General Information
Internet and Telephone Citation Payment Information
To Pay By Mail
Trial Not Guilty Pleas
Extensions and Continuances
Traffic School
Walk-In-Court
Trial By Declaration
Fines
Failure to Appear and Warrants
Mechanical or Registration Citation
Juvenile Citations
Parking Citations
GENERAL INFORMATION
TopA courtesy notice will be mailed to the address on your citation within three weeks from the date your citation is issued. This notice will tell you the amount to be paid and/or what proof of correction will be needed to clear the citation. You may clear your traffic citation at any traffic division located at any of the following court locations in Alameda County:
Hayward Hall of Justice
Gale/Schenone Hall of Justice (Pleasanton)
Wiley W. Manuel (Oakland)
Fremont Hall of Justice
George E. MacDonald Hall of Justice (Alameda)
The date at the bottom of your citation is not a court date. It is the date by which you should receive a courtesy notice. If you have not received a courtesy notice within 4 weeks of receiving the citation, please bring your citation to one of the Traffic Division windows at the courthouse.
Most citations can be taken care of through the mail. This includes payments, extensions, traffic school enrollment, or a request to attend night court. When contacting the court by mail or telephone, include your docket or citation number and advise us of any change of address
INTERNET & TELEPHONE CITATION PAYMENT INFORMATION
TopBy using a touch-tone telephone you may select a variety of recorded traffic messages. This option also allows you to make payments over the telephone by using your credit card. Please follow the instructions on your courtesy notice for the appropriate phone number to call.
You may pay over the Internet by using your credit card.
You have the option of forfeiting bail or enrolling in traffic school.
TO PAY BY MAIL
TopWrite your docket number on your check and all correspondence. Make checks/money orders payable to CLERK OF THE COURT.
TRIAL / NOT GUILTY PLEAS
TopYou may waive arrangement and schedule a future court trial on an infraction by mail or by appearing in person, at the Traffic Division by your due date. Bail is required for court trials (40519b CVC).
EXTENSIONS AND CONTINUANCES
TopThe due date shown on your courtesy notice may be extended 60 days by making a request on-line, or at the traffic counter, by mail, or by phone. If you require more than 60 days, a court appearance will be required.
A one time 60 day extension on court ordered fines may be allowed. Contact a Traffic Division to see if you qualify.
TRAFFIC SCHOOL
Top
You are eligible for the Traffic School Dismissal Program if you have not attended in the past 18 months AND have an eligible violation. Attendance is allowed once every 18 months completed from violation date to violation date. There are no exceptions. If you attend more than once in 18 months, the second traffic school dismissal will appear on your driving record. Judicial Officer's cannot change DMV's 18-month regulation.
To request traffic school, pay the non-refundable traffic school fee by the due date either in person or by mail. If by mail, you must enclose a legal size, self-addressed envelope with 60 cents postage attached. Upon payment, you will receive a list of traffic school addresses and phone numbers and your case will be extended 90 days for completion of school and return of the certificate of completion. Traffic schools are private businesses and will charge an additional fee.
Your traffic citation will be dismissed upon proof of completion of Traffic School. Timely presentation of the Proof of Completion to the court is your responsibility and not that of the school or postal service. Failure to submit proof of completion in a timely fashion may result in the loss of the dismissal privilege, bail being forfeited, and the violation being reported to DMV as a conviction and a point count on your Driver's License. If you are eligible and do not attend Traffic School your automobile insurance may be adversely affected.
WALK-IN-COURT
TopThe following locations offer walk-in court:
Fremont Hall of Justice
Hayward Hall of Justice
Gale/Schenone Hall of Justice (Pleasanton)
Wiley W. Manuel (Oakland)
TRIAL BY DECLARATION
TopA Trial by Declaration is a court trial by mail.
You may contest a citation without appearing in court simply by requesting a trial by written declaration on or before the due date on your courtesy notice. Bail must be posted when the request is made. The court's decision will be based on the sworn written statements submitted by you, the officer, and any witnesses. If you are dissatisfied with the judgment, you may request a new trial provided you do so within 20 days of the mailing of the notice of judgment. This procedure is not available for misdemeanors, accidents, mandatory court appearances, or non-traffic local ordinance violations
FINES
TopCourt ordered fines may be paid by mail or in person. Checks or money orders should be made payable to The Clerk of the Court. To insure your case is credited correctly, write the docket number on your check. We also accept VISA and MasterCard, ATM/Debit cards if paid in person. The credit cardholder must be present.
FAILURE TO APPEAR AND WARRANTS
TopIf DMV lists a failure to appear (40508a CVC), a failure to pay (40508b CVC), a failure to comply (40508c CVC) or if you have an outstanding warrant for your arrest, they may be cleared as follows:
- Post and forfeit bail
- Post bail and schedule a future court date
You may also post bail by mail with a certified check or money order. Personal checks will not be accepted.
MECHANICAL OR REGISTRATION CITATIONS
TopHave mechanical repairs inspected and signed off by a police officer. Return the signed proof of correction to the court along with a $25 per violation cited state mandated fee (40611 CVC) no later than the due date shown on your courtesy notice Registration violations may be signed off by DMV and the proof returned to the court by the due date shown on your courtesy notice along with a $25 per violation cited state mandated fee (40611 CVC). Selling a vehicle that has been cited for mechanical violations does not relieve the owner of the responsibility of the proof of correction for those violations A receipt showing the vehicle has been junked will clear the citation.
JUVENILE CITATIONS
TopTraffic citations issued to minors are processed and adjudicated at the Superior Court Traffic Divisions.
A courtesy notice will be mailed to the Parent/Guardian of the juvenile at the address listed on the citation within four weeks from the date the citation was issued. Follow the instructions on the notice exactly.
The date at the bottom of the citation is not a court date. It is the date by which you should receive a courtesy notice. If you have not received a notice within four weeks of receiving the citation, please bring the citation with your Parent/Guardian to one of the Traffic Division windows at the Courthouse.
The juvenile may be eligible to attend traffic school if he/she has not attended within the last 18 months. A Court administrative fee as well as a fee to the Traffic School must be paid. Upon successful completion of Traffic School, the citation will be dismissed.
If the juvenile wishes to contest the citation, the Parent/Guardian must schedule a hearing at which the Parent/Guardian must appear with the juvenile. The Parent/Guardian may do this in person or by mail.
Failure to appear or to comply with the instructions on the Courtesy Notice will result in a hold being placed against the juvenile's driving record, an increase in the bail due and may adversely affect the Parent/Guardian's insurance.
PARKING CITATIONS
TopParking citations are no longer handled by the Superior Court. Each issuing city or agency now processes its own parking citations. Contact the city or agency that issued the parking citation.
