San Joaquin County traffic school: eligibility, fees and court dates

Who this guide is for

This guide is for adults with a traffic infraction citation filed in San Joaquin County Superior Court, which hears cases in Stockton, Manteca and Lodi. The court says it does not handle parking tickets, that juvenile tickets cannot be paid by phone or online, and that a citation requiring a mandatory appearance must be handled in court on the date shown on your notice. San Joaquin Traffic page.

Request traffic school from the court

1. Find your case and options. The court may mail a courtesy notice to the address on your citation. If it does not arrive, San Joaquin says you may search its case management system and that it is your responsibility to follow up for the fine amount, any hearing date and the payment due date. Courtesy notice and case lookup.
2. Confirm eligibility. Compare your citation with the court’s eligibility list below. California Courts says the court notice should say whether you can go to traffic school, and to ask the court if you are not sure. California Courts guidance.
3. Sign up and pay. The court’s Traffic page links to its ePay-it system, which says it can be used to sign up and pay for traffic school if eligible. The Traffic page does not describe a separate traffic-school request form; if the online option is not available for your case, ask the Traffic Department which route to use.
4. Get your completion date and choose a school. See the sections on dates and choosing a school.

San Joaquin’s MyCitations online tool cannot be used to request traffic school; the court lists that among its exclusions. Financial hardship page.

Separate court charges from school tuition

San Joaquin says that if you meet the requirements, you pay an administrative fee of $52 to the court plus the bail indicated on your courtesy notice, and that the school you choose collects a separate fee directly. Use the total on your notice; do not add a fee twice if it is already included. Traffic school fees · Court-versus-school cost guide.

For paying fines generally, the court lists online payment, phone at (209) 992-5692 or the Virtual Counter, and mail by check or money order (no cash). It also says that if your fine includes a proof-of-correction option for a reduced fine, you cannot pay online or by phone. Payment options.

San Joaquin’s ability-to-pay process requires a guilty or no-contest plea before the court can answer, and its MyCitations tool cannot be used if you want to attend traffic school. Ask the court how a hardship request affects your traffic-school options before filing one. Financial hardship and ability to pay.

Get your dates from the court

The court’s Traffic page does not state how long you have to complete traffic school. California Courts says the court will give you a deadline to finish; use the date the court gives you, and ask the court if it is unclear. California Courts guidance.

If your citation is not past due, San Joaquin says you may request a one-time 60-day extension of your due date by telephone, in person or by mail; once a citation is past due, any further continuance requires appearing before a judge or commissioner. If traffic school is not completed, the court says all fines and fees posted with it are forfeited. Delinquent cases may be sent to collections, and the court says it may add a $100 fee to delinquent fines after notifications. Extensions and consequences · Delinquent-fine notice.

Choose a licensed school and confirm completion

San Joaquin points to the California DMV website to find a classroom or online school and says the schools listed there are licensed and regulated by DMV. Use DMV’s traffic school list to check a provider’s license and type of instruction; DMV says you register with the school, not through DMV. Confirm price, enrollment and reporting availability with the school. Court guidance · How to verify a school.

The court’s Traffic page does not describe how completion is reported or how to confirm it. Ask the school how and when it reports to the court, keep your completion record, and check your case through the court’s case search or the Traffic Department. Completing a course, the school reporting it and the court crediting it are separate steps.

Check eligibility with the court

San Joaquin’s list says you may be eligible if you have a valid California driver’s license; have not been assigned to or attended traffic school in the last 18 months; were not charged with speeding more than 25 mph over the posted limit; are charged with an infraction, not a misdemeanor; have no mandatory-appearance section; and, if you hold a commercial license, were not driving a commercial vehicle. It adds that certain serious violations are not eligible. Eligibility list.

If you contest by written declaration and are found guilty, the court says traffic school is at the judicial officer’s discretion; its online case review form also asks whether you want to be considered for traffic school if eligible. Under statewide rule 4.104(c)(2), a not-guilty plea or trial does not by itself make an otherwise eligible driver ineligible, but approval is not guaranteed. Trial by written declaration · Online case review.

For commercial-license holders cited in a non-commercial vehicle, San Joaquin says the conviction and point may still appear after traffic school, and that you may contact DMV’s Mandatory Actions department at (916) 657-6525 to request point removal; the court says it cannot remove the point. Rule 4.104(c)(1) says the conviction is not confidential. Commercial driver license note.

Contact San Joaquin Traffic Court

Stockton Traffic Department: 180 E. Weber Ave., 2nd Floor, Stockton, CA 95202, (209) 992-5692. Manteca Branch: 315 E. Center Street, Manteca, CA 95336, (209) 239-1316. Lodi Courthouse: 315 W. Elm Street, Lodi, CA 95240, (209) 992-5520. The court also offers a video Virtual Counter and an online support form, with responses within up to three business days. The clerk’s office hours have changed during 2026, so check the court’s current hours before visiting. Enter case details only through the court’s official services; this guide collects none. Locations and contacts.

Frequently asked questions about San Joaquin County traffic school

Can I sign up for San Joaquin County traffic school online?

The court’s ePay-it system, linked from its Traffic page, says it can be used to sign up and pay for traffic school if eligible. If that option is not shown for your case, ask the Traffic Department. ePay-it · Traffic page.

What does the court charge for traffic school?

San Joaquin says you pay a $52 administrative fee plus the bail on your courtesy notice; the school charges its own fee separately. Traffic school fees.

How long do I have to complete traffic school?

The court’s Traffic page does not say. California Courts says the court gives you a deadline to finish, so use the date the court gives you. California Courts guidance.

Can I use MyCitations to sign up for traffic school?

No. San Joaquin says its MyCitations tool cannot be used if you would like to attend traffic school. Financial hardship page.

What happens if I don’t finish?

San Joaquin says that if traffic school is not completed, all fines and fees posted with the court are forfeited. Traffic page · Points guide.

What this guide cannot do

This guide summarizes the court pages listed below as they read on November 1, 2026. Court procedures, fees and hours change, and your courtesy notice, case record or a court order controls your case. It cannot decide eligibility, look up your citation, extend a deadline, submit anything to the court or predict how your driving record or insurance will be affected. If this guide and the court disagree, follow the court.