Form TR-205: How to Fill Out the Request for Trial by Written Declaration
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Form TR-205, Request for Trial by Written Declaration, is the Judicial Council form you use to contest a California traffic infraction by mail under Vehicle Code 40902. It is two pages long: page 1 has the court’s information and your request, and page 2 holds your statement of facts and your signature. This guide goes through it box by box.
Get form TR-205 from the California Courts: Form TR-205 ↗
| Part of the form | Who fills it in | What goes there | What to attach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top of page 1: court and case | You | The court’s name and address, your name, the citation number and the case number if you have one | Nothing |
| Boxes A to E | The court clerk | The due date, the bail required and already deposited, the date the form was mailed, and the court’s mailing address | Nothing |
| Items 1 to 4 | No one: they are statements you make when you sign | You reviewed form TR-200, you request the trial, your facts are true, and you give up the right not to be a witness against yourself | Nothing |
| Item 5: evidence | You | A check next to each kind of evidence you send, such as photographs, a diagram or documents | Every item you check |
| Item 6: Declaration of Facts (page 2) | You | Your name, your mailing address and your statement of facts, explaining each item of evidence | Extra pages if you need them (the California Courts point to form MC-031, Attached Declaration); witness statements on MC-031 or signed under penalty of perjury |
| Item 7: signature and date | You | The number of pages you attached, your printed name, your signature and the date | Nothing |
Before You Start
- Your ticket and, if you have it, the courtesy notice. You need the citation number, the case number if the court gave you one, and the court’s name and address.
- Your due date and the bail amount. The California Courts self-help guide says to check the court’s notice or website for both first.
- Form TR-200, Instructions to Defendant. Item 1 of TR-205 says you have reviewed it.
- Your evidence: photos, a diagram, documents or witness statements.
Read the instructions that go with TR-205: Form TR-200 ↗
Top of Page 1: Court and Case
Fill in the name and address of the court from your ticket or courtesy notice, your name after DEFENDANT, and the citation number from your ticket. Add the case number if the court gave you one. Leave the box marked For Court Use Only blank.
Boxes A to E: Filled Out by the Court Clerk
This section is marked To Be Filled Out by Court Clerk. Some courts send TR-205 with these boxes completed. If yours is blank, the court’s notice or website gives the same information.
- A. Due date: the date the court must receive this form and any unpaid bail.
- B. Bail amount required.
- C. Bail amount you have already deposited.
- D. The date the clerk mailed or delivered the form.
- E. The court and the mailing address where you send the completed form and your evidence.
Items 1 to 4: Your Request
- Item 1 says you have reviewed the Instructions to Defendant (form TR-200).
- Item 2 is your request for a trial by written declaration.
- Item 3 says the facts in your Declaration of Facts are personally known to you and are true and correct.
- Item 4 says you know you have the right not to be compelled to be a witness against yourself, and that by making a statement you give up that right.
Items 1 to 4 are statements, not boxes to check. Read them before you sign the form.
Item 5: Your Evidence
Item 5 lists the evidence that supports your case, and the form says the list includes everything you want the court to consider. Check each kind you are sending:
- a. Photographs (write the total number)
- b. Medical record
- c. Registration documents
- d. Inspection certificate
- e. Diagram
- f. Car repair receipt
- g. Insurance documents
- h. Other (describe it)
Item 6 asks you to explain every item you check here, so each piece of evidence should come up in your statement of facts.
Item 6: Your Declaration of Facts (Page 2)
Page 2 repeats the case caption (PEOPLE v. your name, and the case number). In item 6, write your name and current mailing address, then your Statement of Facts. The form asks you to type or print, state what happened, and explain each item of evidence you checked in item 5 and how it supports your case. You may add pages.
If you need more space, the California Courts point to form MC-031, Attached Declaration. A witness statement should be on form MC-031 or signed with this sentence: “I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that this statement is true and correct.”
What to put in your statement of facts. How to Write Your Declaration →
Item 7, Signature and Date
Item 7 asks for the number of pages you attached. Below it, you declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that what you wrote is true and correct. Type or print your name, sign, and date the form.
TR-205 Example: A Filled-In Sample
Here is what a completed TR-205 can look like. The person, court, citation number and facts are made up, and the statement of facts only shows the format: it says what happened and what each item of evidence shows, with no argument. Your own form uses your facts, in your own words.
- A. DUE DATE (for receipt of this form and any unpaid bail) (specify):
- B. Bail amount required: $
- C. Bail amount already deposited by defendant: $
- D. Date mailed or delivered by clerk:
- E. Mail or deliver completed form, evidence, and mail to the Clerk of the (specify):Court at (mailing address):
- 1. I have reviewed the Instructions to Defendant (Trial by Written Declaration) (form TR-200).
- 2. I request to have a trial by written declaration.
- 3. The facts contained in the Declaration of Facts on the reverse are personally known to me and are true and correct.
- 4. I know that I have the right not to be compelled to be a witness against myself. I understand and agree that by making any statement, I am giving up and waiving that right and privilege.
- 5. EVIDENCE The following evidence supports my case and includes everything I want the court to consider in deciding my case:
- a.Xphotographs (specify total number): 2
- b.medical record
- c.registration documents
- d.inspection certificate
- e.Xdiagram
- f.car repair receipt
- g.insurance documents
- h.other (specify):
(Trial by Written Declaration—Traffic)Vehicle Code, § 40902
(Trial by Written Declaration—Traffic)Page two
- The clerk boxes A to E are blank in this sample. The court fills them in or gives the same information in its notice.
- Item 5 checks the two kinds of evidence sent with the form: photographs (2) and a diagram.
- Item 6 names each item checked in item 5 and says what it shows.
- In this sample, item 7 says 3 pages are attached: two photographs and one diagram.
- This sample has no signature.
Download the official blank form (PDF) from the California Courts: Form TR-205 (PDF) ↗
Filing TR-205: Deadline, Bail and Copies
- Send the form, your evidence and any bail so the court receives them by the due date in box A, at the address in box E or as the court’s instructions say. Some courts accept filings online.
- In most courts you deposit the bail amount with your request (Vehicle Code 40902(b)), but a court that offers online trials by declaration through MyCitations cannot require bail in advance unless it makes express findings (Government Code 68645.4).
- Keep a copy of everything you send and proof of when you sent it.
After You File
Under California Rules of Court, rule 4.210, once the clerk receives your TR-205 and any required bail by the due date, the clerk sends notice to the citing officer’s agency, and the officer may send a written statement by a set date. A judge decides on the written record, and the court mails its Decision and Notice (form TR-215).
If you lose, most courts let you request a new trial in person with form TR-220 within 20 calendar days after the court mails its decision (Vehicle Code 40902(d)); courts that offer online trial by declaration through MyCitations do not, but you can appeal.
Common Mistakes
- Missing the due date in box A, or mailing on the last day.
- Leaving out the bail when the court requires it.
- Writing about evidence in item 6 that you did not check in item 5, or checking a box without explaining the item.
- Leaving item 7, the signature or the date blank.
- Using TR-205 for an AB 645 or SB 720 notice, which is not a court citation.
See every step, from your deadline to the decision. How to Fight a Traffic Ticket in California →
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Check if my ticket qualifiesFrequently Asked Questions
The California Courts publish TR-205 and its instructions, form TR-200, on their self-help site, and some courts send TR-205 with the due date and bail amount filled in. Check your court’s notice or website for its own instructions.
Yes. This guide has a sample TR-205 filled in with made-up facts and marked SAMPLE. It shows where each answer goes, not what to argue. Download the blank official form from the California Courts and fill it in with your own information.
Some courts accept filings online. Courts that offer online trial by declaration through MyCitations (as of October 2026: Amador, Imperial, Nevada, Sacramento, San Francisco and Siskiyou) use an online form in place of the paper TR-205. Check your court’s traffic page.
In most courts you deposit the bail amount with your request, and it is refunded if you are found not guilty. A court that offers online trials by declaration through MyCitations cannot require bail in advance unless it makes express findings (Government Code 68645.4).
Not for an AB 645 speed camera notice or an SB 720 civil red light notice: neither is a court citation, so you start with the city’s initial review. A traditional red light camera ticket (Vehicle Code 21455.5) is a court citation, so TR-205 applies to it.
TR-200, Instructions to Defendant (Trial by Written Declaration), explains the process. Item 1 of TR-205 says you have reviewed it.
This article provides general educational information about California traffic law. It is not legal advice. For advice specific to your situation, consult a licensed attorney. TicketClear is not a law firm and does not provide legal representation. Results vary. Every citation is unique.
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