The California Vehicle Code is the state’s single body of traffic law, and it sorts every violation into one of three categories: infractions, misdemeanors, or felonies. That classification decides everything that follows, from whether you simply pay a fine to whether you face prison time. Penalties range from base fines as low as $35 for minor speeding up to $10,000 and years in state prison for the most serious felonies, and California’s mandatory surcharges push the real cost of even routine tickets far above the number printed on the citation.
How Violations Are Classified
Every Vehicle Code offense sits in one of three tiers.
Infractions are the most common. Speeding, running a stop sign, failing to signal, and similar moving violations are non-criminal. You pay a fine and may get a point on your license, but you cannot be jailed and no criminal record is created.
Misdemeanors are criminal. Reckless driving, a first DUI, and driving on a suspended license all fall here. They carry up to six months in county jail and fines up to $1,000 before assessments, and a conviction creates a criminal record.
Felonies are the most serious tier. Felony DUI, hit-and-run causing serious injury, and vehicular manslaughter can bring state prison time and fines up to $10,000.1Justia. California Code Vehicle 42000-42010 – Public Offenses
Some offenses are “wobblers,” which prosecutors can charge either as a misdemeanor or a felony. Hit-and-run involving injury is the common example. The choice usually turns on how severe the injuries were, the driver’s prior record, whether the driver cooperated with authorities, and the strength of the evidence. A judge can also reduce a wobbler at sentencing.
What Infractions Really Cost
The base fine on a California ticket is misleading. A stop sign violation carries a base of $70 under the state’s Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule, and low-end speeding starts around $35.2Judicial Council of California. Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules California then layers on state penalty assessments, county surcharges, a court construction fee, a criminal surcharge, a court security fee, and a criminal conviction assessment that together multiply the base fine roughly four to five times.3Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento. How Fines Are Calculated That $70 stop sign ticket realistically costs over $350 by the time you write the check.
Ignoring a ticket makes it worse. Courts can add a civil assessment of up to $300 for failure to appear or failure to pay, and the DMV can place a hold on your license.4California Legislative Information. California Legislature – AB 2724 Failure to Appear in Court Fines A second infraction within a year raises the maximum base fine to $200, and a third to $250.1Justia. California Code Vehicle 42000-42010 – Public Offenses
Points and the Negligent Operator Threshold
The DMV attaches points to your driving record for moving violations. Most standard infractions carry one point. More dangerous offenses carry two, including DUI, reckless driving, hit-and-run, driving on a suspended license, and speeding over 100 mph.5California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 12810 – Violation Point Count At-fault accidents also add a point.
Standard points stay on your record for three years. DUI and hit-and-run remain for ten. Accumulate enough points and the DMV labels you a negligent operator. The thresholds are four points in 12 months, six in 24, or eight in 36.6California Department of Motor Vehicles. Negligent Operator Actions Hitting any of those triggers a one-year probation that includes a six-month license suspension.7California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 12810.5
Traffic School and Fix-It Tickets
Completing an approved traffic school course keeps the point from a ticket off the public driving record that insurers check. To qualify, the violation must be a one-point infraction, you can’t have attended traffic school for another ticket within the past 18 months, and the offense can’t involve alcohol, drugs, or speeding more than 25 mph over the limit.8Judicial Council of California. Rule 4.104 – Procedures and Eligibility Criteria for Attending Traffic Violator School Course fees generally run $5 to $45 for an online program, and you still owe the ticket fine on top.
Certain equipment and paperwork violations are “correctable.” A broken tail light, expired tags, or a missing front plate can be issued as a fix-it ticket. You correct the problem, get an authorized signature confirming the fix, and submit proof to the court with a $25 dismissal fee.9California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 40522 – Correctable Violations Miss the deadline and the ticket converts into a standard infraction with full fine and assessments.
Criminal Traffic Offenses
Once a violation crosses into criminal territory, jail, probation, and a permanent record enter the picture.
Driving Under the Influence
California prohibits driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher for most drivers, 0.04% or higher for commercial drivers, and 0.01% or higher for anyone under 21 or on DUI probation.10California Department of Motor Vehicles. California Driver’s Handbook – Alcohol and Drugs A first DUI carries 96 hours to six months in county jail, a fine of $390 to $1,000 before assessments, a six-month license suspension, and mandatory DUI education.11California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 23536 – First DUI Penalties
Repeat offenses and high BAC readings bring sharply harsher penalties. A fourth DUI within ten years is charged as a felony. A DUI causing injury can be a felony even on a first offense. Drug impairment is treated the same as alcohol impairment, though there is no set blood limit for THC or other drugs; prosecutors must prove actual impairment.
Reckless Driving
Reckless driving requires more than carelessness. Prosecutors must show intentional disregard for the safety of people or property. A conviction carries 5 to 90 days in county jail, a fine between $145 and $1,000, or both, plus two points on your record.12California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 23103 Reckless driving that causes injury carries substantially higher penalties.
Hit-and-Run
Leaving the scene of any accident is illegal. Property-damage-only cases are misdemeanors. If anyone is injured or killed, it is a felony punishable by up to a year in county jail or state prison, with fines of $1,000 to $10,000. Death or permanent serious injury raises the prison term to two, three, or four years.13California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 20001 – Hit-and-Run Involving Injury or Death The law requires you to stop, exchange information, and provide reasonable assistance to anyone hurt.
Distracted Driving
Holding or operating a phone while driving is banned. Hands-free is the only lawful use, and dashboard-mounted phones are limited to a single swipe or tap to activate navigation or make a call. The base fine is $20 for a first offense and $50 for each subsequent offense.14California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 23123.5 – Handheld Wireless Telephone Use After assessments, the real cost of a first violation runs $150 to $250. Repeat offenders within 36 months pick up a point.
License Suspension, IIDs, and SR-22
The DMV can suspend your license administratively (for excess points or lack of insurance), and a court can suspend it as part of a criminal sentence. The two processes are independent, so a single DUI arrest often triggers both.
A first DUI conviction brings a six-month suspension.15California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 13352 Refusing a chemical test after arrest carries an automatic one-year administrative suspension for a first refusal, two years with one prior DUI-related offense in the past ten years, and three years for two or more priors, on top of any penalties from the underlying DUI.16California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 23612 – Implied Consent Chemical Testing
California’s statewide ignition interlock device program lets DUI offenders drive again sooner. First-time offenders can skip the suspension entirely by installing the IID immediately, enrolling in DUI education, filing an SR-22, and paying a $125 administrative fee.17California Department of Motor Vehicles. Statewide Ignition Interlock Device Pilot Program The restriction runs up to four months for a first non-refusal offense. Commercial license holders must downgrade to a standard license to get an IID-restricted license.
The SR-22 itself is not a separate policy; it is a form your insurer files with the DMV confirming you carry liability coverage. You maintain it for three years after a DUI or certain other serious violations. If your policy lapses, the insurer notifies the DMV and your license is suspended again. Filing usually costs $15 to $25, but the higher premiums from being classified as a high-risk driver are where the real expense lands.
Mandatory Insurance
Every vehicle registered in California must carry liability insurance. For policies issued or renewed after January 1, 2025, the minimums are $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $15,000 for property damage.18California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 16056 These are legal floors, often not enough to cover a serious accident.
Driving without proof of insurance is an infraction. A first offense carries a base fine of $100 to $200, and a second within three years runs $200 to $500. With assessments, a repeat offense can exceed $1,000, and the court can order the vehicle impounded until you show proof.
Commercial Drivers Face Different Rules
If you hold a CDL, the same conduct produces harsher consequences. The BAC threshold is 0.04% instead of 0.08%, traffic school cannot mask a violation, and federal rules add their own disqualification schedule.
Two serious traffic violations (excessive speeding, reckless driving, improper lane changes, or following too closely) within three years trigger a 60-day disqualification from commercial driving. A third in three years extends that to 120 days.19eCFR. 49 CFR 383.51 – Disqualification of Drivers Major offenses like DUI, refusing a chemical test, or leaving the scene bring a one-year CDL disqualification on a first offense and lifetime disqualification on a second. Violations in your personal vehicle count the same as those in a commercial one.
CDL holders must also notify their employer in writing within 30 days of any traffic conviction, in any vehicle, including the offense, date and location of conviction, license number, and whether a commercial vehicle was involved.20eCFR. 49 CFR 383.31 – Notification of Convictions for Drivers Drivers not currently employed must notify the state that issued the CDL instead.
Fighting a Ticket or Charge
The court process depends on the classification. For most infractions, you can pay (which counts as a guilty plea), request traffic school if eligible, or contest. To contest without appearing, you can file a trial by written declaration, submitting your defense in writing after posting the bail amount. If the court finds you not guilty, the money is refunded; if you lose, you can still request a new in-person trial.21California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 40902 – Trial by Written Declaration
Misdemeanor and felony charges require a court appearance. The case starts with an arraignment, where the judge reads the charges, explains your rights, and takes your plea of guilty, not guilty, or no contest.22Judicial Branch of California. The Arraignment The arraignment is not the trial; a not-guilty plea moves the case to pretrial motions and eventually to trial on a separate date.23Judicial Branch of California. Traffic Court Trial If you cannot afford a lawyer for a misdemeanor or felony, the court will appoint one.
Automated Enforcement
California uses red-light cameras at certain intersections, and in 2023 the legislature authorized a speed camera pilot program in six jurisdictions.24California Legislative Information. AB 645 – Speed Safety System Pilot Program Cameras are limited to designated areas such as school zones and high-injury corridors. Automated tickets are treated as standard infractions, so the same base fines and penalty assessments apply, and a red-light camera violation typically totals several hundred dollars after surcharges.