Traffic School in California
Confirm with your court or DMV. Traffic-code rules change and vary by court — verify the current rule on California’s official .gov page or with the court handling your citation before you act. This page is general information, not legal advice.
In California, traffic school and defensive-driving courses function through a mechanism known as "conviction masking," in which an eligible traffic conviction is kept off the public record upon completion of the course. Traffic Violator School can mask one eligible infraction from public record for noncommercial drivers cited for violations worth one point or fewer. Most courts permit this masking option once every 18 months.
From a points perspective, traffic school masks a single one-point infraction from a driver's record. However, the specific rules governing eligibility and frequency vary by individual court and may change during each legislative session. Eligibility often depends on the nature of the offense and the driver's prior traffic history.
Drivers should confirm the current masking rules and eligibility requirements with the court handling their citation or contact the California Department of Motor Vehicles before enrolling in or paying for any traffic school course. The information provided here is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Mechanism | Conviction masking |
| What that means | conviction kept off the public record on completion (CA) |
| Eligibility / notes | Traffic Violator School masks one eligible infraction from public record; noncommercial; not >1-point violations. |
| Frequency | once / 18 months |
| Points effect | masks 1-point infraction |
| Governing statute | Cal. Veh. Code § 1808.7; Cal. R. Ct. 4.104 |
| Confidence | <span class="confidence high">Confirmed</span> |
How to read this
The “mechanism” is how the state treats a completed course: it may dismiss the citation, reduce or credit points, let you elect a course before conviction, leave it to court discretion, or offer no statewide program at all. It is the state’s rule — a course is one route the state may accept, never an automatic outcome.
Frequently asked questions
Can traffic school dismiss a ticket in California?
How often can I do it?
Is this legal advice?
California eligibility & statute → · How the process works → · Other conviction masking states →