Access Santa Monica Traffic Citations
Traffic tickets in Santa Monica are handled by Los Angeles County Superior Court. When you get a moving violation here, the county court processes your case. Santa Monica has over 93,000 residents and sits on the west side of LA County. All traffic citations go to the county court system, not to city hall. You can search your case online using the LA court portal. The city only handles parking tickets. Moving violations like speeding, red lights, and stop sign tickets go through county court under California Vehicle Code rules. Your citation tells you where to go and when to respond. Most people use online systems to pay fines or request traffic school without visiting the courthouse.
Santa Monica Quick Facts
Los Angeles County Superior Court Traffic Division
All Santa Monica traffic tickets go through Los Angeles County Superior Court. The court has a traffic division that handles citations for the entire county. Under Vehicle Code § 40500, California law routes moving violations through county courts. This applies statewide. You do not go to the city for traffic tickets. The county court processes your case, sets bail, and collects payments.
Los Angeles County has the largest court system in the United States. The traffic division website is at lacourt.org. You can search for your citation online at lacourt.ca.gov. You need your citation number to look up your case. The system shows your fine, due date, and options. You can pay online or by phone at (213) 742-1884 for automated service or 213-633-6300 for the call center.
Traffic school in Los Angeles County costs $64 as an admin fee. This is on top of your fine. Most people choose traffic school to mask points from their insurance record. The court decides if you qualify based on your driving history and the type of violation. Details on traffic procedures and fees are at lacourt.org.
Search Santa Monica Traffic Tickets Online
You search for Santa Monica traffic tickets using the LA County court online portal. Go to lacourt.ca.gov and type in your citation number. This number is on the ticket the officer gave you. The system pulls up your case. You see the charge, bail amount, and due date. You can also check if you qualify for traffic school or have a court date scheduled.
The court mails a courtesy notice about 30 days after your ticket date. The notice explains your options and shows the amount due. But you do not need to wait for the notice. Use your citation number to search right away. If the system says no case found, wait a few days. New tickets take time to process. Try again in a week if it does not show up.
Your options for handling a Santa Monica traffic ticket include:
- Pay the fine and forfeit bail
- Request traffic school if eligible
- Contest the ticket in a court trial
- Request a trial by written declaration
- Ask for a payment plan if needed
California allows trial by written declaration under Vehicle Code § 40902. You submit your defense on paper without appearing in court. You pay bail up front. If you win, the court refunds your money. If you lose, you can still ask for an in-person trial. This gives you two chances to fight the ticket.
Note: LA County court portals work all day and night for searching cases and paying fines online.
Traffic School Options in Santa Monica
Traffic school helps keep a point off your insurance record. The point still goes on your DMV file but insurers cannot see it. This keeps your rates down. You must request traffic school when you handle your ticket. Not all violations or drivers qualify. The court decides based on your history and the offense.
To use traffic school for a Santa Monica ticket, request it through LA County Superior Court. You pay the bail plus the $64 traffic school admin fee. Then you enroll in a DMV-approved course. Online traffic school is allowed and most people use it. You must finish before the deadline. The school reports completion to the court. Your case closes and the point stays masked from insurance.
You cannot use traffic school if you:
- Completed traffic school in the past 18 months
- Have a commercial driver license for this violation
- Were speeding over 25 mph above the limit
- Got the ticket in a commercial vehicle
Pick a traffic school from the court's list of approved schools. Costs range from $50 to $100 depending on which school you choose. The state requires a minimum course time. You pay the school directly. Finish before your deadline or you lose the option. The point stays on your DMV record under Vehicle Code § 1808 but stays hidden from insurance.
Fix-It Tickets in Santa Monica
Some Santa Monica tickets are for equipment violations. These include broken lights, cracked windows, expired tags, or no proof of insurance. Officers call these fix-it tickets or correctable violations. You fix the problem and show proof. Then you pay a small fee. The cost is much less than a moving violation fine.
First, repair the issue on your vehicle. Then get it verified. Police stations often do free inspections for fix-it tickets. The CHP also verifies corrections at no charge per chp.ca.gov. Some mechanics can sign off too. The verifier stamps your ticket to show the problem is fixed.
After verification, submit the signed ticket to LA County Superior Court. You pay a $25 proof of correction fee under Vehicle Code § 40611. Do this before the due date. If you miss the deadline, the full fine applies and can be several hundred dollars. Mail the proof and fee or submit through the online portal.
Note: Fix-it tickets become expensive if ignored, often jumping from $25 to over $250.
How Santa Monica Tickets Affect DMV Records
The California DMV tracks traffic convictions for all drivers. When you pay a ticket or get convicted, LA County Superior Court reports it to the DMV. The violation shows on your driving record. Insurance companies check records to set rates. Employers may pull records if you drive for work. Points from tickets affect insurance costs and can lead to license suspension.
Under Vehicle Code § 1808, most traffic violations stay on your record for three years from the conviction date. DUI and serious offenses stay for ten years. The retention schedule is at dmv.ca.gov. Four points in 12 months or six in 24 months triggers a license suspension for one-point violations.
You can order your California driving record online for $2 at dmv.ca.gov. Mail requests cost $5. The record shows all convictions, accidents, and DMV actions. It does not show parking tickets or dismissed cases. Check your record to see how a Santa Monica ticket affects you.
Santa Monica Parking Tickets
Parking citations in Santa Monica are separate from traffic tickets. The city issues parking tickets for violations on streets and in city lots. These do not go through the county court. You handle parking tickets with the city. Parking violations do not add points to your license or affect your driving record.
The City of Santa Monica has parking ticket info at santamonica.gov. You can pay parking tickets online at this portal. If you think the ticket was wrong, file an appeal with the city. This is an admin process, not a court case. The city reviews your appeal and decides if the ticket should stand.
Unpaid parking tickets can cause problems. The city may send old tickets to collections. This hurts your credit score. Some places put holds on vehicle registration if you have too many unpaid parking tickets. It is easier to pay or appeal parking citations on time.
Missing Your Santa Monica Ticket Deadline
If you ignore a Santa Monica traffic ticket, the court takes action. Missing your due date or court appearance triggers penalties. The court adds a civil assessment to your fine. Your case goes into failure to appear status. The DMV may suspend your license. Some charges can lead to a warrant.
The court mails notices to the address on file with the DMV. If you moved and did not update your address, you might miss the notice. But you are still responsible for the deadline on your citation. If you need more time, call LA County Superior Court. Most courts give one extension if you ask before the deadline.
To fix a failure to appear, contact the court right away. Pay all fines and fees including the civil assessment. The court clears the hold on your license once you resolve the case. If a warrant was issued, you may need to appear in person or post bail. It is much easier to handle your ticket on time.
Note: Failure to appear can add $100 or more in civil assessment fees to your ticket cost.
Los Angeles County Traffic Court
Santa Monica is in Los Angeles County, and all moving violation citations go through Los Angeles County Superior Court. The county court handles traffic cases for all cities in LA County. For more on court locations, fee schedules, traffic school details, and other resources, visit the Los Angeles County traffic ticket records page.