If you are entering a plea of not guilty and proceeding to trial, there are two types of trials in infraction cases. One type is a 'Traffic Court Trial' and the second type is a 'Traffic Trial by Declaration.'
A court trial is an examination of facts and law and is presided over by a judge or commissioner. You must be prepared to produce all evidence, documents, or witnesses to support your case. The court trial can be requested at your arraignment or you can request a court trial without appearing for arraignment by completing the correct section on page one of your Courtesy Notice and returning it to the court. The following requirements must be met to qualify for a court trial without appearing for arraignment: Vehicle Code section 40902 allows a defendant to contest citations in writing, without having to make a personal court appearance. This procedure is called a “trial by declaration.” Trials by written declaration are available in cases involving infraction violations of the Vehicle Code or of local ordinances adopted under the Vehicle Code. You can request a trial by declaration by completing the correct section on page one of your Courtesy Notice and returning it to the court before the appearance date on your citation/ticket. The following requirements must be met to qualify for a Trial by Declaration: Neither you nor the officer will appear in court. The court will consider the case based upon the forms completed by you and the officer, and the court will mail you the Decision and Notice of Decision. If you do not agree with the court's decision, please see the section below on Trial de Novo (request for new trial). If you were found guilty after a trial by written declaration you can file a request for new trial. Vehicle Code 40902(d) provides for a trial de novo for a defendant who is dissatisfied with a decision of the court. You must request the Trial de Novo within 20 days of the date the clerk mailed the Notice of Decision by filing the form " Request for New Trial (Trial De Novo) Judicial Council form TR-220" which is available on the Forms Tab in the Traffic Divisions page.

You may choose to attend Traffic Violator School for certain vehicle violations.
Commercial drivers cited while exercising Class C or Class M driving privileges.

If one or more of the violations are correctable offenses, your bail/fine may be reduced by providing proof of correction. The Proof of Correction fee is $25.00 per correction. You must provide proof of correction for any correctable violations to have your bail/fine reduced, pursuant to 40610 of the California Vehicle Code. Should you choose not to provide proof of correction you may pay the "Total Amount Due" indicated on your courtesy notice. Proof of correction cannot be provided over the phone or on the internet. The Proof of Correction, along with the reduced bail amount, must be received by the court before your Arraignment date. Proof of Liability Insurance on the vehicle effective prior to the issue date and time of your citation reduces the bail on that charge to $25.00. For a reduction in bail/fine, your vehicle must have been insured at the time you received the citation. The Proof of Insurance (NOT the declaration attached to your policy), along with the reduced bail/fine, must be received by the Court before your Arraignment date. Self-certification of corrections is not acceptable.
Sale of the vehicle does not relieve you of the responsibility for correcting the violations you were cited for.

Failure to pay your court ordered fine may result in the total amount due, plus an added penalty for failure to pay, and your case may be forwarded to an outside collection agency. In addition, the Department of Motor Vehicles may be notified of your failure to pay and may request a suspension of your driving privilege.

The following questions and answers are provided for general reference and information only.