How to Take Traffic School in the San Mateo Superior Court

At Defensive Drivers Group Traffic School we know a few tricks to taking traffic school in California. This guide shares those traffic school tips for students working with the San Mateo Superior Court Traffic Division.

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Follow these steps to take traffic school for the San Mateo Superior Court:

  1. Wait for your courtesy notice. The San Mateo Court website says that you will get a courtesy notice 45-60 days after you get your ticket.
  2. Confirm that you are eligible for traffic school. Your courtesy notice should tell you. (Any questions contact the court.)
  3. Pay your fine. Assuming you do not plan to contest the ticket, pay your fine before you sign up for traffic school. Also pay the court the "Amount Due for Traffic School" on your courtesy notice. This fee goes to the court and is separate from the traffic school tuition.
  4. The Court will then send you an "Agreement to Attend Driver Improvement School." Once you have that document, you may register to attend a California DMV approved traffic school.
  5. Choose a licensed traffic school. (DDG is licensed). Check the DMV website for listings: go to the DMV Occupational License website and after clicking the "Start Search" button and after the disclaimer, select "Traffic School List" from the dropdown. Proceed from there according to the instructions on the site.
  6. Register for the course. Start by selecting San Mateo County and the court where you received your traffic violation. Your traffic school due date will be on your courtesy notice.
  7. Start Lesson 1. At the end of each lesson there is a short quiz of just three questions. Take the quizzes as many times as you need to pass.
  8. Pass the final exam. Answer just 70% correct and you pass!
  9. Traffic school certificate. Your California traffic school certificate will be sent electronically directly to both the California DMV and San Mateo Superior Court.
  10. Look your case up here at the Public Access Traffic Case Information Website. Wait a few days before checking with the court. If it says "case closed" then you are all done.

How to check that the San Mateo Traffic Court has closed your case

You can check your traffic school completion with the San MateoSuperior Court by following these steps:

  1. Look your case up here
  2. Wait a week for the San Mateo Superior Court to process your traffic school completion
  3. Note: You'll need either your case number or your citation number
  4. After the court processes your traffic school completion, you will see "Traffic School Complete" and "Case Closed."
  5. If you don't see your case, or it is not yet closed, please wait a bit longer or contact the court traffic division directly

Are extensions available for San Mateo Superior Court Traffic Court?

According to the San Mateo Superior Court Traffic Division:

"The Clerk's Office may give one 30-day extension to complete traffic school if requested prior to the original traffic school due date. No further extensions at the end of the 30-day period will be given.

There are three options to request an extension to complete Traffic School:

  • By telephone: (650) 363-4300
  • In person at the traffic clerk's office at 500 County Center, Redwood City, CA 94063
  • By mail - sent to the traffic clerk's office at 500 County Center, Redwood City, CA 94063"

How to pay for your traffic violations

You may pay for your traffic violations online at:

https://odyportal-ext.sanmateocourt.org/Portal-External

If you have a financial hardship and can show that you are unable to pay the full amount for the offenses on your traffic ticket, you may request the court to consider your ability to pay in setting the fine amount. However, you must appear before the court to do so. Also, if you are ordered to pay a fine you may ask the court for an installment payment plan that is based on your ability to pay, or ask the court to approve community service due to financial hardship.

Contact information: San Mateo Superior Court Traffic Court

Main Traffic Division page: http://www.sanmateocourt.org/court_divisions/traffic/

Options on how to take care of your traffic citation/ticket: http://www.sanmateocourt.org/court_divisions/traffic/options.php

Address:

Traffic Division Southern Branch (Annex)

500 County Center

Redwood City, CA 94063

Traffic division phone number and phone hours:

(650) 363-4300, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Office hours:

Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Are you eligible to take traffic school in San Mateo County?

Pursuant to Vehicle Code section 42005 and California Rules of Court rule 4.104, court clerks are only authorized to grant traffic school requests if the following criteria is met:

  • You must currently possess a valid California driver's license.
  • The violation(s) on your ticket must be an eligible Vehicle Code infraction. Any violation that carries a negligent operator point count of more than one point under VC 12810 or one and one-half points or more under VC 12810.5(b)(2) is not eligible. Seat belt, mechanical or equipment violations, failure to have insurance and other certain specified violations are not eligible for traffic school.
  • You may not have attended Traffic School for a previous violation committed within the last 18-months. The 18-month eligibility period is determined from violation date to violation date and not from when you attended traffic school.
  • If cited for speeding, the alleged speed cannot be more than 25 mph over the speed limit.
  • Your citation/ticket must not have 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.
  • Your citation/ticket must not be for a violation of Vehicle Code section 22406.5 (tank vehicles)
  • Your citation/ticket must not be related to alcohol use or possession.
  • Your citation/ticket must not be related to drug use or possession.
  • 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 you were not driving a commercial vehicle at the time of the violation, you may attend traffic school, if eligible. Although the DMV will not assess the point count on your driving record, they will not hold the conviction as confidential and therefore your insurance may be adversely affected.

For more information, go to: http://www.sanmateocourt.org/court_divisions/traffic/traffic_school.php

FAQs for San Mateo Superior Court Traffic Court

Accoring to the San Mateo Superior Court Traffic Division:

What if I have a financial hardship?

Financial Hardship and Your Ability to Pay for Your Traffic Citation. If you have a financial hardship and can show that you are unable to pay the full amount for the offenses on your traffic ticket, you may request the court to consider your ability to pay in setting the fine amount. However, you must appear before the court to do so. Also, if you are ordered to pay a fine you may ask the court for an installment payment plan that is based on your ability to pay, or ask the court to approve community service due to financial hardship.

What is a court trial?

A court trial is a hearing where you appear in person to contest your citation and testify about the facts in the case. In traffic infraction cases, a judicial officer will hear your case instead of a jury. The officer who issued the citation will also be required to appear. You have the right to subpoena witnesses and to hire an attorney to appear and represent you.

How long will a court trial take?

Most trials take a very short amount of time, but you should plan to be at court for at least 2 hours on that day.

For more FAQs please click here >>

What does my citation from the San Mateo Superior Court tell me?

It is important to read the information on the front and back of your citation from the San Mateo Superior Court. The front side of the citation issued to you provides you with the following information:

  • Citation number
  • Issuing agency
  • Date and time of the citation
  • Violations for which you were cited
  • Location of violation
  • Issuing officer
  • Place and time by which you promised to appear

Facts about San Mateo County, California

Source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Mateo_County,_California

How to Request your driver record from the California DMV

Check your driver record with the DMV here. It's $2 per check and only the driver may check his or her California driver record. Once you have successfully paid for your record ($2.00), you will be prompted to view and print your record.

For other services and information go to the California DMV site at https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/dmv/home

Note

This page is for informational purposes only to help traffic school students who need to work with the San Mateo Superior Court Traffic Division. This information may change at any time, and it is up to the reader to verify this information with the court or other relevant parties.

Reviews for Traffic School in San Mateo California

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