Marin Traffic School

Marin Traffic School Online

Drivers cited for speeding or other traffic offenses in Marin County are often eligible to attend Marin County traffic school.

DTA recommends this option because it will prevent your ticket from appearing on your California driving record. If your ticket is not "masked," it will be visible to your insurance company, which could result in higher insurance rates for you.

The traffic school option will not only make your ticket "invisible," it will teach you defensive driving strategies, give you a refresher on California traffic law, and help you become more aware of dangers such as distracted and aggressive driving.

Am I Eligible for Marin County Traffic School?

How do you know if you are permitted to go to traffic violator school for your ticket? The answer is that the court will notify you of this.

Within a few weeks after the issuance of your ticket, the Marin County Superior Court will send you a courtesy notice that explains your traffic ticket options. If you are allowed to attend traffic school, this option will appear on your courtesy notice, along with the bail amount (i.e. fine) for the ticket and the administrative fee for attending traffic school ($49.00).

All California courts have a set of eligibility requirements that must be met if a person is going to be allowed to attend a defensive driving course. To follow are the requirements for Marin County.

• You must have a valid driver's license.
• Your license may not be a Class A, Class B, or commercial Class C license.
• Your moving violation must be an offense that is reportable to the DMV.
• Your current violation must not have occurred while you were driving a commercial vehicle as set forth in 15210(b) of the California Vehicle Code.
• Your violation must not have a point count of more than one point.
• Your violation must not involve the use of alcohol or drugs.
• You must not have been exceeding the posted speed by more than 25 MPH.
• Your violation must not require a court appearance.
• You must not have already attended a traffic violator school course for a prior ticket issued within the past 18 months.

Once you notify the court of your intention to go to traffic school, you will have 60 days to complete it and turn your ORIGINAL certificate in to the court. The court does not accept copies of the certificate.

A Note About the Marin County Traffic School Fee

If you decide to go to traffic school online with DTA, you will pay a registration fee for your course. This fee is shown at the top of this page. There are no "hidden fees" or extra charges added in after you start registration, which other schools often charge. This fee is not the same as your $49.00 administrative traffic school fee (that fee is paid to the court, not to the traffic school).

Is This Course Approved for a Marin County Speeding Ticket?

Yes, Driver Training Associates offers online California traffic school developed by I Drive Safely®. This is an approved traffic school course that is accepted by the court.

Community Service in Lieu of Fine Payment

Marin County sometimes allows defendants to perform community service in lieu of paying the bail amount on their traffic citation. This request can be made by drivers who would prefer to perform community service instead of paying the fine amount, or who are unable to pay the fine amount.

Information regarding timesheets and community service work agencies can be obtained from Marin County court staff. These work agencies are non-profit and some are located outside of Marin County, permitting non-Marin county residents to participate in the community service program. The deadline for community service hours to be completed by the defendant is determined by the court.

Marin Traffic Court General Information

The Marin County Traffic Court is located at the Civic Center, Hall of Justice, Room C-10. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The traffic court e-mail address is traffic@marincourt.org and the court's telephone number is (415) 444-7180.

Comprehensive information about the traffic violator school program, community service, contesting a ticket, and other traffic related topics can be found on the Marin County Court's website.