California Traffic School Courses

Traffic school courses like defensive driving are approved and licensed by the CA DMV. They can be used by those who have gotten a moving traffic violation or by those who want to lower their car insurance rates.

If you have gotten a traffic ticket, your CA local traffic court might let you enroll in a traffic school course to have the ticket dropped and not have any points added to your license. For those who voluntarily take a traffic school course, you may get a safe driver discount from your insurance company.

Whatever your reason for taking a traffic school course, you'll learn great defensive driving techniques, the traffic laws of California, and how to protect yourself against more tickets. Whenever you are involved in a car accident, you should fill our a Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (Form SR-1).

California Traffic School Enrollment

Traffic school in CA can either be done online or in a classroom. Unless it is mandatory for you to take the course in a classroom, you have the option of choosing what is most convenient for you.

You may complete one of these courses to:

  • Have your traffic ticket dropped.
  • Have the points eliminated.
  • Keep your insurance premium from going up.

Whether or not you are qualified to enroll in one of these programs is entirely up to your specific situation.

Even though some people may not qualify for having their ticket dropped or lowering their auto insurance rates, a traffic school course still provides you with beneficial knowledge you can use to become a better driver.

California Traffic Ticket and Point Dismissal

After getting a ticket for a moving violation, a traffic school course may help you get it dismissed, if the following conditions apply to you:

  • You have a valid driver's license
  • Your violation occurred in a non-commercial vehicle.
  • Your violation is not a misdemeanor.
  • Your violation had nothing to do with alcohol.
  • You have no had a traffic school course within the past year and a half. (18 months)

Your local traffic court will tell you if you qualify for traffic school, which will be determined based on the severity of your offense and your past driving offenses. Usually, they will mail you a letter stating whether or not you can take a defensive driving course.

Aside from that, the letter will also state your deadline for which you have to complete the course.

You should always check with your court before signing up for a traffic school class.

To find local traffic schools, kindly refer to the CA DMV's website.

NOTE: For those who are not able to dismiss their ticket and points with a traffic school course, you will see points added to your license, which may put you at risk of suspension.

Car Insurance Discounts

For those who take a traffic school class voluntarily, you may see a discount on your car insurance if your company offers one.

Those who are 55 or older and finish a defensive driving class for older drivers may have their insurance premiums reduced for a maximum of usually three years.

Most of the time, these discounts are offered to older drivers, but it's worth checking to see if you qualify at any age,

Talk to your car insurance agent for more info.

CA Traffic School Information

The majority of traffic school courses, whether online or in a classroom, will take about six hours of your time to finish.

Topics covered in the course include:

  • Techniques for defensive driving.
  • The traffic laws of California.
  • How you can become a better driver.

Usually, successful completion requires you pass a final test.
Once you've finished, you will get a certificate for your course completion, and you'll likely need to send that in to the appropriate authority to receive your benefits.
For further information about traffic school courses, kindly contact your local court, insurance provider, or the California DMV.