Question: I just got a ticket and I know I can go to driving school (or traffic school) to get it cleared. How does it work and how frequently can I attend this school?
Answer:
Certain states allow you to go to driving school to dismiss a ticket or to reduce the points on your license. But how it works, how often you can do it and what happens depends on which state you live in.
Most states require approval of the court to attend a driver improvement course or traffic school in lieu of receiving a ticket or having points added to your driving record. Not all violations qualify for this method, especially more severe ones.
For example, in Nevada, with permission from the courts, you can attend traffic school to clear a violation and avoid points on your license. Additionally, taking DMV-approved driving classes online or in-person can get you a three-point reduction if you have at least three points but less than 12 points, and you don’t have any outstanding violations. This option is only available once a year.
In Alabama, according to the Jefferson County District Attorney, you may be eligible for dismissal of your traffic citation if you complete a Defensive Driving School course, pay court costs and fulfill these requirements:
- You have not received a moving violation in the past three years;
- You have not been arrested for DUI.
- Your violation is eligible for this treatment (e.g. speeding, driving on the wrong side of the road, running red light or stop sign)
In contrast, California law says you can only go once every 18 months to clear a recent traffic violation to avoid receiving points on your record. However, there are no options to remove past points.
Traffic school for violations and point reduction, by state
Below is a table of states where attendance at a driving school can help you. There are two main ways attendance can help you.
First, you might be able to get out of a traffic violation’s legal consequences. A ticket could be dismissed, the violation might be masked from your driving record or points could not go on your record. This varies by location.
The other is attending a course to reduce points that you have accumulated on your driving license.
| State | Traffic violation | Reduce existing points | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Possible (see above) | No | 3 years |
| Alaska | Yes, with court referral | Remove 2 points | 1 year |
| Arizona | Yes, if 12 months since last course | No | 1 year |
| California | Yes, with court permission | No | 18 months |
| Delaware | No | 3 points credit | 3 years |
| Florida | Yes, with court permission | No | 1 year |
| Idaho | No | Reduce 3 points | 3 years |
| Indiana | No | 4 points credit | 3 years |
| Kentucky | Yes, for minor violations | No | 1 year |
| Maine | No | 3 points credit | 1 year |
| Michigan | Yes, if authorized by state | No | N/A |
| Missouri | Yes, with county or court approval | No | 3 years |
| Nevada | Yes, with court permission | 3 points credit | N/A |
| New Jersey | No | Reduce 2 points | 5 years |
| New York | No | Reduce 4 points | 18 months |
| Texas | Yes, with court approval | No | 1 year |
| Virginia | Yes, with court approval | 5 points credit | 2 years |
Xuyun Zeng is a content strategist with a wide-ranging content background including tech, journalism, cars and health care. After graduating with highest honors in journalism, Xuyun led a newspaper to win eight awards, helped start an award-winning film industry podcast and has written over a hundred articles about cars repair, state laws and insurance. Prior to joining Jerry, Xuyun worked as a freelance SEO consultant with a mission to create the best content that will help readers and grow organic traffic.
Ashley Eneriz is an editor and finance writer with over 15 years of experience in a wide range of financial topics, including car loans and insurance. In editing for Jerry, Ashley aims to make all car material reader-friendly for both the new driver and car enthusiast alike. Prior to joining Jerry, Ashley was the financial deputy editor for ConsumerAffairs. Her work is featured on Forbes, Yahoo, MSN, The Hartford and more.
