SUPERIOR
COURT of CALIFORNIA
LASSEN COUNTY
DEPARTMENT TWO
TRAFFIC
INFORMATION
You may visit the
Traffic Division of Lassen County Superior Court at the Department 2 location
in the Courthouse Annex daily from
Please review carefully all information on the traffic citation that you
signed, promising to appear at the time and date specified.
HOW
MUCH IS MY TICKET?
A courtesy
notice will be sent to the address listed on your ticket. The notice will state the amount you owe (bail),
whether or not a court appearance is required and the date by which you must
take care of your ticket. If you have not received a notice five days
prior to the appearance date at the bottom of your ticket, please call the
traffic division at (530) 251-8205.
If you received a ticket for a mechanical violation, you may be able to
pay a reduced amount if the mechanical problem is fixed. The notice will show a
reduced amount if that applies.
You may be eligible for traffic school, and if you are a
If you mail in the amount owed for your ticket, you may send a personal check, certified bank check or
money order in US FUNDS made payable to Lassen County Superior Court. Do
not mail cash. Partial payments will not be accepted. In some
circumstances, upon your request, a payment plan may be authorized by the court
(a $30 installment fee is added to fine).
Forfeiture of bail (payment of your traffic ticket) is the same as a
conviction of the offense(s), and will close the case. Please include your
Docket Number on your check or money order.
You have been given a date on your ticket to appear, and by signing the ticket, you have given your promise
to appear. Most tickets can be taken care of without appearing simply by paying
the amount due on or before the appearance date on your ticket. If you fail to
pay the ticket or appear in court, a misdemeanor charge of failure to appear
will be added and the amount owed will be increased. A civil assessment may
also be added to the amount due, a hold may be placed on your driver’s license
by DMV, and your case may be referred to a collection agency.
PROOF
OF CORRECTION
Driver’s license, insurance, vehicle registration, and mechanical
violations will be dismissed by the court if proof of correction (POC) along
with the $10.00 POC FEE is presented to the court by mail or in person by the
due date.
Proof of correction for equipment violations can be obtained by having a
law enforcement officer sign off your copy of the citation. Insurance
violations may be certified at the court by a clerk. Driver’s license and
registration violations may be certified at an office of the Department of
Motor Vehicles (DMV) or presented to the court.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to present or mail proof of correction
to the court along with the POC FEE.
You may be eligible for traffic school if you have not attended in the
past 18 months, have no more than two prior convictions within the last 18
months,
To request traffic school, sign the back of your courtesy notice, and
pay the total court traffic school fee. Traffic schools are listed in the
yellow pages of your phone directory, or you may ask the court to send you a
list of traffic schools provided by DMV. Traffic schools are private businesses
and will charge an additional fee.
The court will continue your case for 90 days (the date is shown on your
courtesy notice) to complete your local traffic school program. When you have
completed traffic school, mail your original certificate of compliance to
Lassen County Superior Court at
The court will notify DMV that your traffic violation has been dismissed
upon completion of traffic school.
HOW
DO I PLEAD NOT GUILTY?
If you wish to plead not guilty by mail, you must either (1) schedule a Court Trial date,
or (2) request a Trial by Declaration. You will be required to
post bail in either situation.
If you are charged with an infraction violation, you may plead not
guilty and request a court trial by sending the total bail amount to the
court five days prior to the appearance date. Please sign the back of your
courtesy notice requesting a Court Trial. You will be notified of your trial
date and time by mail. Your bail will be held in a trust account until
your case is decided.
If you are charged with an infraction violation, you may plead not
guilty and request a trial by declaration by sending the total bail
amount to the court five days prior to the appearance date. Please sign
the back of your courtesy notice requesting a trial by declaration. The clerk
will mail declaration forms to you. You will not have to appear in court
and your bail will be held in a trust account until your case is decided.
If you wish to plead not guilty in person, you must appear in court promptly at
MANDATORY
APPEARANCE
If your citation is for a misdemeanor violation and/or requires a
mandatory appearance, you must appear in Department 2 of the Superior Court (in
the courthouse annex) by
FAILURE
TO APPEAR
If you fail to appear or pay your traffic ticket by your appearance
date, the court will take one or more of the following actions:
1. charge a misdemeanor failure to appear charge with $175.00
additional penalties
2. issue a warrant for your arrest
3. notify the DMV to hold, or refuse to renew, your
driving privileges
4. impose a civil assessment of $300.00
5. refer your case to a private collection agency for
further action