If you cannot afford a California traffic fine or a civil assessment added for missing a court date, AB 412 fine relief lets you ask the court to waive the amount, lower it, convert it to community service, or spread it across monthly payments. You make the request on Judicial Council Form TR-320 or through the MyCitations online portal. Separately, every civil assessment imposed before July 1, 2022 has already been wiped out by law, so old balances tied to those penalties should no longer be collectible.1Judicial Branch of California. AB 199 Civil Assessments Frequently Asked Questions
What AB 412 Actually Changed
Penal Code 1214.1 now caps the civil assessment for failing to appear or pay at $100 for any violation occurring on or after July 1, 2022. The old maximum was $300.2California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 1214.1 – Civil Assessment The assessment only applies when the failure to appear or pay was “without good cause,” so the court has to give you a chance to explain before tacking it on.
Companion legislation AB 199 went further for older debt. It amended Penal Code 1465.9 to require courts to vacate every civil assessment imposed before July 1, 2022, making those balances unenforceable and uncollectable.1Judicial Branch of California. AB 199 Civil Assessments Frequently Asked Questions Many courts applied the vacatur automatically, but backlogs mean some records haven’t caught up. If an old assessment is still showing on your balance, contact the court clerk and ask them to confirm it has been cleared.
One more protection worth knowing: when a civil assessment is imposed under this section, the court cannot issue a bench warrant or arrest warrant for the underlying failure to appear or pay, and any outstanding unserved warrant has to be recalled before the assessment is added.3California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 1214.1 – Civil Assessment
Who Qualifies for Relief
There are two separate paths. You can show good cause for missing the original deadline, or you can show you cannot afford to pay. They are not the same request and they do not require the same proof.
Good Cause
If you demonstrate good cause for failing to appear or pay, the court must vacate the civil assessment entirely.2California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 1214.1 – Civil Assessment The statute doesn’t list qualifying reasons. Courts generally accept things like a medical emergency, military deployment, incarceration on another matter, or a family crisis that made it impossible to appear. The common thread is that something outside your control got in the way.
Ability to Pay
California law requires courts to consider your ability to pay when you ask them to.4California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code VEH 42003 – Ability to Pay You get a presumption of financial hardship if you receive benefits from any of these programs:
- CalFresh (food stamps)
- Medi-Cal
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or State Supplementary Payment (SSP)
- County General Relief or General Assistance
Enrollment in any one of them is usually enough on its own.5Justia. California Government Code 68630-68641 – Waiver of Court Fees and Costs If you aren’t on a public benefits program, you still qualify when your monthly income is at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty level. For a single-person household in 2026, that works out to $19,950 per year.6U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
What You Can Ask the Court to Do
Form TR-320 gives you several options, and you can request more than one on the same form so the court has flexibility:
- A full waiver that eliminates the fine and any civil assessment, zeroing out the balance.
- A reduction that lowers the total to something realistic for your income.
- A monthly payment plan.
- More time to pay the full amount.
- Community service hours in place of a cash payment. The form notes that community service slots may not be available on weekends or evenings.7Judicial Council of California. Can’t Afford to Pay Fine – Traffic and Other Infractions TR-320
Some fines carry statutory minimums that can’t be reduced on hardship grounds alone. Even then, the court can still offer community service or installments. Pairing a reduction request with a payment plan as backup is a common approach.
How to File
What to Gather First
Pull your case number and citation details from the original ticket or any court correspondence. The court needs that number to apply your request to the right file. The form is Judicial Council Form TR-320, “Can’t Afford to Pay Fine: Traffic and Other Infractions,” free to download from the California Courts website or pick up at any courthouse clerk’s office.8California Courts. Can’t Afford to Pay Fine – Traffic and Other Infractions
The form asks for a breakdown of your monthly income and expenses, including rent, utilities, and childcare. If you receive public benefits, attach proof: an EBT card statement, a Medi-Cal eligibility letter, an SSI award notice, or similar documentation. The judicial officer reviews your request on paper without talking to you, so anything that supports your case needs to be in the packet.
Where to Send It
The fastest route is the MyCitations online portal, which walks you through the questions, pulls up your citation, and sends everything directly to the court.9Judicial Branch of California. MyCitations – Can’t Afford to Pay Your Ticket
On paper, you have two choices. Mail the completed TR-320 and supporting documents to the clerk’s office at the court where the citation was issued, using certified mail or a tracking number so you have proof of delivery. Or drop the packet in the physical drop box at the courthouse, usually near the entrance or in the clerk’s lobby. Either way, check that every required field is filled in and that the form is signed and dated. Incomplete submissions get returned or delayed.
What Happens After You File
A judicial officer reviews your petition and your financial documentation against the ability-to-pay standards. Processing times vary. Straightforward petitions can be resolved in a few weeks; busier courts take longer. The court is not required to hold a hearing on a TR-320 request, but you can ask for one.
You will get a written determination by mail explaining the outcome, whether that is a waiver, reduction, payment plan, or community service assignment.4California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code VEH 42003 – Ability to Pay If the court denies the request, the notice will explain what you still owe and when it is due. The clerk’s office can walk you through next steps or whether requesting a hearing might change the result.
Why Not to Ignore the Debt
The reason to file, even if the amount feels small, is that the consequences of doing nothing stack up fast. For traffic citations, the court can notify the DMV, which suspends your driving privilege until you resolve the matter.10California DMV. California Driver Handbook – Laws and Rules of the Road The failure to appear also goes on your driving record.11California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 40509.5
Unpaid fines can also be enforced as civil money judgments under Penal Code 1214(a), which means the court can issue an Earnings Withholding Order and garnish your wages until the balance is paid.12Judicial Branch of California. Criminal and Traffic Fines Enforceable as Money Judgments The Franchise Tax Board can intercept your state tax refund, unclaimed property payments, or lottery winnings through the Interagency Intercept Collection Program and apply those funds to the debt.13Franchise Tax Board. FTB 2645 Participation Guide for 2026 Unlike most civil judgments, California criminal and traffic fines are exempt from the usual ten-year enforcement limit, so this debt does not go away on its own.