If you request any of the following types of payment relief, all prior orders or agreements requiring payment in your case remain in effect until the court rules on the request.
The following payment options are available without a showing of financial hardship.
- Installment payment plan
- If you have been charged with an infraction and would like to forfeit bail or pay traffic violator school bail/fees in installments (monthly payments) without the need to appear before a judicial officer or show a financial hardship, you may be eligible to sign an agreement to pay at least 10% of the total due forthwith and make payments of at least $35 a month. To do so, you may (1) go to Pay Your Ticket; or (2) appear at the Traffic business office. In traffic violator school cases, a $35.00 transaction fee will be required.
- If you have already pled or were found guilty and ordered by the court to pay a fine, and you would like to make monthly payments (of at least $35 a month) on the fine without the need to appear before a judicial officer or show a financial hardship, you may appear at the Traffic business office or submit a request through the mail.
- Reduction in monthly payment amount
- If you already have an established installment payment plan (monthly payments) and your minimum monthly payment is more than $35, you may request a reduction of the monthly payment amount (down to $35/month) without a showing of financial hardship. If you previously signed an Agreement to Forfeit Bail or Pay Traffic Violator School Bail/Fees in Installments (SDSC Form #MO-031), you must appear at the Traffic business office to make this request; otherwise, you may make your request in person or by mail.
- To request a monthly payment amount of less than $35 without showing financial hardship, you must schedule an appointment to appear before a judicial officer. To schedule a court appointment, contact the court location listed on your ticket.
- More time to pay
- To request a 30-day extension of an existing payment due date without a showing of financial hardship, you may: (1) go to Pay Your Ticket; (2) call the court location listed on your ticket (for the phone number and phone hours of each court location, go to the Office Locations page); or (3) appear at the Traffic business office. You may get up to two 30-day extensions to pay per case without appearing before a judicial officer; if you need an additional extension, you must schedule a court appointment to appear before a judicial officer. To schedule a court appointment, contact the court location listed on your ticket.
All prior orders or agreements requiring payment in your case remain in effect until the court rules on the request.
If you have a financial hardship and can show you are unable to pay the amount due, the following options are available:
Setting/reducing amount due: You may ask the court to consider your ability to pay when determining the fine amount to be imposed upon conviction; or you may request a reduction of the amount owed if you were already convicted and the court imposed a fine, or if you already entered an Agreement to Forfeit Bail or Pay Traffic Violator School Bail/Fees in Installments (SDSC Form #MO-031). Your request must be made using one of the following options.
Online:
Some infraction cases are eligible to request a reduction of the amount due online at the California Courts’ website at MyCitations.courts.ca.gov. You must have your case number, ticket number, or California driver license number to use this option, and you will need to provide a summary of your monthly income, expenses, and any public benefits that you receive. If your case is eligible to use the MyCitations application, you may also make a request for any other available payment relief option (more time to pay, a payment plan, a reduced monthly payment amount, or community service) at the same time. A response to your request will be emailed to you after review by a judicial officer.
In person:
To appear before a judicial officer to provide a detailed explanation of your financial hardship, you must schedule a court appointment. You may use the Can’t Afford to Pay Fine: Traffic and Other Infractions form (SDSC Form #TR-320) to document your financial hardship, and you may request any other available payment relief option (more time to pay, a payment plan, a reduced monthly payment amount, or community service) at the same time. To schedule a court appointment, contact the court location listed on your ticket. A decision on the request will be made at the court hearing.
In writing:
To provide the court with a written explanation of your financial hardship, you may use the Judicial Council form Can’t Afford to Pay Fine: Traffic and Other Infractions (SDSC Form #TR-320) to document your financial hardship, and you may make a request for any other available payment relief option (more time to pay, a payment plan, a reduced monthly payment amount, or community service) at the same time. Your written explanation may be mailed to the court, filed with the clerk in the Traffic business office, or placed in the express drop box at the court location listed on your ticket. A response to your request will be mailed to you after review by a judicial officer.
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Community service in lieu of fine: You may request community service in lieu of payment of the amount due by submitting proof of your financial hardship online, in person, or in writing (see above for more information about each option).
For all payment relief requests
If a fine has not yet been imposed by the court, you may be required to plead guilty or no contest before the court will review your payment relief request. For written payment relief requests, you may file an Advisal/Waiver of Constitutional Rights for Plea by Mail form (SDSC Form #MO-041) with your request (in person, via mail, or via express drop box at the court location listed on your ticket). If you do not wish to plead guilty or no contest, and instead want to plead not guilty and go to trial, you may appear in court or, in infraction cases, complete a Request for Arraignment and Trial on Same Date – Infractions form (SDSC Form #MO-012), and file it with the court (in person, via fax, via mail, or via express drop box at the court location listed on your ticket). If you file the MO-012 form, you will be notified of your hearing date by mail. Your ability to pay can be discussed at your hearing if you are convicted.
For in person or written requests, if a civil assessment has been imposed for a failure to appear or failure to pay, you must complete a Civil Assessment Good Cause Statement Failure to Appear or Pay form (SDSC Form #ADM-283), and include any additional information you want the court to consider.
All prior orders or agreements requiring payment in your case remain in effect until the court rules on the request.
If you have already requested payment relief and your financial circumstances have changed, you may submit a new request for the court’s consideration.