A date check, not an eligibility decision
California traffic school 18-month date calculator.
What is the 18-month rule for California traffic school?
California Rules of Court, rule 4.104(b)(2)(B), says a court clerk is not authorized to grant traffic school for “A violation that occurs within 18 months after the date of a previous violation and the defendant either attended or elected to attend a traffic violator school for the previous violation.” The rule compares the two violation dates: the date of the earlier ticket and the date of the new one. Course, payment and court dates don’t move the count.
Enter both violation dates below to see how far apart they are. Your court decides whether you may attend traffic school, and other conditions apply.
No name, ticket number or account needed. The calculation runs in this page. Your dates are not sent, saved or added to the page address, and they are never included in analytics.
Your date check
Enter both violation dates, then check them. The result shows the gap between the dates and the day 18 months after the earlier violation.
- Earlier violation date
- Current violation date
- 18 months after the earlier violation
- Time between the violation dates
This is arithmetic on the dates you entered, not a legal decision. Only the court can say whether you may attend traffic school for this ticket.
What else affects traffic school eligibility?
The 18-month rule is one of several limits in rule 4.104. A clerk can generally grant traffic school to “a defendant with a valid driver’s license” for an infraction under the Vehicle Code’s rules of the road and equipment divisions that is reportable to DMV (rule 4.104(b)(1)). Under rule 4.104(b)(2), a clerk is not authorized to grant it for a misdemeanor or for:
A violation worth more than one point
One that carries a negligent operator point count of more than one point under Vehicle Code section 12810, or one and one-half points or more under section 12810.5(b)(2) (rule 4.104(b)(2)(A)).
Alcohol or drug violations
“A violation related to alcohol use or possession or drug use or possession” (rule 4.104(b)(2)(D)).
Unresolved failure to appear
A violation on which you failed to appear, unless the failure-to-appear charge has been adjudicated and any fine imposed has been paid (rule 4.104(b)(2)(E)), or a Penal Code section 1214.1 civil assessment that hasn’t been paid (rule 4.104(b)(2)(F)).
Speeding more than 25 mph over
“A speeding violation in which the speed alleged is more than 25 miles over a speed limit” (rule 4.104(b)(2)(G)).
Commercial vehicles and tank vehicles
A violation that occurs in a commercial vehicle as defined in Vehicle Code section 15210(b) (rule 4.104(b)(2)(H)), or a violation of Vehicle Code section 22406.5, tank vehicles (rule 4.104(b)(2)(C)).
A judicial officer may still order traffic school in an individual case as permitted by law (rule 4.104(c)(1)), so ask the court if your situation falls outside the clerk’s authority. A driver with a class A, class B or commercial class C license may request traffic school if the vehicle required only a noncommercial class C or M license, but that conviction “must not be reported as confidential” (rule 4.104(c)(1)). See the court guide and points and records guide for more.
How it works and limitations.
- The calculator reads the two dates as calendar days. It does not use your time zone or the time of day.
- It adds 18 calendar months to the earlier violation date to find the 18-month mark. If that month has no matching day (for example, 18 months after August 31), it uses the last day of the month.
- If the current violation date comes before the 18-month mark, the dates are within 18 months. If it comes after, they are more than 18 months apart.
- If the current violation date is within 3 days of the 18-month mark, the calculator says the dates are too close to call. Courts may count the boundary day or month ends differently, so ask the court.
- It also shows the gap as whole months plus days, and as a total number of days.
What the calculator can’t do
- It doesn’t decide eligibility. The court does, and the other conditions above still apply.
- It can’t check whether you actually attended or chose traffic school for the earlier ticket. The rule covers both: having attended, or having elected to attend.
- It doesn’t look up your driving record or court case. If you aren’t sure of an earlier violation date, check your citation or court records, or request your record from DMV.
- It doesn’t decide whether a conviction will be kept confidential. That is governed by Vehicle Code section 1808.7 and the court’s report to DMV.
- It assumes the earlier ticket is the most recent one that went to traffic school. If more than one did, enter the latest.
Your dates stay on your device. The page sends no request when you calculate, stores nothing and doesn’t change the page address.
What does a worked example look like?
This is the same example as the “Try an example” button and the court guide. Traffic school was elected for a violation on January 10, 2025. A new violation occurred on June 10, 2026.
Find the 18-month mark.
January 10, 2025 plus 18 months is July 10, 2026.
Compare the new violation date.
June 10, 2026 comes before July 10, 2026. The violation dates are 17 months apart, so they are within 18 months.
What it means.
Under rule 4.104(b)(2)(B), a clerk is not authorized to grant traffic school for the new ticket. Finishing the earlier course later doesn’t restart the count. Ask the court what options you have.
Common misconceptions about the 18-month rule
“The 18 months count from when I finished my last course.”
No. Rule 4.104(b)(2)(B) refers to a violation that occurs within 18 months after the date of a previous violation. Compare violation dates (rule 4.104).
“If I signed up last time but never finished, it doesn’t count.”
Not necessarily. The rule covers a defendant who “either attended or elected to attend” traffic school for the previous violation. Ask the court how it treats your earlier case.
“More than 18 months means I’m automatically eligible.”
No. The other conditions in rule 4.104 still apply, and the court decides (California Courts: Traffic school).
What should I do next?
Read your court notice. It should say whether traffic school is offered. If you’re not sure, contact the court before your due date. Then choose a school from DMV’s list of licensed traffic violator schools.
Sources
- California Rules of Court, rule 4.104: procedures and eligibility criteria for attending traffic violator school
- California Courts: Traffic school
- California Vehicle Code section 1808.7
- California Vehicle Code section 42005
- California DMV: Traffic school list
- California Licensing Education: temporary license E1008 and school details
Rule 4.104 text checked (California Rules of Court 2026; rule last amended effective January 1, 2013). Confirm eligibility with your court.