Traffic

If you have been issued a citation for a traffic violation, you are required to either pay or appear in court on the date written on the bottom of your citation. You may receive a notice in the mail that states the required bail amount and the date that you should either pay by or appear on. If you fail to respond you may be charged with a failure to appear and a civil assessment penalty of $100 may be imposed and a hold placed on your driver's license with the DMV.

At your first court appearance you may enter one of the following pleas:

• Guilty - this means you admit the violation occurred. Please understand that you may admit the violation occurred and explain the circumstances to the Judicial Officer.
• Not Guilty - this means you deny the violation. A hearing with the citing officer present will be set for another date and time. You may hire an attorney to represent you in court. If you would like to plead "not guilty" by mail, you must post bail in the amount shown on the courtesy notice (not all violations are eligible for this option). Your bail will be held in trust and you will be notified of the court trial date. At the trial, you should be prepared to produce all evidence and/or any witnesses necessary to your case. You may also be able to have your trial by a written declaration.
• No Contest - this means you neither admit nor deny the violation occurred. This plea is treated the same as a guilty plea.

Most violations do not require a court appearance.

Proof of correction and a $25 fee may be required for certain violations. Proof of correction must be presented to the court at the time of your appearance or payment. Proof of correction may be obtained in the following manner: Smog control, brake, and exhaust violations must be inspected and certified as corrected by an authorized Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Device Installation and Inspection Station. Registration and drivers' license violations may be certified as corrected at an office of the Department of Motor Vehicles or at the Yolo Superior Court, Traffic Division. If you were cited for an insurance violation, your fine can be reduced if you provide proof of insurance to the clerk. All proof of insurance must be presented to the clerk. This violation cannot be signed off by a law enforcement agency. For any other defects, proof of correction may be obtained at any law enforcement agency during normal working hours.

You may qualify for Traffic Violator School if you meet all of the following criteria:

• You have not attended traffic school in the past 18 months
• Your citation was not alcohol-related
• You have a valid driver's license and no outstanding Failures to Appear or Failures to Pay
• You were not driving 26 miles per hour or more over the posted speed limit.
• You were not driving a commercial vehicle
• You were cited for a moving violation (seatbelts, registration, insurance, etc are NOT moving violations)

If you meet these requirements you may appear at the clerk's office at 1000 Main Street, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. You will pay the amount of bail as it appears on your courtesy notice plus a $71.00 court administrative fee. You may request Traffic School by mail.

Your request should be sent to:
Traffic Violator School
Yolo Superior Court
1000 Main Street Woodland, CA 95695

You must pay the full amount printed on the courtesy notice and the $71.00 Court Administrative Fee in order to receive the Court Approved lists of schools. The Court does not allow payments for Traffic School requests.
**As of July 1, 2011: Completion of a Traffic Violator School will no longer be considered a dismissal. Only one conviction in any 18-month period will be held confidential and not show on your driving record if you complete a Traffic Violator School program.

Payments may be made online, by mail, or in person. There is a service fee on all credit/debit card payments.
To pay in person, you may appear at 1000 Main Street, Woodland during our normal business hours.

To pay by mail, send your payment to:
Yolo Superior Court, Traffic Division
1000 Main Street, Woodland, CA. 95695

To ask the Court to consider your ability to pay due to financial hardship and decide whether to approve a reduced fine with a payment plan or community service, you may schedule an appearance in Court for arraignment without the deposit of bail by contacting the clerk's office.