Online Traffic Adjudication Program: MyCitations

Criminal Justice Services oversees several efforts working to improve access to traffic court services to Californians. As part of this effort, a platform called "MyCitations" was developed. This online platform is an optional way to request a fine reduction in case of financial need or to request an online trial by declaration for infraction citation(s).

MyCitations Platform and Fine Reduction

Defendants facing financial hardship can use the "Request a Fine Reduction" module of MyCitations to request a reduction in court-ordered debt for eligible violations at any time while a balance remains. Defendants may also request a payment plan, more time to pay and community service as part of their request for reduction. Once submitted, requests are reviewed by judicial officers before final orders are sent to the email address provided. Ability-to-pay requests can be made through MyCitations in all 58 California Superior Courts. Important information you should know before you get started can be found on the self-help guide.

Ability to pay requests may also be submitted to any court either in person or by mail with a TR/CR-320 Judicial Council form. Applicants will be asked to provide the same information as on MyCitations, but the paper filing process does not require an email address or internet access.

New Options for Contesting a Ticket

The Judicial Council expanded the features available through the MyCitations platform to provide defendants with more options to complete transactions with the courts remotely. The "Online Trial by Declaration" module of MyCitations allows defendants to contest eligible traffic citations by submitting a written statement and uploading supporting evidence online. The officer who wrote the ticket will also get to submit their written statement on the facts of the case. Then the judge reviews both statements and any supporting evidence, before sending the final decision to the email address provided. Online Trial by Declaration is only available in select California Superior Courts.

Trial by written declaration may be submitted to any court either in person or by mail with the court's trial by written declaration form. Please contact the traffic division of the court or check the traffic page of the court website for more information. The paper filing process does not require an email address or internet access. Information for requesting a trial by written declaration can be found on the self-help guide.

Program Background

In 2016, with funding from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Price of Justice Initiative, the Judicial Council began to study the impact of high fines and fees on low-income court users and identify options to minimize these impacts. The Judicial Council used the funding to partner with five superior courts to develop online workflows for adjudicating cases and submitting ability-to-pay determinations online. That effort included selecting a software vendor, developing a prototype of the online tool, and testing interfaces with various court case management systems. The resulting prototype provided users with the ability to search for their citations online and make requests for reductions in traffic fines and fees without a court appearance.

The Budget Act of 2018 (Sen. Bill 847; Stats. 2018, ch. 29) allocated funding to the Judicial Council to develop a more comprehensive pilot program by further developing the prototype and expanding the work to two additional superior courts. Then, in 2021, Assembly Bill 143 (Committee on Budget; Stats. 2021, ch. 79) expanded the program statewide by requiring all superior courts to offer the ability to pay module of the online MyCitations tool by June 30, 2024.