Home » Court Divisions »Traffic
Taking Care of Tickets
Visit our Traffic Self-Help pages to learn all about traffic tickets, including:
Traffic Court Locations
Traffic cases in Santa Clara County are heard in the Traffic Court in Santa Clara, as well as in the North County Palo Alto and South County Morgan Hill courthouses. These courthouse pages list addresses and hours.
Traffic Court Records and Payments
You can make traffic payments online at our e-payment website . (Note that there is an extra cost of $5.95 to pay by credit/debit card, or $1.95 for electronic fund transfer, charged by the service used by the Court.)
Traffic records are online at our Case Info website .
Electronic payments AND courthouse drop boxes allow you to make traffic payments even when Traffic Court is closed, including holidays.
Traffic Violations/Infractions
Traffic Court deals with violations of traffic laws and other minor offenses. These violations are considered “infractions” and include, for example, things like speeding, automobile equipment needing repair, and expired licenses. Traffic infractions are enforced by the issuance of traffic tickets (“citations”) by law enforcement. Punishment for such infractions include payment of fines and do not carry any potential jail or prison time.
Traffic Misdemeanors and Felonies
Other, more serious automobile related matters, such as reckless driving, driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI), and vehicular manslaughter, are either misdemeanors or felonies, carry potential jail or prison time as possible punishment, and are addressed in the Criminal section of the website.
Getting Help
Traffic law resources are listed on the court's Self-Help Traffic Resource page.
For information on contacting Traffic Court by phone, email or in person, see the Court's contact page.