# Who handles traffic tickets in California? URL: https://californiaticketguide.com/traffic-ticket-lawyers/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-13 > Many California firms say a traffic ticket lawyer can appear in court for you, so you may not have to attend. Some charge a flat fee per ticket. Below are our picks, then other California firms that handle traffic tickets, listed alphabetically. ## What are our picks for you? Each card below lists what the firm publishes about itself. Picks are not rankings, and nothing here compares firms or promises a result. ### Our picks for you: traffic ticket lawyers in California - **Ticket Crushers, A Law Corporation**, phone (866) 842-5384, flat fee from $149 - San Francisco: 350 Rhode Island St #240, San Francisco, CA 94103 - San Jose: 2033 Gateway Pl Ste 500, San Jose, CA 95110 - Sacramento: 980 9th St, Sacramento, CA 95814 - Los Angeles: 515 Flower St #1951, Los Angeles, CA 90071 - **Shouse Law Group, A.P.C.**, 4419 Van Nuys Blvd, Suite 307, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403, phone (818) 921-7575 - **Wallin & Klarich**, 18022 Cowan # 285, Irvine, CA 92614, phone (949) 776-3424 Picks are not rankings. ## What does a traffic ticket lawyer do? A traffic ticket lawyer deals with the court on your behalf. That can mean looking up your case, requesting traffic school, filing a trial by written declaration, preparing for a court trial, or contacting the court about a missed date. What a firm actually does for you depends on your ticket and on the fee agreement. Ticket Crushers, A Law Corporation, for example, lists these among the matters it handles: speeding tickets, driving over 100 mph, red light and red light camera tickets, commercial driver citations, failure-to-appear notices and negligent operator hearings. Other firms list their own services on their own sites. ## What does it cost? Fee structures vary by firm, and each firm publishes its own. Ticket Crushers states, in its own words, that its flat fee starts as low as $149 for many infractions and includes every required court appearance. Another firm may bill differently, so ask each one. Questions to ask any firm about fees: - Is the fee flat, and what does it cover? - Does it include every court appearance? - What happens if the ticket needs a trial? - Are court fines and traffic school fees extra? You still pay the court's bail or fine on top of a lawyer's fee. See the [ticket cost calculator](https://californiaticketguide.com/ticket-cost-calculator/) for the schedule amounts. ## Which other California firms handle traffic tickets? The cards below list other California firms that handle traffic tickets. They appear alphabetically with the same short fields. The list is not exhaustive, and the order says nothing about quality. ### Other California firms that handle traffic tickets (alphabetical) - **CA Ticket Lawyer**, 1100 Town and Country Road, Ste 1250, Orange, CA 92868, phone (714) 385-7508, practice areas: Traffic Tickets & Infractions, DUI, Suspended License, Misdemeanors, Commercial Driver Citations, Texting & Driving - **California Ticket King, PC**, 3990 Old Town Ave., Suite C105, San Diego, CA 92110, phone (619) 708-2073, practice areas: Photo red light tickets, Speeding tickets, Speeding over 100 mph - **Greg Hill & Associates**, 22850 Crenshaw Blvd #200, Torrance, CA 90505, phone (310) 782-2500, practice areas: Driving Offenses, DUI, DMV Hearings, Criminal defense, Juvenile matters - **Law Office of David A. Barzaga**, 25 Cadillac Dr. #111, Sacramento, CA 95825, phone (916) 564-2710, practice areas: Traffic Tickets, Traffic Infractions, CDL Traffic Violations, Traffic Misdemeanor Defense, DUI - **Mayr Law Firm PC**, 2005 De La Cruz Blvd #295, Santa Clara, CA 95050, phone (408) 403-5997, practice areas: Criminal Defense, DUI, Traffic Crimes, Drug Crimes - **Stephen G. Rodriguez & Partners**, 633 W 5th St, 28th Floor, Suite 2874, Los Angeles, CA 90071, phone (213) 481-6811, practice areas: Speeding tickets, Trial by written declaration, Traffic violations, Criminal defense - **The Nieves Law Firm**, 1100 11th St., 3rd Fl., Rm 311, Sacramento, CA 95814, phone (916) 545-1989, practice areas: Speeding tickets, Red light violations, Reckless driving, DUI - **Uthman Law Office**, 855 Bryant St #200, San Francisco, CA 94103, phone (415) 556-9200, practice areas: Traffic Tickets, California Points System, Reckless Driving ## How do you choose a traffic ticket lawyer? Use this neutral checklist. 1. **Check the license.** Search the attorney on the State Bar of California site, calbar.ca.gov, and confirm the license is active. 2. **Confirm the court.** Make sure the firm handles tickets in the county named on your citation. 3. **Read the fee terms.** Ask what is included, in writing. 4. **Ask who appears.** Learn whether an attorney, not a staff member, will appear if you do not attend. 5. **Ask about the process.** A firm should explain the routes: pay, traffic school, trial or written declaration. 6. **Watch the due date.** Hire before the date on your citation, and keep confirmations. ## What should you have ready before you call a firm? Have your citation or courtesy notice in front of you, with the code section, the court, the due date and any mandatory appearance noted. Know your license class, and say so if you hold a commercial license. Write down any points already on your record and the date of your last traffic school, if you have one. A firm can only advise on what it can see, and these details decide whether traffic school is still open. For the options a lawyer would choose among, read [traffic school or fighting the ticket](https://californiaticketguide.com/traffic-school-or-fight/), find your court in the [traffic courts index](https://californiaticketguide.com/traffic-courts/), or return to the [guide home page](https://californiaticketguide.com/). ## Frequently asked questions ### Do I need a lawyer for a traffic ticket? No. You can pay, ask for traffic school or contest the ticket yourself, and this guide explains each route. A lawyer is a choice, not a requirement. People consider one when points could push them toward a negligent operator presumption, when they drive for work, or when they cannot attend court. ### Can a lawyer go to court for me? Some firms say they can, and several state that their flat fee includes every required court appearance. Whether you must attend yourself depends on your citation and the court, since some tickets carry a mandatory appearance. Ask the firm in writing what it covers, and who will appear. ### How do I check a lawyer's license? Use the attorney search on the State Bar of California website, calbar.ca.gov. Search by name or bar number and read the license status. Compare the name on the search result with the name on the firm's materials. Do this before you pay, and ask the firm for the attorney's bar number if you cannot find them. ### Is a lawyer worth it for a single ticket? That depends on your record and your costs, and this guide cannot decide it. A single point alone does not trigger a negligent operator presumption, which starts at 4 points in 12 months. Compare the firm's fee with the cost of the ticket and the point, which the calculator estimates. ## Sources - [State Bar of California, attorney search](https://www.calbar.ca.gov/) - [California Vehicle Code 12810.5 (negligent operator)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH§ionNum=12810.5)