Sacramento County Traffic Court

Sacramento County traffic court cases are handled by the Traffic Division of the Sacramento Superior Court. This article explains how to look up a citation, review payment and traffic school options, submit proof of correction, contest a ticket, and prepare for a court appearance. It also covers financial hardship requests, counter hours, filing deadlines, and the offices that handle traffic matters.

The court’s Traffic Division website provides access to its official services. Many cases can be resolved without a court appearance, but that depends on the charges and case status. Before paying or submitting a request, review your case for a mandatory appearance requirement and identify the deadline that applies to you.

Your Citation and Case Information

The Traffic Public Case Access System supports searches by driver’s license number, citation number, case number, or Xref number. These are separate search options. Select the option that matches the information you have rather than entering a citation number into a case-number search.

After opening your case, you can view related documents and available resolution options. The system supports payments, traffic school requests, monthly payment plan requests, and document viewing and printing. If a hearing is scheduled, the case also provides the Zoom hyperlink for a remote appearance.

Have your citation and any court documents ready when reviewing the case or speaking with staff. Compare the identifying information and charges before selecting an option. Pay particular attention to the due date, any scheduled hearing, and whether the case has a failure-to-appear or warrant status, since those conditions can restrict the procedures available.

Counter Hours and Court Assistance

The Traffic Public Counter is in Room 100 of the Carol Miller Justice Center. In-person assistance is available Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., except court holidays. The building is closed on Fridays. Staff can discuss case options, receive eligible requests, and assist with checking in for court.

Virtual Counter and Telephone Assistance

The Virtual Public Counter operates through Zoom Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., except court holidays. It allows you to discuss your case with a clerk or check in virtually for a court appearance. Access is available through the court’s Traffic Court contact page.

A device with working audio and video is required. Use a strong connection, keep the device still while speaking with staff, and confirm that both audio and video are connected as soon as you hear the clerk. Movement can interfere with sound and connection quality.

The Traffic Call Center has longer hours than the courthouse counter: Monday through Friday, 4 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Some holidays have reduced hours. Telephone wait times can exceed 30 minutes. Telephone assistance is useful for discussing options, but proof of correction cannot be accepted by phone.

Night Court Availability

Traffic Night Court services are available until 6:15 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month. If that day is a court holiday, the court’s contact page directs users to the following business day. Assistance is available at the in-person and virtual counters for matters such as arraignment check-in, proof of correction, and payment arrangements. Interpreter services are not available after 5 p.m.

Parking at the Justice Center

The Carol Miller Justice Center location page provides building and parking information. Public parking in the lot in front of the building costs $5 per day. Parking machines accept bills, credit cards, and debit cards, but not Apple Pay. Display the parking pass where it is easily visible in the vehicle’s front window. Parking is free for vehicles displaying a DMV disabled person license plate or placard.

Payment Choices and Their Consequences

For cases without a mandatory appearance requirement, the court allows payment in full or a monthly payment plan. Review the official ticket options and eligibility rules before making that choice. Paying in full or arranging monthly payments through this process is called bail forfeiture. A conviction is reported to the DMV, and the option to contest the ticket ends.

A monthly payment plan also makes the case ineligible for traffic school. If you want to contest the citation or request traffic school, consider those procedures before enrolling in monthly payments.

Payment Methods and Monthly Billing

Payments can be made through Public Case Access, the call center, the Virtual Public Counter, or the in-person Traffic Public Counter. Online, telephone, and virtual counter payments accept credit or debit cards. Payments by mail or drop box must be made by check or money order payable to the Sacramento Superior Court.

When a monthly payment plan is requested online or through the call center, a down payment of 10% of the full amount is required. After the court establishes the plan, the Department of Revenue Recovery handles monthly billing and payments. The court sets up the arrangement; Revenue Recovery processes the continuing payments.

Failure to pay as agreed makes the account delinquent. The court identifies possible collection measures that include wage garnishment, seizure of bank funds, liens against real property, reporting the delinquent balance to credit bureaus, and seizure of a California state income tax refund.

Traffic School Eligibility and Deadlines

Successful completion of Traffic Violator School can mask the DMV point associated with an eligible conviction. The conviction is still recorded on the driving record. Traffic school does not erase the citation or eliminate the court’s payment requirements.

The court’s eligibility rules include the following conditions:

The charge is a moving violation that carries a DMV point.

You were not driving a commercial vehicle.

You did not sign up for traffic school in California during the 18 months before the date of the ticket.

The ticket has no misdemeanor or commercial vehicle charge and does not require a mandatory appearance.

The ticket does not involve alcohol or drugs and is not for Vehicle Code section 22406.5.

You have a valid noncommercial driver’s license, subject to the court’s limited commercial-license exception.

A commercial-license holder may be allowed to attend for a violation committed in a personal vehicle on or after January 1, 2013, if there is no failure to appear. That exception applies only to counting negligent-operation points; the conviction is not made confidential for insurance purposes. If a case involved a failure-to-appear warrant or civil assessment, the court requires the failure-to-appear charge to be adjudicated and paid in full before attendance.

Request Approval Before Enrolling

You may request traffic school on or before the ticket’s due date through Public Case Access, the call center, either public counter, mail, or drop box. Once the request is processed, the Agreement to Attend Traffic Violator School, including its due date and instructions, is available through Public Case Access.

The court requires full bail, applicable proof-of-correction fees, and a $52 nonrefundable administrative fee within 90 days of approval. The school charges a separate fee. Partial and monthly payments are not allowed for this option. Completion certificates are sent electronically to the court; follow the agreement’s instructions and completion deadline.

Attending without eligibility does not provide the intended benefit. The conviction will be reported, fees will not be refunded, and you will be ineligible for traffic school on another California case for 18 months from the violation date. Missing payment or completion deadlines can also lead to additional penalties, DMV points, and collection referral.

Proof of Correction for Fix-It Tickets

Some violations qualify for reduced bail after valid proof of correction is submitted. The court assesses a $25 fee for each eligible violation with accepted proof. An issuing officer may determine that a violation is not correctable; in that situation, the court’s instructions require full bail payment or a court appearance by the ticket’s deadline.

For violations that a law enforcement officer may certify, visit a law enforcement office during regular business hours. Do not stop an officer on a roadway to request a signature. You cannot certify the correction yourself, and selling the vehicle does not remove the responsibility to correct the violation.

Insurance and Registration Documents

Insurance violations under Vehicle Code section 16028(a) must be certified by the court. If you had insurance when the violation occurred, accepted proof may reduce bail to $25. If the insurance was purchased afterward, bail may be reduced to $496. An insurance card or policy declaration page covering the vehicle or driver is acceptable proof.

Registration corrections may be certified by the DMV or a law enforcement officer. For a Vehicle Code section 4000(a) violation involving no current registration, a copy of a valid registration card may also be submitted. A Temporary Operating Permit or DMV Report of Deposit of Fees is not accepted as proof.

Violations under Vehicle Code sections 27150 and 27151 require certification by a State Referee Center. Light and brake violations may be certified by a law enforcement officer or an authorized inspection and installation station.

Submit proof and applicable payments by the due date through the Virtual Public Counter, in-person counter, mail, or drop box. If you are considering trial, address correction paperwork first: the court’s arraignment advisement states that dismissal by showing proof of correction is available at arraignment, not at trial.

Financial Hardship and Community Service

The court’s Ability to Pay process allows people experiencing financial hardship to request consideration of their traffic fine. Applications may be submitted through the MyCitations portal reached from that page, or on paper by mail or drop box.

This application is not the procedure for requesting traffic school, submitting proof of correction, or contesting a ticket. The court also instructs users not to submit it for an offense requiring a mandatory appearance or a case already assigned to the Alternative Sentencing Program.

For a case in active or failure-to-appear status, an Ability to Pay application requires a Guilty or No Contest plea. Once the court accepts that plea, you may no longer appear in court. Review this consequence before using the application.

Applications and supporting documents are reviewed within 30 days. Decisions are sent by email for electronic applications and by mail for paper applications. Application status can also be viewed through Public Case Access.

Alternative Sentencing Program Referrals

The Alternative Sentencing Program may allow community service instead of payment of all or part of a fine. A clerk may grant a referral in some cases. If the case requires a mandatory appearance, the request must go to a judicial officer.

After a referral is granted, the Sheriff’s Department application and interview must be completed within 30 days of the referral. The department determines program eligibility and handles placements. Assignments and flexible schedules are available for many physical abilities. Court fees and program application or daily fees may still apply, with program fees based on ability to pay.

Community service and traffic school cannot both be ordered on the same case. If a judicial officer grants community service through the Ability to Pay process and you cannot complete it, the court allows conversion of the hours to a fine before the due date. Failure to complete the service or convert it may result in collection referral.

Arraignments and Contested Court Trials

An arraignment is the first appearance at which the court advises you of the charges and gives you an opportunity to enter a plea. It is separate from the trial, and the citing officer is not present to testify at arraignment. The Traffic Arraignment Advisement explains pleas, rights, and courtroom procedures.

Arraignment courtroom check-in hours are 7 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. For same-day arraignment on more than five cases, check in before 10:15 a.m. for the morning calendar or before 4 p.m. for the afternoon calendar. Unless the judicial officer says otherwise, you must go to the Fines Room after arraignment.

Trial Requests and Required Bail

You may check in for arraignment through the virtual or in-person counter by the ticket’s due date. Entering a Not Guilty plea results in a court trial being scheduled. At trial, the officer or officers are subpoenaed to present factual evidence, and you may present evidence, documents, or witnesses.

A trial may also be requested without appearing for arraignment if the charges are infractions, no mandatory appearance is required, and the case has no failure-to-appear or warrant status. This procedure requires both full bail payment and a written statement requesting trial and entering a Not Guilty plea. The court must receive the request by the due date and will send written verification of the trial date.

Do not send payment alone if you intend to use this procedure. Payment received without a trial request is accepted as bail forfeiture, ending trial eligibility.

Hearing Preparation and Remote Appearances

You may attend trial in person or through Zoom. Be on time and have photo identification. Interpreter services are available for arraignments and trials. If found guilty and ordered to pay a fine, be prepared to pay in full or arrange payments after the hearing.

The court provides an opportunity to appear in person or virtually, but it may require a witness or party to attend physically. A defendant who does not consent to a virtual trial should tell the court at the next hearing. If a defendant and retained attorney appear from separate locations, they must arrange their own private communication line.

Recording, downloading, or reproducing a trial requires specific court permission. If you cannot attend a scheduled trial, the court requires an in-person appearance in Room 100 to request a continuance before a judicial officer. Approval is discretionary.

Written or Online Trial by Declaration

A Written/Online Trial by Declaration allows an eligible citation to be contested in writing without a personal appearance. The case must contain only infraction Vehicle Code violations, involve no accident, and have no failure to appear or failure to pay. It must also require no mandatory appearance, have no sentence or entered plea, and not be in the Ability to Pay process.

Requests must be made by the ticket’s due date through MyCitations, the virtual or in-person counter, mail, or drop box. Read the court’s Instructions to Defendant, TRL/I-200. Required materials include:

A signed Request for Written Trial by Declaration, TRL/I-205.
A signed Red Light Camera Statement Regarding Identification, TRL/I-16, when applicable.
Proof of correction, when applicable.
The facts, requests, and evidence you want considered.

The court requests a written statement from the citing agency after receiving the packet. A judicial officer reviews the case, and the decision is mailed. Final disposition can take six to eight weeks after the completed forms are submitted.

Mail and Drop Box Filing Deadlines

Postmarks are not accepted for the ticket procedures described above. Allow enough time for mailed requests and payments to reach the court. Payments must be received by 5 p.m. on or before the due date for same-day filing.

The drop box to the left of the Carol Miller Justice Center’s main doors is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Documents deposited before 5 p.m. on a business day are filed that day; later deposits are filed the following business day. Because the building is closed Fridays, Friday deposits there are considered filed the following business day.

For traffic documents requiring Friday filing, the court permits use of the drop box inside the William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. This is a specific Friday filing option, separate from the Traffic Public Counter at the Carol Miller Justice Center.

Traffic Case Documents and Certified Copies

Traffic case documents can be downloaded without charge through Public Case Access. For certified copies, the court’s Traffic Records page lists a copying charge of $0.50 per page and a certification charge of $40 per certification, in addition to the page charge.

Requests for certified or noncertified copies with applicable fees can be discussed through the Virtual Public Counter, call center, or in-person counter. Distinguish a downloaded case document from a certified copy when making your request, since certification carries a separate charge.

Traffic Court Offices

Sacramento Superior Court, Traffic Division — Carol Miller Justice Center
301 Bicentennial Circle, Room 100
Sacramento, CA 95826
916-669-5712

William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse
3341 Power Inn Road