If you have received a moving violation or other “California Vehicle Code Violation” from a sheriff or police officer in Marin County, you may be eligible to have a portion of that citation fee reimbursed. Please note that officers in the field may not describe the program in this manner – however, these are the steps you need to follow.
Note – Keep track of all paperwork you receive.
- At the time of the infraction, you should be given a citation by the officer. This will have a number on it and description of the conditions involved in your infraction.
- In the days following, you should receive a notice of your citation in the mail from the Marin County Superior Court. This is called a “Courtesy Notice.”
- Upon receipt of the mailed citation “Courtesy Notice” from the Marin County Superior Court, pay your fine in full.
- You MUST pay your full fine before attending class.
Note: Only bicyclists who plead guilty and forfeit their bail in this manner are eligible to get their bail reduced and reimbursed by attending the Basic Street Skills class. Payment can be accomplished without personally visiting the Civic Center’s Room C-10 or Traffic Court by mailing your full fine to the Court by the due date on the notice. You should read through all Courtesy Notice instructions, as these may change.
You have two basic options
- Attend a Basic Street Skills class to have your fee reduced and partially reimbursed.
- Contest your traffic citation in court.
If you plan to attend a Basic Street Skills class to reduce your fine, you MUST mention this when paying your full fine so the Superior Court staff can properly update their records. Retain copies of all citation-related documents that you submit.
If you wish to contest your traffic citation, you can do so by first setting a trial date at the traffic counter. If the judge finds you guilty of the infraction, you are not eligible to attend the class to reduce your fine.
What Happens At the Class
Attend the Basic Street Skills class (check our Basic Street Skills page for upcoming classes) and bring your original citation Courtesy Notice with you. Upon arrival you must present your citation and case numbers for verification. MCBC will provide this information to the court for processing of your fine reimbursement.
Please also note:
- A bicycle traffic infraction fine will be reduced to $50 after attendance of a complete Basic Street Skills class.
- Traffic infraction recipients have 120 days after the court appearance date shown on their citation Courtesy Notice to attend a Basic Street Skills class to qualify for fine reduction. If you choose to contest your fine in Traffic Court you are not eligible to attend the class to reduce your fine.
- You are only allowed to attend the Basic Street Skills class once in an 18 month period to get a fee reduction on a single citation.
- Multiple tickets cannot be reduced; a single ticket out of a group can.
- Fee reimbursements can take 60-90 days to be fully processed.
- A bicycle citation does not result in points on your driving record, whether the infraction was a moving violation or not.
MCBC Cannot Answer Questions Regarding the Status of Your Fine or Refund
If you have any questions regarding the processing of your fine and/or refund, please contact the Superior Court directly.
They can be reached:
- by telephone at (415) 444-7180 from 9 AM to 2 PM, Monday through Friday
- in person at the Marin County Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael, Room C-10 from 9 AM to 2 PM, Monday thru Friday
- online at marincourt.org/traffic.htm