How to Search Fresno County Traffic Court Records
Fresno Superior Court does not run a stand-alone traffic portal. Traffic case lookup starts at the Case Information page, which links to the public case portal at publicportal.fresno.courts.ca.gov. The portal holds criminal, traffic, civil, family, probate, and small claims records together. Search by citation or case number, or by party name. The online display is not the official record. For a certified copy, visit the M Street clerk.
Before you start, gather the citation number from the ticket or courtesy notice. A full legal name and a date of birth help when drivers share a common surname. The traffic line at (559) 457-1700 can confirm a case number.
The screenshot shows the official Traffic Division page.
That page lists the M Street address, clerk hours, payment links, and trial requests. The court moves to a new case-management system in March 2026, so check the Traffic Division page for current procedure.
- Open the Case Information page and click through to the public portal at publicportal.fresno.courts.ca.gov.
- Pick a search mode. Enter the citation or case number for the fastest match, or enter a party last name and first name.
- Narrow by court location or by filing date range if the result list runs long.
- Open the case to view the charge, the court date, the plea, the fine, the traffic-school status, and any failure-to-appear note.
- Pay the fine through the portal link, request a court trial or written declaration, or ask the clerk in person for a certified copy.
Which Courts Handle Traffic Cases in Fresno County
California does not split traffic work across separate county, district, and justice courts. Fresno County has one trial court, the Superior Court of California, County of Fresno, with divisions across several downtown buildings. The Traffic Division sits at M Street. The Criminal Division sits at the Downtown Courthouse. Civil and family work runs out of B. F. Sisk.
Most tickets land at M Street. Speeding, stop-sign and red-light violations, equipment fixes, and no-proof-of-insurance citations are heard there. Misdemeanor charges, including DUI (Vehicle Code 23152), reckless driving (23103), and driving on a suspended license (14601), move to the Downtown Criminal Courthouse. Parking tickets stay with the city or agency that issued them.
| Court | Traffic Cases Handled | Address |
|---|---|---|
| M Street Courthouse | Traffic infractions, criminal infractions, payments, written declarations, court trials | 2317 Tuolumne St, Fresno, CA 93721. (559) 457-1700 |
| Downtown Criminal Courthouse | DUI, reckless driving, driving on a suspended license, hit and run, felony driving offenses | 1100 Van Ness Ave, Fresno, CA 93724. (559) 457-2000 |
| B. F. Sisk Courthouse | Civil claims from a traffic crash, small claims (not the ticket case) | 1130 O Street, Fresno, CA 93721. (559) 457-2000 |
Types of Traffic Cases on Record
The Fresno court file holds many citation types. Most are moving violations. Some are equipment or paperwork. A few are commercial-driver matters with extra federal rules. The type helps you guess where the case will be heard and what options you have.
- Moving violations - Speeding under VC 22350, red-light and stop-sign violations, unsafe lane changes, and following too close.
- Non-moving and equipment - Broken tail lights, registration issues, expired tabs, and no-proof-of-insurance citations.
- Parking - Issued by the city or a campus agency. These do not go to the Superior Court. Pay or contest through the issuing agency.
- Commercial vehicle and CDL - Truck and bus citations carry federal reporting rules under Vehicle Code 15300 et seq. Traffic school is barred for many CDL charges.
- Photo enforcement - Red-light camera citations under Vehicle Code 21455.5 are filed and tried like any other infraction at M Street.
- Toll-evasion citations - Issued by tolling agencies and processed under the toll-evasion infraction track.
What Fresno County Traffic Court Records Show
A Fresno traffic case file tracks the citation from filing to final disposition. You can see who got the ticket, what code section was charged, the court date, the plea, and the order. Booking photos do not appear, since drivers are not booked on a traffic infraction.
Once you open a case in the public portal, these fields show in order. Labels may shift after the March 2026 upgrade.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Citation Number | Number from the ticket issued by CHP, Fresno PD, the Sheriff, or another agency. |
| Charge / Statute | Vehicle Code section, such as VC 22350 (basic speed) or VC 21453(a) (red light). |
| Court Date | Arraignment or trial date set at M Street. |
| Disposition | Conviction, dismissal, traffic-school completion, or failure to appear. |
| Fine Amount | Bail or fine assessed, including base fine plus state and county assessments. |
| Points Assessed | DMV adds points to the driver record after the court reports the conviction. |
| Traffic School Status | Granted, conditional, completed, or denied. |
| Failure to Appear / Pay | FTA or FTP flags and any DMV hold under Vehicle Code 40509. |
| Civil Assessment | Penal Code 1214.1 assessment for a missed date, up to $300. |
Searching by Citation Number vs by Name
The citation number is the fastest way to pull a single case. A name search is broader, so common surnames return many matches. A date of birth or a date range helps narrow them. California Rules of Court rule 2.507 keeps some fields, like driver license numbers, off the public portal.
If the case has not been filed yet, wait for the courtesy notice. The court mails it weeks after the stop. The notice gives the case number, the bail, and the response deadline.
| Search Field | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case ID / case number | Text | No | From the courtesy notice. No trailing judge initials. |
| Citation number | Text | No | Often the same as the case ID once filed. |
| Party last name | Text | No | Common names return many matches. |
| Party first name | Text | No | Partial first names may not match. |
| Date of birth | Date | No | Helpful filter when the portal supports it. |
| Date range | Date filter | No | Narrows by filing date. |
Paying or Contesting a Fresno County Traffic Ticket
The court takes payment online, by mail, or in person. Use the online link on the Traffic Division page for a card payment. Mail a check to the M Street address with the case number on it. Pay in person at the M Street clerk, 8 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday. A missed deadline adds a civil assessment and can trigger a DMV hold.
To contest the ticket, the plea choices are guilty, not guilty, or no contest. A not-guilty plea sets a court trial or, for eligible infractions, a trial by written declaration under Vehicle Code 40902. Post the full bail with the packet on Form TR-205. The citing officer files a written statement. If the ruling goes against you, ask for a trial de novo within 20 days on Form TR-220. Some remote and Zoom appearances are offered.
Public Access Laws for Traffic Court Records
California has two access layers. County administrative records fall under the California Public Records Act in Government Code section 7920.000 and following. Court case records run under court rules and the access principle in Article I, section 3(b) of the California Constitution. The court applies California Rules of Court rules 2.500 to 2.507 to its electronic records. Rule 2.507 keeps driver license numbers, date of birth, and government ID numbers off public indexes.
Key Statutes:
California Vehicle Code § 40902 - Sets the trial-by-written-declaration procedure for eligible non-commercial infractions.
California Vehicle Code § 40509 - Authorizes the court to notify the DMV of a failure to appear or pay so the DMV can place a hold on the driver record.
California Penal Code § 1214.1 - Allows a civil assessment up to $300 for failure to appear or failure to pay.
California Vehicle Code § 41501 - Authorizes the Traffic Violator School program and keeps qualifying convictions off the public DMV record.
Court Traffic Records vs State Driver Records
The Fresno court file shows the citation, charges, plea, disposition, fine, school status, and any FTA or FTP action. The California DMV driver record, the H-6 abstract, is a separate file. The court reports the disposition to the DMV. The DMV then adds the conviction, the points, any suspension, and any hold. Traffic school can keep the conviction off the public DMV record while still leaving the court file open.
Order your own DMV record through the DMV Online Driver Record Request system. A court case lookup will not show the DMV record, and the DMV record will not show the court detail. You may need both.
| Record Type | Source | What It Shows | How to Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Court Traffic Record | Fresno Superior Court (M Street clerk) | Citation, charge, plea, disposition, fine, school status, FTA/FTP | Public portal or M Street clerk counter |
| State Driver Record (H-6) | California DMV | Conviction history, points, license status, holds | DMV Online Driver Record Request |
CDL and Commercial Driver Records
CDL holders face stricter rules. Many serious violations are barred from traffic-school masking under California Vehicle Code 15300 and following. Excessive speed in a commercial vehicle, reckless driving, hours-of-service offenses, hazmat violations, and any DUI are reported to the home state. A CDL holder cited in a personal vehicle is still subject to most CDL conviction-reporting rules.
The penalty curve is steep. A first serious violation can trigger a 60-day disqualification. A second within three years can trigger a one-year disqualification. Check eligibility before paying.
DUI / DWI Cases
DUI and other serious driving offenses do not go through M Street. DUI under Vehicle Code 23152, DUI causing injury under 23153, reckless driving under 23103, exhibition of speed under 23109, and driving on a suspended license under 14601 are filed as misdemeanors or felonies at the Downtown Criminal Courthouse at 1100 Van Ness Avenue. The Fresno DUI Court, part of the Collaborative Courts Division, is a post-plea program for eligible defendants. Second-and-later DUI defendants and CDL holders must appear in person and cannot resolve the case by written declaration.
For full Fresno County DUI/DWI case information, see Fresno County criminal records.
Traffic Violator School and the California Equivalent of Deferred Adjudication
California does not use the term "deferred adjudication." The match for traffic infractions is the Traffic Violator School program under Vehicle Code 41501. A qualifying driver completes a state-licensed TVS course before the court deadline. The court keeps the conviction off the public DMV record, though the court file still shows the case. The driver pays the base fine, the state-set TVS fee (typically $64), and school tuition. Eligibility runs once every 18 months for non-commercial drivers. CDL holders are not eligible.
Sealing or Removing Traffic Records in California
California does not have a general "expungement" for a traffic infraction. The court file stays a court record. DMV points age off on a state schedule, typically three years for one-point violations. For misdemeanor traffic convictions, Penal Code 1203.4a allows post-completion dismissal relief after probation or sentence. The dismissal does not erase the case from all uses, and disclosure exceptions apply for employment screening and licensing. For related arrest-record sealing, see the court records page.
Fees for Traffic Record Copies
The court charges per-page and per-document fees for traffic record copies. Search fees apply when the clerk runs a manual records search. The DMV driver record carries its own DMV fee and is ordered through the DMV. Confirm current amounts on the court fee schedule page.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plain copy per page | $0.50 |
| Certified copy per document | $40 plus per-page copy fee |
| Records search fee | $15 per name per year |
| Traffic Violator School administrative fee | $64 (state-set) plus school tuition |
| Civil assessment (failure to appear or pay) | Up to $300 |
| DMV driver record (H-6) | Confirm current DMV fee |