Find a Traffic School

If you get a ticket for speeding or other driving violations, you may be required by law to attend a registered traffic violation school. If you fail to attend traffic school, your driving record and your car insurance may be negatively affected. Search online, by phone, or in person for a traffic school. Once you find an eligible school, complete the course so you adhere to the law.

Steps

Locating the Traffic School

  1. Look for a list of traffic schools attached to your traffic ticket. Traffic tickets are usually sent to you in the mail. If you are eligible for traffic school, you should get a list of certified traffic schools attached to your traffic ticket.[1]
    • If you do not see an attached list of traffic schools, call your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for more information.
  2. Search online for a local traffic school. Do an online search with the keywords “traffic school in Arizona” or “traffic violation school in New York City.” Most major cities have several traffic schools to choose from.[2]
  3. Call or visit your local Department of Motor Vehicles. Your local DMV should be able to provide a list of certified traffic schools for you to choose from. Call them directly or visit their local offices.[3]
    • You may need to bring traffic ticket to show to your local DMV representative if you go in person.
  4. Confirm the traffic school is certified. Only go to a traffic school that is certified by the municipal or provincial courts in the area where you received the ticket. Your local DMV can provide a list of certified traffic schools for you to choose from.[4]
    • You can also ask the traffic school if it is certified before you pay for the course.
    • If you take a course at a traffic school that is not certified, you will need to redo the entire course again at a certified school and likely will not get a refund for your first attempt.

Completing Traffic School

  1. Pay the fee for traffic school. Once you have found a certified traffic school, you will need to pay the school a fee to enroll. This fee is separate from the fee you will need to pay the court for the traffic ticket. The cost of traffic school depends on what state or area you are based in, but it can range from $20 to $50 USD.[5]
    • If you cannot afford the fee for traffic school upfront, you can usually pay off the fee in installments. Your traffic offense will not clear until you pay the traffic school fee in full.[6]
  2. Do online traffic school online for convenience. You can take your traffic school course online from the comfort of a home computer. Depending on the traffic school course you are required to take, the course can take 8 to 10 hours.[7]
    • Taking the course online may be a good option if you have to fit the course in around your work schedule or other commitments.
    • Look for an online course that is highly recommended and that has a lot of positive testimonials from users.
    • Make sure the online course covers all the required information for your traffic violation. If you are not sure if it does, check with your local DMV for more information.
  3. Try an in person traffic school if you learn better in a classroom. Look for a traffic school close to where you live or work. Pick a course that fits with your work schedule and other commitments.[8]
    • Look for a course taught by an instructor that you are comfortable with and feel will be a good guide for you.
  4. Complete traffic school within 90 days of registering. If you fail complete the course within 90 days, you forfeit the fee for the course and will have to register for the course again. When you are done with the course, the traffic school will send your results to your local DMV.[9]
    • The DMV will then review your results and confirm you have completed the course. They will then let you know if you still need to pay any fees to clear your violation.

References