If you are unsure as to your appearance date or the status of your citation, you may access the court’s online case or calendar information. Click here for Court Locations. Prescheduled appearances may already be on the calendar. On your court date, check the posted calendars for your name and courtroom department number. If your name is on calendar, go directly to the courtroom. If your name is not on the calendar, check in with the clerk’s office for further instructions.

Ultimately, it is your responsibility to contact the court on or before the appearance date which appears on your citation, however, you may receive a “violation information notice” from the court with options for handling your specific charges. If your appearance is mandatory, you must appear. A violation information notice is usually mailed to you at the address listed on the citation within 21 days of the date the citation was issued. The notice contains general information and requirements and options available for resolving the citation, which may include:

• Amount of bail, based on the violations and your prior driving history
• Proof of correction requirements for mechanical violations, registration, license and insurance violations
• Mandatory court appearance requirements
• Traffic school eligibility requirements

A return envelope for mailing your payment is provided with the violation information notice. If you do not receive a violation information notice, contact the court as failure to receive a violation information notice is not a legal excuse for failing to take care of the citation. It is your responsibility to take action on the citation on or before the due date listed on your citation. When submitting payments and/or documents by mail, allow 10 days for delivery and processing.

If you have a financial hardship and can show that you are unable to pay the full amount for the offenses on your traffic ticket, you may request the court to consider your ability to pay. However, you must appear before the court to do so. When you appear in court and plead “guilty” at arraignment, you may request that the court consider your ability to pay in reducing the fine to be paid. If you plead “not guilty,” after a trial and conviction, you may request that the court consider your ability to pay in deciding the fine ordered for the offenses. (Veh. Code, § 42003(c).) Additionally, regardless of your plea, if you are ordered to pay a fine you may ask the court for an installment payment plan that is based on your ability to pay or ask the court to approve community service due to financial hardship.

To conduct court business via online services, which includes requesting an extension, establishing a payment plan or making a payment, submitting electronic correspondence, submitting proof of correction online, reserving a court date, or setting up automatic reminders for your case(s), access My Court Portal as a guest user or create an account.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

To appear in front of a judicial officer for a traffic citation at any Orange County Court, you must reserve a date.

How do I reserve a court date?

To conduct court business via online services, which includes requesting an extension, establishing a payment plan or making a payment, submitting electronic correspondence, submitting proof of correction online, reserving a court date, or setting up automatic reminders for your case(s), access My Court Portal as a guest user or create an account.

You must have the following information:

• Citation number or OC Pay number listed on your courtesy notice AND one of the following
• Driver's License Number OR Vehicle License OR Date of Birth