There is good news for limited English proficiency drivers who do not have a current drivers' license.

In addition to the standard English test, motorists can take the exam in Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Cambodian, Chinese, Croatian, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Persian/Farsi, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Samoan, Spanish, Tagalog/Filipino, Thai, Tongan, Turkish, and Vietnamese. An audio test or person-to-person test, in a non-English language or with an interpreter, is also possible.

You must call ahead for an appointment.

Prior to the American Civil War, some judges who forced runaway slaves to return to their masters were paid more money than judges who allowed these individuals to remain free. That's no longer the case: government officials do not have a direct financial incentive to fine you. In fact, the opposite is sometimes true. Two years ago, a Texas police officer gave a man a ticket for failure to renew his registration sticker and a $100 bill, out of his own pocket, so the driver could renew his registration and show proof of compliance to the judge.

Judges in Lamont and Shafter may often accept proof of compliance in lieu of a fine in many cases. Some of the more common ones are:

Some judges may also dismiss the ticket, so it does not go on your record and your insurance rates may not go up. So, before you pay the fine, speak to a lawyer to see if there's another way.