Minor Infraction Forgiveness

Contrary to what you may have heard or even read on some ads for traffic violators school (TVS), there is no such thing as a “minor infraction forgiveness.” Before you can attend TVS to keep your conviction confidential and out of the view of your auto insurance provider, you must plead guilty and pay your fine. You must then pay the county for permission to attend, usually around $64 and the school’s tuition. Plus, you must complete the course before the court-ordered deadline.

Suppose you forget about it or don’t complete it on time. In that case, you forfeit all the money you spent, and your insurance company will likely take away your “good driver’s discount” and put you in a higher risk category, which could result in a higher premium. The average California drivers pay $500 or $600 more per year for one minor infraction because they accepted TVS and didn’t complete it on time rather than dispute their traffic ticket with a traffic attorney.

Minor Infraction Points

This is where most drivers are mistaken about the TVS system. They believe the TVS hype rather than consulting a traffic attorney. The DMV is authorized to assess one negligent operator treatment system (NOTS) point when a driver is convicted or pays the fine for a minor infraction, or an investigator finds them at least partially responsible for a vehicle accident.

CA Vehicle Code (CVC) Section 12810, Issuance and Renewal of Licenses gives authorization to the DMV to assess two points for major infractions, misdemeanor, and felony offenses and one point for minor infractions after conviction.

Therefore, when your auto insurance is coming up for renewal, your insurance company will request a copy of your motor vehicle driving record (MVR), which is public information, from the DMV. A proactive driver can request a copy of their MVR to ensure everything on the record belongs to them. Imagine how many Smith, Jones, or Gonzalez’s there are with similar driver’s license numbers. You could be paying a higher insurance premium because of someone else’s minor infraction.

Fighting a Traffic Ticket for a Minor Infraction  

Many drivers, somewhere around 90 percent, think it is cheaper to pay the minor infraction fine and move on. If the fine were all you paid, that might be true. However, one minor infraction on your MVR could lead to a higher premium of $500 or more per year for the three years it will remain on your MVR. 

That’s $1,500 or more, plus the fine, which for most minor infractions is around $250. So, which do you think is cheaper? A lawyer or $1,750. Traffic ticket lawyers typically charge a flat rate to resolve a ticket, much less than $1,750.

Consult Bigger & Harman in Bakersfield about Your Minor Infraction 

Call Bigger & Harman, (661) 349-9300, when you have a traffic ticket. Se habla Español (661) 349-9755.

We are California traffic attorneys who primarily practice in Central and Owens Valley, such as Kern, Kings, Fresno, Tulare, Inyo, and Mono Counties. But we will travel to San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, and LA County to assist our clients.    

Email: attorney@biggerharmanlaw.com. 

References:

The 2020 CA Driver Handbook.pdf