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'Traffic Amnesty:' 1/2 Off Some CA Traffic Tickets

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on January 03, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Got overdue traffic tickets? If you live in California you may be able to take advantage of the state's one-time traffic amnesty program.

Stuck in a never-ending budget crisis, the state has launched the program in an attempt to raise revenue. Between January 1, 2012 and June 30, 2012, you can get rid of some overdue traffic tickets for half-off.

The discount does not apply to parking tickets and citations given for driving under the influence or reckless driving. The following conditions also apply:

  1. Tickets must have been due before January 1, 2009;
  2. You cannot have made a payment since January 1, 2009;
  3. You must have failed to appear in court or not yet paid in full;
  4. You do not currently owe restitution to a victim in any case in the county where the ticket was issued; and
  5. You currently have no outstanding warrants in that county.

If you do not meet all of these requirements, you do not qualify for the ticket amnesty program. But if you do qualify, you will receive half-off all fines, fees and assessments -- including bail.

You'll need to pay the entire amount upfront. Since the program is being run by individual counties, some may accept credit cards. Just don't write a bad check.

For the curious, the Judicial Council of California has put out this informational video:

If you still don't know whether you qualify for California's traffic amnesty program, check with your local superior court. You can find a list of court contact information here.

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