Traffic Motions

The Law Library receives many inquiries from self-represented parties who want to reopen a case in Traffic Court to request something from the judge.  For instance, some wish to request the opportunity to complete traffic school to avoid receiving a point on their records.

If you would like information about how to complete a motion to reopen a traffic case so you may speak with a judge about a closed matter, you may find the resources on this page useful.

Instructions

First, you may wish to review these Traffic Motion Instructions that explain how to schedule your hearing and file your paperwork.  Please contact the Law Library for instructions in Spanish, if needed.

If your case was heard at the court at 3131 Arrow St. in Bakersfield, CA, the instructions include the motion schedule you can use to schedule your hearing.  If your case was heard at one of the other Traffic Courts in Kern County, you should contact that location to ask what days of the week and in which division their court hears traffic motions.  You will need to know what days are available to you when you schedule your motion.

If you need the contact information for the court where you will file your motion to get information about what days your court location hears traffic motions, you can find their contact information here.

Sample Forms

If you would like an editable Microsoft Word document to help create your motion, feel free to use these Traffic Motion Templates for Kern County– You will not need all of these templates – only the one that matches the court where you will file your motion.  

You should contact the traffic department at the branch location to confirm the days and times on which motions can be scheduled.

To locate a Proof of Service form to inform the court how you got a copy of your motion to the District Attorney, you can download a fillable PDF here.

Service Information

To be sure your paperwork gets to the right place, please download  District Attorney Service Information for your server.

Video on Traffic Motions

If you would like to see a step-by-step description of the procedures you should expect to follow to prepare, serve, and file your traffic motion, watch the video below.

Keep in mind that your case is unique, and that if you wantc ase-specific guidance, you should consult with an attorney.  If you are looking to represent yourself, the video below is a useful informational supplement to your own research on this topic.