Traffic school

What is traffic school? Once you have received your traffic ticket and the bureaucratic machinations are in full swing, you will have to let the court know that you are eligible to attend traffic school and have decided to take them up on their offer. This involves completing paperwork and sending it off to the court. Depending on where you live, the court will provide you with a list of traffic schools from which you must choose. They will also give you a deadline to complete the course. In some states, for example, once you and the court have agreed that you will be attending traffic school, you have 60 days to do so. If you need the deadline to be extended, contact the court. Only it - not the DMV - has the authority to grant extensions.

In some cases, a traffic school not on the list may strike your fancy. In such circumstances it is wise to verify with the court that the school is acceptable. Traffic schools are privately run and any questions you have concerning the costs, hours, or locations must be directed to the school you choose to attend.

Typically, the material covered in traffic school includes rules of the road and driver safety.

According to the Superior Court in San Mateo, California, upon completing the course, the school will issue a Certificate of Completion (aka a Completion Certificate). You are required to return the original copy of the Certificate of Completion to the court by the established deadline. If you fail to return the Certificate of Completion by the due date, a bail forfeiture disposition - which is the same as a conviction - will be sent to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This could have an effect on your insurance. If you file your Certificate of Completion on or before the due date, a disposition of traffic school will be sent to the DMV.

The traffic school must notify all enrolled students a minimum number of days (determined by the state) prior to a scheduled class if the school cancels the class. Depending on state laws, if the required minimum number of days is not given, the traffic school must provide an alternate class to the students at a charge not to exceed the cost of the Completion Certificate.

State law may require that traffic schools provide sessions of a predetermined length. In California, for example, all classes must consist of 400 minutes of instruction, excluding time spent registering, on breaks and at lunch. It is illegal to cut the time short. Depending on the state law, a person who offers a Completion Certificate for traffic school to someone who has not attended or completed the required coursework may be found guilty of a crime - in some cases, a felony.

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