What Is Traffic Ticket Amnesty in California?

Understanding Traffic Ticket Amnesty in California

Traffic ticket amnesty refers to programs that let drivers with old, unpaid traffic tickets resolve them for less than the full amount owed. The most recent statewide program was a one-time amnesty that SB 85 created in 2015 by adding Vehicle Code section 42008.8. It helped drivers who had fallen behind on fines get back into compliance without paying the full accumulated penalties.

These programs exist because unpaid traffic fines can grow quickly. A $100 base fine is already $486 in total under the Judicial Council’s 2026 bail schedule, and a missed deadline can add a civil assessment of up to $100 (Penal Code section 1214.1). Before 2017, a driver who could not pay could also have their license suspended, which made it harder to get to work and pay off the original debt. AB 103 (2017) ended license suspensions for failing to pay a traffic fine.

How the Amnesty Program Worked

The 2015-2017 program covered fines and bail that were first due on or before January 1, 2013. It accepted 50 percent of the amount owed as payment in full. People who received certain public benefits, or who met the low-income test in the court fee waiver law (Government Code section 68632), paid 20 percent, an 80 percent reduction. Civil assessments were not collected, and paying them was not required to take part (Vehicle Code section 42008.8).

• Infraction cases filed with the court qualified, and so did failure-to-appear and failure-to-pay charges under Vehicle Code section 40508.
• A court and county could also agree to include Vehicle Code misdemeanors, except reckless driving and DUI charges. Parking tickets were not included.
• You could not take part if you owed victim restitution on any case in that county, had an outstanding misdemeanor or felony warrant there (other than a misdemeanor warrant for a violation the program covered), or had paid the county’s collection program on that ticket after September 30, 2015.
• Participants could pay in monthly installments set at an amount they could afford, under Judicial Council guidelines, and programs could charge a $50 amnesty fee. Starting January 1, 2027, AB 2428 (2026) makes amnesty program administrative fees uncollectible.

Current Options for Reducing Outstanding Fines

Even without a statewide amnesty program in effect, California drivers with overdue tickets have several avenues to explore. The options available depend on your financial situation, the age of the ticket, and the county where the ticket was issued.

Ability-to-Pay Determinations

Under California Rule of Court 4.335, the court must consider your ability to pay a traffic infraction fine if you ask. You can ask when your case is decided or later, while the fine is still unpaid, including after it has become delinquent or been sent to a collection program. The court must let you ask in writing unless it directs you to appear, and every California superior court accepts ability-to-pay requests online through MyCitations. Based on what you show, the court may let you pay in installments or do community service instead (where the court offers them), suspend all or part of the fine, or offer another disposition. If your situation changes later, you can ask again. A MyCitations request asks you to enter a plea, and the California Courts Self-Help Guide says that once you ask for a lower fine you cannot later correct a “fix-it” ticket or contest the ticket in court. If you want traffic school, the guide says to ask for it first.

Payment Plans

Many courts let you pay a traffic ticket over time. Before your due date, Vehicle Code section 40510.5 lets the court clerk accept a payment of at least 10 percent of the total bail for an infraction that does not require a court appearance, if you sign the Judicial Council installment agreement. The date you sign is reported to the DMV as your conviction date, so this option pays the ticket rather than contesting it. If you miss an installment, the court may charge a failure to appear or pay under Vehicle Code section 40508 and add a civil assessment of up to $100 (Penal Code section 1214.1), or it may issue a warrant (Vehicle Code section 40510.5). After a judgment, the court may also order a fine paid within a set time or in installments (Vehicle Code section 42003 for infractions, Penal Code section 1205 for misdemeanors). Ask the court that handles your ticket which options it offers.

Traffic Court Debt Collections

If your ticket has been sent to the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) or a private collections agency, you will need to work with the collecting entity as well as the court. The state can take the amount owed out of a state tax refund, California State Lottery winnings or unclaimed property the state holds for you (Government Code section 12419.10). Even at this stage, Rule of Court 4.335 lets you ask the court for an ability-to-pay determination, which can lead to a payment plan or a reduced fine.

How to Ask for a Lower Fine or a Payment Plan

Because no statewide amnesty program is open, the request goes to the court that handles your ticket. In general, the process involves contacting the traffic court clerk or using MyCitations, showing your financial situation, and then paying the amount the court sets or following the payment plan it approves.

1. Locate the court that handled your original ticket. Your citation or any collection notices will identify the court.
2. Contact the court clerk or visit the court website to ask about ability-to-pay requests, payment plans, and community service.
3. Gather documentation of your financial situation (pay stubs, tax returns, proof of government assistance).
4. Submit the request online through MyCitations or on the court’s form, such as Judicial Council form TR-320 (Can’t Afford to Pay Fine).
5. If approved, pay the reduced amount or set up a payment plan and keep records of all payments.

Learn how to request a continuance if your deadline is approaching. How to Request a Continuance →

Will Amnesty Clear My DMV Record?

Amnesty programs and ability-to-pay reductions reduce or forgive the financial penalties associated with a ticket, but they generally do not remove the underlying conviction from your DMV driving record. Vehicle Code section 12810 sets how many points a conviction carries, not how long it stays. The DMV counts points over 12, 24 and 36 months when it decides whether a driver is a negligent operator (Vehicle Code section 12810.5), and Vehicle Code section 1808 has it disclose most convictions for 3 years from the date of the violation, two-point convictions for 7 years and DUI convictions for 10 years. The DMV’s California Driver’s Handbook says convictions stay on your record for 36 months or longer, depending on the type of conviction.

The 2015-2017 program did help with license problems. For a failure-to-appear (FTA) suspension tied to a ticket in the amnesty program, the court had to file a certificate with the DMV within 90 days, and the DMV could not refuse to reinstate a participant’s license over the fines in the program. Until January 1, 2027, when AB 2746 (2022) ends any remaining failure-to-appear suspension and license hold, resolving an old ticket with the court is how an older FTA hold is cleared. License suspensions for failing to pay a traffic fine ended in 2017 under AB 103.

Understand how traffic tickets affect your insurance rates in California. Traffic Tickets and Insurance in California →