To start taking traffic school in California, you’ll need to have permission from the court. That’s because California law only allows you the option of taking traffic school at the discretion of the court. In other words, traffic school is a privilege, not a right, under California law.
- Make 100% Sure You Sign Up For The Best Online Traffic School In California! Here Is Our Top Recommendation
How Do I Know If I Can Take Traffic School?
You’ll most likely receive a reminder of your violation in the mail. If you do, it will probably state whether you will be permitted to take traffic school. If the reminder mailed to you by the court does not mention traffic school, then you should wait and go to traffic court and ask for permission to take traffic school.
Note, however, that some people aren’t eligible for traffic school in the first place. By law, you can’t take traffic school if the following circumstances apply to you:
- You were given more than one point for your moving violation.
- Any prior violation was issued at least 18 months before the issuance of your current traffic violation.
- If you were caught speeding, and it was for more than 25 mph. Note that the police, who are aware of California’s traffic school laws, may write the ticket for less than 25 mph even if you exceeded this amount.
- You weren’t driving a commercial vehicle.
- You weren’t drunk, on drugs, or in possession of drugs.
- Your traffic citation doesn’t require you to attend court.
- You have a Class A, Class B, or commercial Class C license–even if your violation was issued while you weren’t driving a commercial vehicle.
Can I Take My California Traffic School Online?
If you’ve secured permission from the court to take traffic school, then check to make sure that the court did not order you to attend in person. This is rare in California, but it is not impossible that you could be ordered to attend school in person. In the absence of such an order, you may presumably attend a court-certified California traffic school online. Note that the court will ask you to pay fees in order to take traffic school. These fees are separate from the fees charged by the traffic school you chose to attend. However, you will not have to pay the cost of the ticket outright.
Choosing a Certified Online Traffic School In California
Because there are many traffic schools available in California, you’ll find that one of the most challenging parts of starting an online traffic school in California is selecting a school. You will want to find the school that best suits your needs. iDriveSafely.com is a good school offering first-rate instruction for a reasonable price. It’s ideally suited for those that prefer a straightforward and professional class.
iDriveSafely.com – Fast and Easy
Here are a few more reasons why you will love iDriveSafely.com:
- iDriveSafely offers versatile options for every learning style. They have an easy text-based course, and they also offer a FREE audio-read along for on-the-go students. If you want an even easier option, they offer a video-based course. All you have to do is sit back, relax, and learn.
- They offer FREE services like a certificate of completion filing and one month All State Road Services – all convenient freebies for drivers.
- iDriveSafely.com offers the fastest and shortest courses allowed by state laws. There are no fuss and frills, just simple, straightforward lessons.
- Breeze through the user-friendly course and should any problems arrive, iDriveSafely.com has reliable 24/7 customer and technical support. Reach out to them through FREE 24/7 phone and weekday live chat support
MyImprov.com is also popular. It offers a humorous take on traffic school, with courses taught by comedians. Its traffic courses have been evaluated for their effectiveness by the Department of Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
MyImprov.com – Entertaining and Affordable
Here are some more reasons why MyImprov.com is one of the best:
- All resource materials are fun and entertaining! That’s because scripts were specially crafted by Hollywood writers and stand-up comedians.
- MyImprov.com has received numerous awards from media outlets, including ‘Best Traffic School’ for its revolutionary take on edutainment
- There are absolutely no hidden fees at MyImprov.com – you only need to pay for the flat rate. It’s one of the most affordable courses you can find. All convenient features like their mobile application, certificate filing, unlimited test retakes, and due date reminders come at no additional cost.
- MyImprov.com is also known for its reliable 24/7 customer service support available through live chat and phone.
- At MyImprov.com, you can get your certificate processed in as little as 30 minutes. They’ll automatically send your certificate of completion to your local court as well.
Get a 100% money-back guarantee at MyImprov.com, no questions asked.
When you pick a school, you’ll find some that are extremely cheap – as cheap as $10. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the best choice. Remember that you’ll be spending almost an entire day reading or listening to your online course. It’s probably worth a few extra bucks to spend that time receiving high-quality instruction.
There’s one other thing to be aware of when you select an online traffic school. Some schools offer video instruction, while others offer written instruction, while still others offer both. Video instruction usually takes exactly as long as your state’s regulations require, while written instructions can take more or less time, depending on your reading speed and comprehension. If you’re a fast reader, you may prefer to take a traffic school that offers written instruction.
Also note that as of a couple of years ago, the state of California is no longer requiring course timers for online traffic schools. This has enabled people to complete their California online traffic school course in about an hour.
Finding a California Online Traffic School Course that is DMV Approved
Only traffic schools that are approved by the DMV can issue credit that will meet the court’s requirements. This is to ensure that traffic schools offer instruction of reasonable quality. It also ensures that traffic schools administer the court-mandated test correctly. You should go to the California Department of Motor Vehicles’ website and check to be certain that the school of your choice is listed.
Enrolling in California Online Traffic School
Have your ID, traffic citation, and your credit card ready–you’ll need all three to enroll. Generally, most traffic school websites require you to submit information as to the state, county, and the court that is handling your violation. This allows them to notify the appropriate court, once you’ve finished traffic school.
Attending A California Online Traffic School
You only have a certain amount of time in which to complete traffic school. Most online courses give you as much time as you like – but the court that is handling your ticket will probably set a time limit. Since traffic school isn’t always the pinnacle of excitement, you’ll probably want to spread out your classes over several days. This will also help you to retain the material and pass the quizzes that are ordinarily interspersed throughout the lessons. It’s important that you get the material down well enough to pass the test at the end of the course, or else you will not receive credit for attending traffic school. California has a lamentable rule which provides that you may only take the final exam twice before you will be judged to have failed traffic school. Nobody wants to be a traffic school dropout, so be sure to pay attention!
Can I Start Taking Online Traffic School When Time is Almost Out?
If you’re almost out of time in which to take traffic school, don’t worry–you can take and pass traffic school in a single day. This may mean sitting down and taking traffic school for many hours in a row, but this is probably worth the effort. Alternatively, you can request an extension. Courts will ordinarily grant two extensions of 30 days each or a single 60-day extension. You can request your extension online, through the Court’s automated telephone system, or by mail. Extensions are obtained through the California court system–the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) does not have the authority to grant extensions.