We Know: All About Traffic School

What is traffic school?

Traffic school is a program consisting of driver safety instruction with a review of all traffic laws. This program is used to educate drivers and, at its completion, often allows the removal of violation points from your driving record.

Who goes to traffic school?

People who have committed traffic violations such as speeding or running a red light go to traffic school. Attending school is usually ordered by the court, or an option the court offers. Usually, you can avoid or remove 'points' from your driving record by taking a driving school course.

What are driving record 'points'?

Points are used in many states as a method of keeping track of how many moving violations a drive has accumulated. After a certain number of points are accumulated, your license make be suspended or revoked. Different offenses are worth more points based on the severity of the offense. For instance, leaving an accident with injuries involved could rack up 8 points, while neglecting to use your turn signal may only be worth 2 points.

Do you have to go to traffic school?

If you wish to have the point removed from your record, you must attend traffic school. This also requires pleading guilty to the moving violation and paying your fine. If you've attended traffic school less that 18 months ago, however, you may not enroll again and the point will remain on your record.

About how much does traffic school cost?

Traffic school ranges from $20 to $40, depending on the state you live in.

What are the different types of traffic schools?

There are generally three types of traffic schools available for completing your court-ordered education.

Online: By taking traffic school on the Internet, you can complete your coursework from home and turn in assignments through e-mail. You get to work at your own pace as long as all work is turned in by the court-ordered deadline.
In-Class: In this case, you physically attend a traffic school class and learn about road rules.
At-Home: If you don't have Internet access, this option is another option. You're given a course packet and complete the materials from home. Then you turn the assignments into the traffic school headquarters.