Driving safety courses—also known as defensive driving or traffic school—are designed to improve a driver’s knowledge, awareness, and attitude toward driving a motor vehicle. Laws vary from state to state but in many states a driver who has been issued a traffic ticket or citation may have the ticket or citation dismissed upon successful completion of a driving safety course—whether online or in person.
In California, driving safety courses, commonly referred to as traffic school, are available to drivers as a way to improve driving skills and maintain safe driving habits. Under California law, a driver who receives a traffic ticket may be eligible to attend traffic school, which can prevent points from being added to their driving record. This option is typically available once every 18 months for minor moving violations. The course can be taken online or in person, and upon successful completion, the citation is masked from the public record, though it remains visible to the court and law enforcement for enforcement purposes. Not all violations are eligible for traffic school, and eligibility can depend on the driver's driving history and the severity of the offense. It's important to note that drivers with a commercial driver's license are not eligible for traffic school for violations that occur while operating a commercial vehicle.