business day you finish. You must pass the course by 5:00 California time. If you pass after 5:00, your certificate will be sent the next business day.

 Court Processing 

  • Your certificate is time and date stamped by the DMV’s central database as soon as we electronically send it.
  • The court does not process your certificate immediately!
  • A local court administrator must download your certificate from the DMV’s central computer database before it shows up at your local court. This can take a few days or a few weeks.

Depending on the court, it can take the court 30 days or more to process the certificate we send them.

Court Due Date 

The time it takes the DMV and Court to process your certificate does not count towards your due date. This is like the IRS and your taxes. The IRS does not immediately process your tax returns the same day you send them. As long as you send them in on time, that’s what counts.

How Does The Court and DMV Process Work?

Step 1: The Court Downloads Your Certificate To Their Local Computer System
 
Your certificate does not show up in a local court's computer system until they download it from the central computer system.
  • A Court Administrator reviews your certificate against their requirements:
    • Does the information on the certificate match their records
    • Were you approved to take traffic school
    • Did you pay the ticket bail amount
    • Did you pay the Court's Traffic School Fee 
    • Did you meet the court's traffic school due date
  • Court processing time does not count toward your court traffic school due date
  • This process can take up to 30 days and does not happen immediately
Step 2: The Court Accepts or Rejects Your Certificate
  • If your certificate is accepted, the court 'closes' your case and informs the DMV to "Mask" and not show the ticket on your public driving record. 
  • If your certificate is rejected, the court will inform the DMV to put the ticket on your public driving record. The court may or may not contact us or you about their decision. 

 

 

Should I Pay The Court First?

We recommend that you pay the court their traffic school administration fee and the bail amount due on your ticket first.  This ensures nothing stops the court from processing your certificate once they receive it and it doesn’t get lost in their system.

Be certain to pay the court's traffic school administration fee!  Non-payment of this fee is the #1 reason why courts reject certificates. This does not cover the cost of our traffic school course.

How Do I Know My Certificate Was Sent To The Court?

Once you receive your completion certificate, you have our guarantee that it will be electronically sent to the DMV and court within 3 business days (the same business day if you’ve purchased the optional Express Processing upgrade).  You can also purchase the optional Date Certificate was sent upgrade that notifies you when we send your certificate. By logging into your My Account page you can see when your certificate was sent.

How Long Does It Take For The Court To Close My Ticket?

It can take a court 30 days or more to process and close your ticket depending on how busy the court is.

The court receives your certificate the same day we electronically send it to them. It is time and date stamped by the court.  This date along with the date you completed traffic school lets the court know if you have met their traffic school deadline requirement. 

Once the court receives your certificate in its main database, each local court must have a court administrator download it for your certificate to show up in their system.  Depending on how backlogged the court is, this can take a few days to a few weeks.

Do not expect your certificate to show up immediately as the court system can be 30 years old! We recommend that you follow up with the court 30 days after you have passed traffic school to be certain the court has processed your certificate.

The Court Has Not Received My Certificate

Our computer system guarantees to electronically send your certificate to the court within 3 business days (standard processing), or the same business day (Express Upgrade Processing). You can see when we sent your certificate to the DMV and Court by signing into your account. 

Here are some top reasons why a court may say they don't see your certificate:

1) Do not expect the court to see your certificate immediately!

  • Do not expect a court to immediately see your certificate in their computer system. A court administrator must download your certificate from a central computer system into their local court system to process it.  Depending on the court, this can take a few days or a few weeks depending on how busy the court is. 
  • Court and DMV processing time is not counted towards your due date requirement. Your certificate is date and time stamped by the court on the date we send it to them. 

2) Has it been 30 days since you passed the course?

It can take a court 30 days or more to process your certificate. Once they determine you have successfully met all of their requirements, they notify the DMV not to show the ticket on your public driving record. We recommend that you check with the court 30 days after you complete the course to ensure that the court processes your certificate.

3) You entered the wrong information when registering

A court will not match your certificate to their ticket information if you provide the wrong information. Check your certificate and be 100% certain that the information you provided is correct and matches what the court has (name, driver's license number, citation number, etc.). If the information you provided is wrong, email us at support@trafficschool4busypeople.com and ask us to correct your information. A $7.95 reprocessing fee will be charged.

4) You didn't meet all of the court's requirements 

If you do not meet all of the court's requirements, the court will reject your certificate and will inform the DMV to show the ticket on your public driving record. The court may or may not inform you or us of their decision to reject your certificate.

Be 100% certain that you were

1) Court-approved to take traffic school

2) Have paid the court for your ticket

3) Have paid the court's traffic school administration fee (not our course fee)

4) Have met the court's traffic school due date

 

WARNING - Los Angeles County Tickets

Please be aware that LA county courts have a significant history of losing and failing to process certificates. This situation has prompted the establishment of the LA Traffic Advisory Service, which helps individuals with issues related to unprocessed traffic school certificates.

If your ticket is from an LA County Court:

    • DO NOT waste your time calling or going to an LA court
    • Go to the LA County Superior Court's website (click here)
      • Enter your information on the bottom left of the page
    • If your ticket does not show 'Closed' on the court's website after 30 days - contact the Los Angeles Traffic Advisory Service.
    • Los Angeles Traffic Advisory Service Tel: 800-555-4452
    • Email: TrafficSchoolinfo@lacda.org
    • Note: This is ONLY for Los Angeles County tickets

What Is My Court Due Date?

The court gives you a date by which you either must pass traffic school or a date by which the court must receive your traffic school certificate. This date is stated on the letter you receive from the court and is usually 60-90 days after your payment due date. If you are past this date, you can contact the court and ask for an extension. If you do not have this information you must contact the court.

Why Hasn't The Court Dismissed My Ticket

Reasons Why The Court May Not Have Dismissed Your Ticket
 
Once we send your certificate to the court, it is their responsibility to 'close' and dismiss your ticket. They can reject the certificate we send them for several reasons only known to the court.
 
The top reasons are as follows:
  • You did not pay the court's traffic school administration fee
  • You were not approved for traffic school
  • You took traffic school before your ticket was entered into the court's system
  • You did not provide accurate information (court, ticket, driver's license, etc.)
  • You did not pay the bail amount due on your ticket by the due date
  • You signed up for a payment plan but did not make all payments by the due date
  • You did not meet the court's traffic school due date
  • The court received and then lost your certificate in their antiquated computer system
  • You have a commercial driver's license (in this case the point does not count towards your total NOTS points, but does stay on your driving record)
 
What To Do Next
  1. Go through the checklist we provided in your certificate email and make certain all of the information you provided on your certificate is correct.  If you provided incorrect information, email us the correct information to support@trafficschool4busypeople.com and we can correct and re-send your certificate to the court.  A $7.95 court re-submission fee will be assessed. 
  2. If all of your information is correct, you will need to contact the court directly to find out why they did not dismiss your ticket. Only the court knows the reason(s).

Federal Traffic Tickets From a US District Court

Here are the steps required to take traffic school for federal court tickets:

1) Make certain you receive permission to take traffic school from the federal court

2) Please select "Federal Courts" from the County dropdown list and select "federal courthouse" for court 

3) Once you pass the final test you will need to print out the completion certificate you receive and mail it to the address on your ticket. We do not send your certificate to Federal Courts

 

"Proof that you have completed traffic school must be received by the court within 60 days of the original court date that is listed on the Notice to Appear. Note that Federal courts are unable to accept electronic submissions of certificates from traffic schools. You must submit either a copy of your certificate or a copy of the confirmation email (for online courses) showing that you have completed the course to the court by mail. Failure to submit proof of completion may result in a hold being placed on your license."

FAQs on Federal Court Traffic School is located at this site

Out Of State Court Tickets

If you hold a California driver's license, you may have the option to take traffic school for an out-of-state ticket. However, you must first contact the out-of-state court and obtain permission to enroll in California Traffic School. Once you pass and pay for our course, you must print out and mail the certificate that is emailed to you. We do not send out-of-state courts certificates. 

Additional Information:

The local court determines whether a ticket appears on a person’s driving record. Some states do not offer traffic school, and several states share DMV information​ with the California DMV. Therefore, if a​n out-of-state court is part of this information-sharing group and records the ticket, the California DMV may also add it to the driver’s California record.​ To avoid this, the person must get the ticket blocked from their driving record by the court in the other state by taking traffic school (if allowed). 
  1. Ticket handling and traffic school eligibility depend on the laws and courts of the state where the ticket was issued.
  2. Tickets are recorded in the DMV of the issuing state.
  3. Some states share DMV records, so a ticket in one state may appear on another state’s driving record.
  4. The driver must contact the court in the state where they received the ticket to confirm whether it accepts a California Traffic School certificate.
  5. If the out-of-state court accepts the certificate, the driver must print the emailed certificate and mail it to that court. We only send certificates directly to California courts.

It's Past My Court Due Date

If it's past your court-required traffic school due date, contact the court. You might be able to get an extension. Also, be certain that you are looking at the traffic school due date and not your payment due date as they are different.

What Happens If I am on A Payment Plan?

If you are on a payment plan with the court, they will not close your case until the outstanding balance is paid in full to the Court. 

They will hold your Certificate of Completion until your Traffic School Completion Due Date to give you time to pay the balance in full.

If payment is not made by this date, your Certificate of Completion will not be accepted and your case will be reported to DMV as a conviction

Customer Support Hours

Customer support agents are here to answer your phone calls Monday to Thursday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm California time. 

Toll-Free: 800-287-9841

Email: support@trafficschool4busypeople.com

 

Office Hours (Our Course is Only Online)

M-F 9:00 am to 4:00 pm California Time

 

I Forgot My Password

If you forgot your password, you can reset it by Clicking Here

    1. You will be asked for the email address you used to register for the course with
    2. You will be sent an email within a few minutes
    3. Follow the instructions in the email and Click on the link to reset your password
    4. You will be asked to create a new password

Please remember to write down your new password.

My Information Is Wrong

If your registration information is wrong, and your certificate has not been sent to the court and DMV yet, you can edit your information by logging in and going to your My Account page. 

If your certificate has already been sent to the court and DMV, you must email the correct information to support@trafficschool4busypeople.com. A $7.95 reprocessing fee will be charged.

I Registered Using The Wrong Email Address

If you registered using the wrong email address, you can edit it by logging into your account and going to your My Account page.