Welcome To CTSI

California Traffic Safety Institute (CTSI) is a non-profit company, which has been providing staffing and other services to the California Superior Courts in the administration of the traffic violation school programs since June 27, 1985.

CTSI operates under the legislative authority of CVC 11205 as amended in September 1991.

Pursuant to AB2499, which was passed in the 2009-2010 legislative session, effective July 1, 2011, traffic violations where a defendant has elected or been ordered to attend a traffic violator school (TVS) will no longer be a dismissal on the driving record. They will now become a confidential conviction.

A confidential conviction will mask the violation from your public record. Insurance companies will not see the confidential conviction.

A traffic violator school conviction will not be masked if:

  • There is a successful TVS completion within the previous 18 months.
  • The conviction is a major (2 point) violation (DUI or Reckless Driving).
  • The driver was operating a commercial vehicle at the time of the violation.
  • A Class A or B licensee operating a non-commercial vehicle (0 points displayed).

Important Traffic School Attendance Information:
A court may refer a driver to traffic violator school at any time. However, California Vehicle Code Section 1808.7 mandates that only one conviction in an eighteen (18) month period be masked from public view on your driving record. The eighteen (18) month period is calculated from citation/violation date, not class attendance date. Courts are required to adjudicate all major (2 point) violations; courts are prohibited from sending drivers who commit major violations to traffic violator schools for the purpose of masking a conviction.

If you need an extension of time, please contact the court which imposed the sentence; CTSI has no authority to grant extensions. You may attend any traffic violator school with a valid license status listed on the DMV’s web-site. When you have completed the course, the school will issue you a receipt and the school will file the completion certificate electronically.

Benefits of Attending Traffic Violator School:
NOTICE: If you are eligible and decide not to attend traffic school your automobile insurance may be adversely affected. The citation will also go on your record and reflect the point count that goes along with the violation.

Vehicle Safety Recalls Week | March 4-10, 2024

NHTSA sets and enforces vehicle safety standards, and if a vehicle has a safety defect we manage the recall.

Safe Cars Save Lives: Drivers Should Check Their Vehicle During Vehicle Safety Recalls Week

California— Safe Cars Save Lives: This is the lifesaving message the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is sharing with all vehicle owners. NHTSA urges all California vehicle owners to check their vehicle for open recalls during Vehicle Safety Recalls Week March 4-10, 2024. The safety week coincides with the start of Daylight Saving Time, which begins Sunday, March 10, 2024. In 2022 alone, there were 1,050 safety recalls affecting more than 31 million vehicles and other automotive equipment in the United States.

“Checking for recalls is free, quick, and easy; “During Vehicle Safety Recalls Week in March, we are urging everyone to take a few minutes to check for an open safety recall. Remember that every vehicle recall is important and should be repaired immediately. Your diligence will help keep you and others safe on the roadways.”

Two Ways to Check for Recalls

NHTSA has two ways to check for open safety recalls:

First, drivers can use the free, user-friendly Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Look-Up Tool, located at NHTSA.gov/recalls. This web tool allows vehicle owners to check for open safety recalls on their vehicles or automotive equipment, such as tires and car seats.

  • To use the VIN Look-Up Tool, vehicle owners can go to NHTSA.gov/recalls and enter their vehicle’s 17-digit VIN into the search bar. In seconds, the vehicle owner will know if their vehicle is subject to an open safety recall. While there, vehicle owners can sign up for Recall Alerts. If a vehicle is included in a future recall, they’ll receive an email letting them know. NHTSA’s free web recalls tool will provide details on any unrepaired recall in a vehicle for at least the past 15 calendar years. It will also provide details on unrepaired safety recalls from major automakers, motorcycle manufacturers, and some medium/heavy truck manufacturers.

Drivers can also check for open safety recalls by downloading the free SaferCar app. Once in the app, enter a vehicle’s VIN and NHTSA will send an alert if a safety recall is issued.

  • Think of the SaferCar app as a virtual garage: Once a user downloads the app — available for iOS and Android — they can add any vehicle or related equipment, like tires, trailers, and car seats. SaferCar notifies the user of all related recalls, even directing them to local dealerships so they can quickly make an appointment and get it fixed quickly and for free. If someone already downloaded the app, Vehicle Safety Recalls Week is a good time to make sure their vehicle and equipment information are up-to-date in the app.

Both methods for checking recalls are free and easy. In both cases, drivers will need to enter the vehicle’s VIN, located on the lower portion of their car’s windshield on the driver’s side. The VIN is also located on a vehicle owner’s registration card, and it may be shown on their insurance card.

Stay Recall Aware Every Day

NHTSA and California Traffic Safety Institute urge drivers to participate in Vehicle Safety Recalls Week March 4-10, 2024. But the awareness doesn’t have to stop there. Drivers can take advantage of NHTSA’s free resources — the VIN Look-Up Tool and the SaferCar app — and be covered every day of the year.

Even with alerts and warnings emailed or mailed by manufacturers, millions of recalled vehicles go unrepaired every year. This puts drivers, passengers, and other road users at risk. In fact, an urgent air bag recall is still ongoing, currently the largest vehicle recall in U.S. history, which has resulted in 27 deaths in the United States.

If a driver believes their vehicle may have a safety-related defect that isn’t part of a current recall, contact NHTSA online at NHTSA.gov or by calling the agency’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236. Sometimes just one complaint is enough to trigger a safety recall.

For more information on NHTSA’s Vehicle Recalls, visit NHTSA.gov/Recalls.