How to Clean Up a California Driving Record

Attending an online traffic school can erase points from a bad driving record.

A traffic accident or a speeding ticket can add points to a driving record, resulting in high car insurance payments and possibly the loss of a driver's license. The Department of Motor Vehicles, or DMV, issues points that stay on an individual's driving record between three and 10 years, depending on the severity of the offense. Attending a traffic school that has been approved by the California Department of Motor Vehicles allows a traffic violation to be forgiven and the point to be removed from the driving record, and it also serves as a refresher course for the attendee.

Instructions

1. 

   It's worth the wait to get a copy of your driving record.

   Request a copy of your driving record from a DMV location, or send a written request through the mail. Obtaining a copy of the official driving record on file with DMV allows you to see how many points you currently have and whether attending traffic school will be beneficial.

2. Choose a traffic school from the DMV's approved list. Many approved schools are located in each county as well as online with a variety of price ranges. However, California Vehicle Code Section 1808.7 only allows an individual to attend traffic school once every 18 months to improve his driving record.

3. Attend traffic school, either online or in a traditional classroom setting. The class must include 400 minutes of instruction.

4. Keep the certificate of traffic school completion awarded at the end of the course. Follow up with the DMV to ensure that it received a copy of the certificate as well. It is also beneficial to get an updated copy of your driving record to verify that the record reflects the point forgiveness.

References

• State of California Department of Motor Vehicles: Traffic Violator Classroom Location List
• State of California Department of Motor Vehicles: Retention of Driver Record Information Reported Information and Reporting Periods
• State of California Department of Motor Vehicles: What is a Point?
• State of California Department of Motor Vehicles: General Information