California traffic school court fees by county.
If your court allows traffic school, you usually pay the bail on your ticket plus a separate court traffic-school fee, and then the school’s own tuition. The court fee is set and collected by the court, not by any school. The table lists the fee each county court states on its own website, with the page and the date we checked it.
Three different charges
Bail (the fine on your ticket)
The court’s amount for the violation, shown on your courtesy notice or the court’s online lookup. It varies by violation.
The court’s traffic-school fee
A separate fee the court collects for the traffic-school option, including the administrative fee under Vehicle Code section 42007.1 and the DMV monitoring fee under section 11208. Courts describe it in their own words, and several say it is nonrefundable.
School tuition
Paid to the licensed traffic violator school you choose. It is separate from anything paid to the court. Our traffic school cost guide explains the difference.
Court traffic-school fee by county
The table shows each amount as the court’s page states it; whether a court quotes the DMV monitoring fee in the same figure is for your notice to confirm. Amounts change. Always use the total on your current court notice or the court’s online lookup, and do not add the fee again if it is already included.
| County | Court fee | Checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | $57 | Court page | |
| Contra Costa County | $67 | Court page | |
| Fresno County | $67 | Court page | |
| Kern County | $69 | Court page | |
| Los Angeles County | $64 | (not re-checked on November 2; the court site could not be read automatically) | Court page |
| Marin County | $52 | Court page | |
| Monterey County | Not stated as a dollar amount | See the county guide and your court notice | |
| Orange County | Not stated as a dollar amount | See the county guide and your court notice | |
| Placer County | $64.50 | Court page | |
| Riverside County | Not stated as a dollar amount | See the county guide and your court notice | |
| Sacramento County | $52 | (not re-checked on November 2; the court site could not be read automatically) | Court page |
| San Bernardino County | $55 | Court page | |
| San Diego County | $52 | Court page | |
| San Francisco | $52 | Court page | |
| San Joaquin County | $52 | Court page | |
| San Luis Obispo County | $70 | Court page | |
| San Mateo County | $82 | Court page | |
| Santa Barbara County | $66 | Court page | |
| Santa Clara County | Not stated as a dollar amount | See the county guide and your court notice | |
| Santa Cruz County | $52 | Court page | |
| Solano County | $52 | Court page | |
| Sonoma County | Not stated as a dollar amount | See the county guide and your court notice | |
| Stanislaus County | $52 | Court page | |
| Tulare County | $68 | Court page | |
| Ventura County | Not stated as a dollar amount | See the county guide and your court notice |
Counties not listed have no guide here yet. Find any county’s official court website in our California court directory.
Questions about court fees
Is the court fee the same as the school’s price?
No. The court fee goes to the court. Tuition goes to the school, and schools set their own prices.
Can I get the court fee back if I don’t finish?
Check your court. Several court pages linked above describe the fee as nonrefundable.
Who decides whether I can take traffic school?
Your court. Paying a fee or enrolling with a school does not make you eligible. See our court guide and the free 18-month date calculator.
Where can I find a licensed school?
Use the California DMV’s traffic school list. California Licensing Education holds temporary DMV license E1008; its online course is not yet available.
Sources
Each amount links to the county court page where it appears, checked on the date shown. The California Courts self-help guide to traffic school explains the general process.