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A commercial driver who pays a ticket takes a conviction, and traffic school is open to commercial license holders only in narrow cases. Points from commercial-vehicle violations count at 1.5 times their normal value, and some convictions can bar you from driving commercially.
How are points different for commercial drivers?
Vehicle Code 12810.5(b) changes how points are valued for class A and B drivers. A point is a mark the DMV adds to your record for a moving violation.
Each point for a violation in a vehicle that requires a class A or B license is valued at 1.5 times. A one-point violation counts as more than one when it happens at work.
| Rule | Regular driver | Commercial driver |
|---|---|---|
| Value of a point from a violation in a class A or B vehicle | 1 point | 1.5 times |
| Negligent operator threshold, 12 months | 4 points | Not confirmed in our sources |
| Negligent operator threshold, 24 months | 6 points | Not confirmed in our sources |
| Negligent operator threshold, 36 months | 8 points | Not confirmed in our sources |
| Traffic school | Available if the court finds you eligible | Limited; see below |
Can a CDL holder take traffic school?
Only in narrow cases. Vehicle Code 42005 sets two groups.
- Noncommercial license holders (class C, M1 or M2) may attend.
- Class A, B or commercial class C drivers may attend only if the vehicle they were driving needed only a class C or M license.
The statute also excludes any offense that occurred in a commercial motor vehicle, and offenses in sections such as 20001, 20002, 23103, 23104, 23105, 23140, 23152 and 23153, and offenses described in 12810(d) or (e).
What can disqualify a CDL?
Vehicle Code 15300 sets how long a driver is barred from operating a commercial motor vehicle after a conviction for a qualifying offense. This guide did not confirm the length of the bar, so it gives none. The offenses it lists include certain drunk-driving offenses, leaving the scene, felony use of a vehicle, refusing a chemical test and specified fatal-collision offenses.
This guide did not confirm the list of serious traffic violations that can also affect a commercial license, so it does not list them. Confirm the rules for your license class with the DMV.
Does a ticket in your personal car count?
The law treats the two situations differently. An offense committed in a commercial motor vehicle is excluded from traffic school under 42005. A violation in a vehicle that required only a class C or M license can go to traffic school for a commercial license holder, if the court finds the driver eligible.
So where you were driving changes your options. A ticket in your own car is not outside a CDL holder's concerns; ask the court which rules apply to you.
What are your options?
You can pay, ask for traffic school if you qualify, or contest the ticket.
- Pay. Paying in full is a bail forfeiture: the conviction is reported to the DMV, and the right to contest ends. For a commercial driver, that is the case this page warns about.
- Traffic school. Only in the narrow cases above. See traffic school or fighting the ticket.
- Contest. Court trial or written declaration.
Check the points your ticket carries with the ticket cost calculator, and see negligent operator hearings and how DMV points work.
Who can help with a commercial driver ticket?
These are our picks for you.
Traffic ticket lawyers in California
Firms that handle these cases, with the details each publishes about itself. Picks are not rankings.
Ticket Crushers, A Law Corporation
4.9 stars · 605 reviewsA California traffic ticket defense firm led by Adam Cohen, Esq. It lists speeding, red light and camera tickets, failure-to-appear notices and negligent operator hearings among the matters it handles. English and Spanish.
- San Jose2033 Gateway Pl Ste 500, 95110Directions
- San Francisco350 Rhode Island St #240, 94103Directions
- Sacramento980 9th St, 95814Directions
- Los Angeles515 Flower St #1951, 90071Directions
Shouse Law Group, A.P.C.
The firm's site says its team of California criminal lawyers includes several former prosecutors and former career police officers.
Wallin & Klarich
The firm says it was established in 1981.
Frequently asked questions
Does a CDL ticket affect my job?
This guide cannot say how a particular employer will react. Employers and insurers review driving records, and a conviction appears on yours. Commercial drivers also face their own point counts and, for some convictions, a bar from driving commercially. Ask your employer about its policy and talk to a lawyer before you pay.
Can I get traffic school in my own car?
Possibly. Under VC 42005(b), a class A, class B or commercial class C license holder may attend only if they were operating a vehicle requiring only a class C or M license. A violation in a commercial motor vehicle is excluded under VC 42005(c). Ask your court whether your citation qualifies.
How are points counted for a Class A or B driver?
Each point from a violation in a vehicle that needs a class A or B license is valued at 1.5 times under VC 12810.5(b), so points add up faster. This guide could not confirm the separate hearing thresholds for commercial drivers, so it lists none. Ask the DMV or a lawyer which count applies to you.
Should a CDL driver hire a lawyer?
Many commercial drivers consider it, because a conviction can carry a heavier point count and a driving bar. Whether it is worth it depends on your ticket, your record and your job. Some firms list commercial driver citations among the matters they handle. Ask any firm what its fee includes before you decide.
Last reviewed · Reviewed by the California Ticket Guide editorial team