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Traffic school guides

Ten guides on what a course can do for a ticket, written from the same state and court records the checker reads. Each one links its sources and names the month we checked them.

Updated October 15, 2026

  • First speeding ticket: what to check first

    A first speeding ticket, step by step: read the citation, find the deadline, check the points and see what a traffic school course can do in your state.

    Updated October 15, 2026

  • Traffic school vs contesting a ticket

    What paying, contesting and a traffic school course each lead to under the published rules, with the plea and hearing steps some state programs include.

    Updated October 15, 2026

  • What masking a traffic ticket means

    Masking keeps a conviction from the record others read. The four states that publish it, what each one hides, and why CDL holders cannot use it.

    Updated October 15, 2026

  • Insurance after a ticket: course discounts

    What a ticket and a defensive driving course can change on your car insurance, the discounts five states put in law, and where it varies by insurer.

    Updated October 15, 2026

  • Teen and provisional license traffic school

    Whether a driver with a learner permit or provisional license can take traffic school for a ticket, state by state, and the lower point limits teens face.

    Updated October 15, 2026

  • Traffic school deadline by state

    The traffic school deadline in each state and court: days from the ticket date, the court date on the citation, or a window after the conviction.

    Updated October 15, 2026

  • How to request traffic school

    Who takes a traffic school request in each state, how you ask (online, by mail, in person), the court fees as published and the steps after you ask.

    Updated October 15, 2026

  • Can CDL holders take traffic school

    Federal rule 49 CFR 384.226 bars masking and diversion for CDL holders in any vehicle. What that leaves, state by state, and how the checker applies it.

    Updated October 15, 2026

  • Out-of-state ticket and traffic school

    Which states let a driver licensed elsewhere take traffic school, which close it, and how the Driver License Compact reports the conviction home.

    Updated October 15, 2026

  • How long points stay on your license

    How long traffic ticket points count in every state and DC, the states that count in a rolling window or keep no points, and what a course takes off.

    Updated October 15, 2026

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