Traffic

If the citation does not require a mandatory court appearance, you may follow the instructions on the court’s Reminder Notice to clear a citation. Options generally available include the following:

1. Pay (forfeit) the bail amount. This will close the citation and report the conviction to your driver’s license record (if the violation is reportable to the California Department of Motor Vehicles).

   Pay Your Fine Now

   To make a payment by phone, please call (855) 741-7781, Mon-Fri 7am-9pm and Sat-Sun 9am-6pm EST.

2. Submit the signed "Certificate of Correction" with appropriate fees to the court via mail, the drop box outside 108J or in person. Any police officer may sign-off most correctable violations. Violations of 16028 VC (automobile liability insurance) will only be dismissed upon: (1) showing or mailing evidence of financial responsibility (to the court) which was valid at the time the notice to appear was issued and (2) payment of a transaction fee shown on your Reminder Notice. The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) may only sign-off vehicle registration and driver’s license violations.
3. Sign-up with the court to attend Traffic Violator School (TVS) (if eligible). Home study, and online internet classes are available throughout California. NOTE: If you are eligible and decide not to attend Traffic Violator School, your automobile insurance may be adversely affected. One conviction in any 18-month period will be held confidential on your DMV record if you complete a Traffic Violator School and pay all related Traffic Violator School fees. See below for further information regarding Traffic Violator School.
4. Request a court trial. Please refer to the section below entitled "To Contest Your Citation" for more information.

Most citations are cleared with the court without appearing before the Judge. Virtual or in person Court is the arraignment process for Traffic Infraction level violations. Individuals, who have been issued citations which require a mandatory appearance, or who wish to request a court trial without posting bail, must contact the Court to schedule a virtual or in person court appearance. There are no same day court appearances. You are not required to deposit bail when requesting an arraignment hearing or when requesting a court trial at your arraignment appearance.

• You may request a determination regarding your ability to pay due to financial hardship in order for the court to consider an alternative sentence such as a payment plan or community service. Please contact the court to obtain additional information.

Generally, when an officer issues a citation to appear in Traffic Court, the violation is an infraction and the citation will include an appearance date. You must clear your citation with the court on or before this date, or any court issued extension of this date. The court will mail a Reminder Notice to the address listed on the citation. The Reminder Notice will explain how to clear the citation with the Court (See Options to Clear Your Citation above). If you do not receive a Reminder Notice within six weeks after receiving a citation, contact the Traffic Division immediately at (707) 521-6680.

If you are unable to clear your citation before the due date, you may be eligible for an extension. You may request an extension by accessing the court’s website at sonoma.courts.ca.gov and clicking on the "Pay Online" link. You may also obtain an extension by calling (707) 521-6680 between 8:00 AM and 12:00 Noon - Monday through Friday.

IMPORTANT: You must take action on or before the Due Date on your citation. Failure to address your citation by your Due Date may result in additional charges, penalties, assessments, fees and actions, including a civil assessment of $100 (Penal Code 1214.1), a hold or suspension placed on your driver’s license, and/or a possible warrant for your arrest. The civil assessment under Penal Code 1214.1 may be collected by attachment of your wages, bank accounts and other property, or by tax refund interception. If your citation goes to collections, you must call Court Collections at (707)521-6659 to clear your citation. If your citation is in collections, Traffic Division staff will refer you to the Court Collections Division for assistance. Go to Court Collections Division page

If you wish to contest your citation, you may plead NOT GUILTY by using one of the following methods:

1. Complete and file a Declaration of Intent to Plead NOT Guilty and Request a Trial Date with the court in person before the citation due date. You may also submit your Request for a Court Trial by mail. You must post the bail amount stated on your Reminder Notice when this declaration or form is filed with the court. The court will notify you of your Trial Date and the officer will be subpoenaed to be present. Please note that bail may not be posted via credit card, over the Internet, or through the court’s phone system. If you are found not guilty, and no other fines/fees are assessed, your posted bail will be refunded.

2. Complete and file a Request for Trial by Written Declaration (TR-205). You must post the bail amount stated on your Reminder Notice when this form is filed with the court. Please read the TR-200 instruction form before completing the form and filing it with the court. The bail and the declaration form must be submitted before the due date listed on your Reminder Notice.

   If you are found not guilty after the Trial by Declaration, and no other fines/fees are assessed, your posted bail will be refunded. If you are found guilty, you have the option of requesting a new trial (Trial de Novo). You may request a Trial de Novo by submitting a TR221 form only in the 20 days following the court's finding of guilt. Premature and untimely filings will be rejected and returned.

   Please note that bail may not be posted via credit card, over the Internet, or through the court’s phone system.

3. Request a Court Trial by appearing in Court virtually or in person. You may appear virtually or in person in Court and request a court trial without payment of bail. A deposit of bail is not required for a virtual or in person Court appearance. To schedule an appearance, please contact the Court at 707-521-6680. You shall not be able to schedule a same day appearance.

To clear a correctable violation, violation must be signed off by a police officer (Certificate of Correction) and submitted to the court with the Proof of Correction amount shown on your Reminder Notice. For insurance violations, please submit a copy of the insurance policy showing the insurance was valid on the date of the violation. Please write your citation number on your check or money order and include your Reminder Notice with your payment. Paying your citation is considered a forfeiture of bail and will close your case. Bail forfeiture is a conviction and will report to your driver’s license record if the violation is reportable to the Department of Motor Vehicles. If you are eligible and wish to attend Traffic Violator School (TVS), please read the Traffic School section prior to submitting your payment. If you are eligible for Traffic School and choose not to attend, your automobile insurance may be adversely affected. Using the pre-addressed Reminder Notice return envelope will expedite the processing of your payment.
Mail payments to:
SUPERIOR COURT TRAFFIC DIVISION
600 ADMINISTRATION DRIVE ROOM 109-J
SANTA ROSA, CA 95403-2878

You must complete one of the following actions on or before the due date on the Reminder Notice, or any court approved extension of this due date:

1. Appear, Pre-schedule a virtual or in person court appearance, no same day appearances available.
2. Request a payment plan, request a conversion of your fine to community service (This requires a virtual hearing and must be scheduled with the Court prior to your due date) or pay your fine in full (forfeit bail)
3. Submit your "Certificate of Correction" and correction fee (Send via mail, place in drop box located at 108J or in person)
4. Submit your completed "Trial By Written Declaration" (TR-205) and post bail, or; come to the court and complete a Declaration of Intent to Plead NOT Guilty and Request a Trial Date and post bail, or; timely mail your completed Request for Court Trial form (TR0035) and post bail.

If you fail to complete one of the above options by your due date the court may take one or more of the following actions:

1. Impose a $300 civil assessment
2. Transfer your citation to a collection agency.
3. Place a hold on your driver license with the Department of Motor Vehicles which may result in suspension of your driving privileges
4. Issue a warrant for your arrest.
5. Conduct a hearing under Vehicle Code 40903 where you may be found Guilty in Absentia

Access Information:

The Court does not provide case information via the Internet. On-site public access information terminals are available for researching cases at the Hall of Justice in Room 107J and Room 105-J.

Copy Information:

• Cost for Copies: $0.50 per page
• Certification Fee: $40.00 per document in addition to the copy fee.
• Exemplification of Copy of Record: $50.00 in addition to the copying and comparing fee of $0.50 per page.
• Searches of records lasting longer than 10 minutes: $15.00 per case.

Fee Schedule

Copies of documents in Traffic court case records can be obtained by visiting the Traffic Court Clerk's office from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Hall of Justice located at 600 Administration Drive, Room 109-J, Santa Rosa, CA 95403.

For copy requests made in person at the Clerk's Office, payment can be made by cash, check (payable to Superior Court), money order, cashier's check or credit card (Visa or MasterCard only).

Copies can also be obtained by sending a letter, or by using the CR-01 form below, to the address above with the case name, case number, specification of the document requested, and whether the document is to be certified or not. Certification is a stamp that declares the copy to be an exact copy of the original in the courts file. Please be sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope with the request in order to return the copies and receipt of payment.

For copy requests made through the mail, payments can be made by check, credit card, money order or cashier's check only. Please make the check payable to Superior Court. As you may not know the exact cost, you may indicate in the note section of the check "not to exceed ___" and list an estimated amount. The clerk will then fill in the amount of the check on your behalf, as long as the amount does not exceed what was list. If the payment submitted does not cover the fees, the request will be returned with a request for additional funds.

Certification of a document is $40 in addition to $0.50 per page (one sided, if double sided, the cost will be $1.00). Copies without certification are $0.50 per page. You may also request an Exemplified Record or a Letter of Exemplification which is an additional $50 fee in addition to $0.50 per page (one sided, if double sided, the cost will be $1.00)

Request for Records Search and/or Copies Form CR-01

Public Entity Records Requests Only

Effective March 1, 2015, the Court began charging public entities for clerk-made copies of court records in any criminal action pursuant to Government Code § 70627. Please note: Form CR-01 may be used to submit your request. If payment is not received with your request, you will be sent a bill with the requested documents.

Court staff is unable to provide the bail amount on an unfiled citation. Upon entry, your citation bail amount will be calculated by a computer program which utilizes the court’s statewide uniform bail schedule and your Driver’s License Record to calculate the total bail amount due.

Many factors can affect the issuing agency’s filing of a citation with the court, and its subsequent entry into the court’s computer system by court staff. It may take 4-6 weeks from the violation date for a citation to be received and entered into the court’s computer system. The appearance date on an infraction citation is usually 60-90 days from the violation date. This should provide adequate time for both the enforcement agency and the court to process your citation.

Once your citation is entered into the court’s computer system a computerized Reminder Notice will be mailed to the address listed on the citation, and will explain options for clearing the citation with the court. You may clear your citation with the court at any time after you receive the Reminder Notice from the court. If you do not receive the Reminder Notice within a week of your appearance date, please contact the court for further information by calling 707-521-6680.

Errors, or omissions of information from the citation, can delay the processing of a citation. Generally, the court’s Traffic Division only processes citations issued for infraction and less serious misdemeanors which may be heard as infractions. Although traffic in nature, more serious violations issued to an adult, including those listed below, are filed with the District Attorney’s Office and are processed by the court’s Criminal Division.

12500a VC Misdemeanors – Unlicensed Driver ( Vehicle impounded for 30 days )

14601a VC – Driver License Suspended – Negligent Operator

14601.1a VC Misdemeanors – Driver License Suspended – Most filed in Criminal, unless suspension is due to Failure To Appear/Pay and vehicle not impounded for 30 days

23103a VC – Reckless Driving

23109a VC – Speed Contest

23152a VC – Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of Alcohol or Drugs

Most citations are eligible for an extension after they are entered into the court's computer system. You may call (707) 521-6680 during office hours to request an extension of your citation's due date by phone or make a request online.

Request Payment Extension

To request an extension outside of court phone hours please call (855) 741-7781, Mon-Fri 7am-9pm and Sat-Sun 9am-6pm EST.

Bail amounts for infraction violations of the Vehicle Code are established by the Judicial Council of California in accordance with Penal Code Section 1269(c), Vehicle Code Section 40310, and Judicial Council of California Rule of Court 4.102 (Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule).

The Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule is established in order to achieve a State-wide standard of uniformity for setting bail on these violations.

Additional factors which may affect your ’Total Bail Amount Due’ include:

The number of violations on your citation.

The number of "Priors" on your California Driver License (see Priors amounts below).

In 2003 The California State Legislature enacted Penal Code Section 1465.8, “To ensure and maintain adequate funding for court security, a fee of forty dollars ($40) shall be imposed on every violation and upon conviction for a criminal offense, including a traffic offense...”.

If you are paying (forfeiting) the bail or fine amount due, in order to close your case, the entire amount must be paid at one time. If you need more time to pay your ticket or would like to request a determination regarding your ability to pay due to financial hardship and consideration of an alternative sentence, you may request an extension of your due date online or by calling (707) 521-6680.

If you would like a monthly payment plan, you must contact the court for more information. Payment plans may be set on most non-mandatory citations without a court appearance.

If you would like to attend Traffic Violator School (TVS) on your citation, but are unable to pay in full, you may contact the court for further information and options.

Generally, the Reminder Notice mailed to you by the court will indicate if your citation is eligible for assignment to Traffic Violator School (TVS). If eligible, you must first pay the "Total amount due with Traffic School" amount, as indicated on the Reminder Notice. This amount includes a non-refundable Court Administrative fee. After the court receives your payment, you may sign-up and attend any classroom or internet traffic school which has been approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles and appears on their state-wide list. A copy of all available Department of Motor Vehicles approved traffic schools will be mailed to you after payment of the indicated TVS amount due is received by the court.

Your citation may be eligible for Traffic School if you meet the following criteria:

You have not attended TVS in the last 18 months plus one day (calculated violation date to violation date - not Traffic School attendance date).

You have a valid Driver's License. If you were cited while driving with a Class A, B or Commercial Class C driver's license on or after January 1, 2013, but were not driving a commercial vehicle at the time of the violation, you may attend traffic school, if eligible. After successful completion, a commercial driver must contact DMV's Driver Safety Office to remove the point. Please note that although the DMV will remove the point from the commercial license holder's driving record, they will not hold the conviction as confidential and your insurance may be adversely affected.

Your speeding violation is not more than 25 miles per hour over the speed limit

Your violation did not occur in a commercial vehicle

If the citation does not require a mandatory court appearance, you may follow the instructions on the court’s Reminder Notice to clear a citation. Options generally available include the following:

1. Pay (forfeit) the bail amount. This will close the citation and report the conviction to your driver’s license record (if the violation is reportable to the California Department of Motor Vehicles).
2. Submit the signed "Certificate of Correction" with appropriate fees to the court via mail, the drop box outside 108J or in person. Any police officer may sign-off most correctable violations. Violations of 16028 VC (automobile liability insurance) will only be dismissed upon: (1) showing or mailing evidence of financial responsibility (to the court) which was valid at the time the notice to appear was issued and (2) payment of a transaction fee shown on your Reminder Notice. The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) may only sign-off vehicle registration and driver’s license violations.
3. Sign-up with the court to attend Traffic Violator School (TVS) (if eligible). Home study, and online internet classes are available throughout California. NOTE: If you are eligible and decide not to attend Traffic Violator School, your automobile insurance may be adversely affected. One conviction in any 18-month period will be held confidential on your DMV record if you complete a Traffic Violator School and pay all related Traffic Violator School fees. See below for further information regarding Traffic Violator School.
4. Request a court trial. Please refer to the section above entitled "To Contest Your Citation" for more information.