Does Going to Traffic School Erase a Ticket?
Receiving a ticket can be stressful especially for first-time violators. When you receive one, you have three options: pay the fine, fight the ticket in court, or go to traffic school. Traffic school is a good solution, but does it erase a ticket? Here, we give you the details.
Table of Contents
- How does traffic school affect a ticket?
- Eligibility Requirements for Traffic School
- FAQS
- Should I go to traffic school or pay my ticket?
- Does traffic school eliminate the fine?
- How many points does traffic school remove in California?
- Does traffic school clear your record California?
- Can traffic school remove points?
- Does traffic school reduce ticket cost?
- Does going to traffic school affect insurance?
- Do you have to attend traffic school for a speeding ticket?
How does traffic school affect a ticket?
If you have accumulated points in your driving record, those points will not be erased by traffic school, including the best ones. What traffic school can hide are the points that you got from a recent traffic ticket.
Once you get your citation or reminder notice from the court, it will usually contain the information on whether or not you’re eligible for traffic school. If you’re confused, the best way to confirm your eligibility is to contact your clerk of court.
If you’re eligible, you have to request from the judge that you’re opting to take a traffic school course. The judge will then give you a deadline by which you should’ve already completed traffic school.
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Just keep in mind to choose a legit traffic school provider, as some schools may fail to process your completion certificate on time. Schools such as the online Improv and iDriveSafely are good options.
Once your course is finished and the court has verified your completion, the traffic ticket will be dismissed and the points will be off your record.
However, the points will only be hidden from your public driving record. Your violations will still be visible to the DMV. But the good news is, your public record is the one that insurance companies see. So if it’s clean, your insurance premiums won’t increase.
Eligibility Requirements for Traffic School
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Not all drivers are allowed to take traffic school. While the rules vary depending on the state, you can generally attend traffic school if you meet the following requirements:
- You have a valid driver’s license
- The offense involves a non-commercial vehicle
- The offense is an infraction that is a moving violation
- You haven’t taken traffic school in the last 18 months
Violations such as DUIs [1], reckless driving, and going 25 mph above the speed limit are some offenses that will not make you qualify for traffic school.
FAQS
Should I go to traffic school or pay my ticket?
You should go to traffic school because it will help you lower fines, prevent an increase in insurance rates, and keep your driving record clean. While you can simply pay the fine, it will add a point on your record and drive your insurance premiums up.
Does traffic school eliminate the fine?
Traffic school does not eliminate the fine. If you are eligible for traffic school, you will need to pay court fines and fees, but it’s likely that the court will at least reduce the original fines.
How many points does traffic school remove in California?
Traffic school keeps one point off your license in California. Although traffic school will not remove existing points, taking a course will keep one-point violations off your public driving record.
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Does traffic school clear your record California?
Traffic school does not clear your record from already accumulated points. If you have a current ticket, traffic school will conceal that point on your public driving record. It will still be visible to the DMV, but not in the version that your insurance company sees.
Can traffic school remove points?
Traffic school does not remove points that already exist in your record. However, the point from a current traffic offense will not appear on your public driving record if you choose to go to traffic school. But in the DMV records, your points are visible.
Does traffic school reduce ticket cost?
Traffic school reduces ticket cost once the court has confirmed your course completion with the traffic school provider. Although you still have to pay the court fee, the total costs will be less than the original cost of the ticket.
Does going to traffic school affect insurance?
Traffic school affects insurance by preventing your premiums from increasing. One typical moving violation in a three to five year period will not likely affect your insurance, but having multiple violations in the past few years will cause an increase.
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Do you have to attend traffic school for a speeding ticket?
You don’t necessarily have to attend traffic school for a speeding ticket. Your other options include paying the fine or fighting the ticket in court. But if you’re eligible and the judge has granted your request to attend, traffic school is a good option.
There are more traffic school FAQs to know here.
Conclusion
Traffic school, including the cheapest online courses, is the foolproof way to get rid of a traffic ticket.
While you can simply pay for the ticket or try to beat it in court, completing a traffic school course is the best option to keep points off your driving record and prevent insurance rate hikes.
Want to increase your odds of passing online school? These recommended online schools that are also the easiest might help with just that.
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William Johnson is the owner and founder of RatedRadarDetector.org. He writes about car accessories, with his passion stemming from a deep enthusiasm for all things automotive. His website, RRD, focuses on in-depth reviews of car accessories to help people find the best and latest products in the market.
