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Santa Clara County traffic tickets, including San Jose tickets, are handled by the Superior Court's Traffic Division. Look up your case and pay online at portal.scscourt.org, or call the Traffic Clerk's Office at (408) 556-3000 before your due date.
How do you contact the traffic clerk?
The Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara handles traffic tickets for the county, including San Jose, through its Traffic Division. These are the contacts from the court's own pages.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Traffic Clerk's Office phone | (408) 556-3000 |
| Traffic ADA/TDD line | (408) 556-3093 |
| sstrafficinfo@scscourt.org | |
| Clerk location listed | 301 Diana Ave., Morgan Hill |
| Clerk and telephone hours | Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. |
| Courthouse building hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Virtual Public Counter | Live clerk online, same hours as the clerk's office, subject to change without notice; excludes court holidays |
The court's FAQ suggests using the online reservation tool instead of calling for court dates, because of long hold times.
How do you look up and pay a Santa Clara County traffic ticket?
Use the court's online services.
- Traffic Cases Online: portal.scscourt.org, to look up a case.
- Traffic E-Payments: portal.scscourt.org/traffic, to pay.
- Court dates: reservations.scscourt.org.
- Case Information Online: on the court's online services page.
- Pay by phone: (408) 878-0098, available after business hours, weekends and court holidays (Monday to Friday 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Pacific time). Spanish is available.
Paying in full forfeits bail and ends your chance to contest. If you want traffic school, decide before you pay.
How much are speeding tickets here?
Santa Clara County sets its own totals on a 2026 bail schedule effective January 1, 2026. For speeding, the schedule lists these totals.
| Speed over | Base fine | Santa Clara total | Statewide total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–15 mph | $35 | $158 | $226.16 |
| 16–25 mph | $70 | $287 | $350.03 |
| 26 mph or more | $100 | $410 | $467.90 |
The county's totals differ from the statewide schedule partly because it uses a different county penalty rate and lists the court operations and conviction assessments separately. Use the ticket cost calculator to see both totals and how they are built.
Can you get more time?
The court's FAQ describes two kinds of extension.
- Extension of the due date. Ask in person, by phone or in writing before the due date. You get one extension only, you cannot ask for more than 30 days past the due date, and "there is no fee for an extension." If the due date has passed, there is no extension.
- Extension of a court date. One continuance for arraignment or trial is available if trial time is waived and the court did not set the date. Ask at least ten court days before that date. If the Commissioner set your court date, the clerk cannot postpone your case, and you must write a letter to the Court to ask for a continuance.
What if you can't afford the fine?
The court points to its online citation tools and to a Judicial Council form titled "Can't Afford to Pay Fine" for people who cannot pay the full amount. If you are eligible for a payment plan after forfeiture, the court lists a $35 administrative fee and a 10% down payment of the total due, with payments scheduled in person. A judge may allow monthly payments with a court appearance.
How do you get traffic school?
The court's FAQ says you can attend any California DMV-approved school, and that the court will not accept proof of completion from a school that is not approved. You cannot sign up until the ticket is in the court's system. Eligibility and fees are covered in traffic school or fighting the ticket. This guide did not find a Santa Clara fee on the court's pages.
What if you miss your date?
Missing a court date can lead to higher bail, a license hold or suspension, or a warrant for arrest, and bail held in trust can be forfeited. The court's FAQ also says a failure to appear may be treated as consent to a trial by written declaration in your absence under VC 40903.
A standing order filed on June 15, 2026 says that after June 1, 2026 the court indefinitely suspends imposing civil assessments in criminal and traffic matters, and that unadjudicated traffic cases are not to carry one. The court's FAQ page may still mention a civil assessment, so ask the clerk how your case is being handled. See failure to appear for the statutes.
Other courts: traffic courts index, San Francisco, Sacramento and Los Angeles. Back to the guide home page.
Who can handle a Santa Clara County ticket for you?
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
Where is San Jose traffic court?
The court's traffic page lists the Traffic Clerk's Office at 301 Diana Ave., Morgan Hill, and names the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse and the Family Justice Center Courthouse as locations. Street addresses for hearing locations could not be confirmed here. The courthouse for your case is printed on your notice.
What are the traffic clerk's hours?
The clerk's office and telephone hours are Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The Virtual Public Counter runs the same hours, subject to change without notice and excluding court holidays. The courthouse building is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Can I pay a Santa Clara County traffic ticket by phone?
Yes. The pay-by-phone line is (408) 878-0098. The court's FAQ gives its hours as Monday to Friday, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Pacific time, and says Spanish is available. You can also pay online at portal.scscourt.org/traffic.
How do I set a court date?
The court says to use its online reservation tool at reservations.scscourt.org, because phone lines can have long hold times. You can also call the Traffic Clerk's Office at (408) 556-3000. A court date can be continued once, if you ask at least ten court days before the date and trial time is waived.
Last reviewed · Reviewed by the California Ticket Guide editorial team