Traffic / Minor Offense Division

The San Diego Superior Court's Traffic and Minor Offense Division has jurisdiction over Vehicle Code violations, some local municipal ordinances, infractions, and minor misdemeanors. These offenses may include Fish and Game, Animal Control and transit violations (e.g. San Diego Trolley violations).

If you received a citation/ticket, you may receive a reminder notice from the court in the mail. This may be your first contact with the Traffic Court process. Most questions will be answered by information provided on the notice. Find out what to do if you have not received your reminder notice.

• Request an Extension of Court Appearance Date
• Request Traffic School
• Schedule a Court Appointment
• Plead Not Guilty
• Appear in Court
• Failure to Appear
• Fines and Collections
• Make Payments on Court-Ordered Fines
• Financial Hardship and Inability to Pay

ALL COURTROOM APPEARANCES ARE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. The appear by date on your ticket is not a hearing date, it is the date by when you must take action on your ticket – pay your ticket, request an extension, set a hearing date, etc. You may schedule an appointment online or by calling the court location in which your ticket is filed.

More information on specific types of tickets:

• General Ticket Information
• Juvenile Tickets
• Parking Tickets
• Red Light Camera Photo Enforcement Citations
• Equipment, Registration or License Violations (commonly referred to as "Fix It Tickets")
• Insurance Violations (commonly referred to as "Proof of Insurance")
• Out-of-County or Out-of-State Residents

See the Language Access page for information about requesting an interpreter.

If you received a citation/ticket for a traffic or other minor offense, a reminder notice will be mailed to you at the address on the citation. The notice includes:

• the bail amount for this citation,
• the due date when payment must be made,
• eligibility for Traffic Violator School (TVS),
• information on clearing a "fix-it" ticket with proof of correction,
• how to pay by credit card, and
• where and when to report if you would like to appear in court. Be sure to schedule your court appearance in advance, you will not be able to appear on a walk-in basis. Bail is not required to appear in court.
• You may receive the reminder notice about two weeks before your "promise to appear" date (appearance date), which is shown below your signature on the ticket.
• The reminder notice includes options to help you resolve this matter while avoiding the time and inconvenience of coming to the courthouse.

If you do not receive your reminder notice at least two weeks before your appearance date (or "promise to appear date") and/or do not understand your options, you may:

• Search online;
• call the court;
• come in person to the business office at the courthouse; or
• inquire by mail prior to your appearance date.

If your appearance in court is required, your reminder notice will say, "You must appear in court on or before your appearance date." An appointment is required to appear in court. Bail is not required to appear in court.

It takes approximately two to three weeks from the date you received your ticket for your case to be filed with the court.

Do not disregard your ticket if you do not receive your reminder notice in the mail. You must appear at the courthouse or settle your case by mail, over the phone, or online by the appearance date, whether or not you receive the reminder notice. Read the back of your traffic ticket for additional information.

Failure to resolve your traffic/minor offense ticket by the due date (or appear-by date) may result in the issuance of a warrant, new charges, or the imposition of a $100 civil assessment penalty added to the original bail pursuant to Penal Code §1214.1, and referral to a collection agency. In addition, you may be subject to wage garnishments, tax refund intercept, and bank levies through the Franchise Tax Board Court Ordered Debt Collection Program (see Cases in Collection).