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TicketFight

California · Trial by Written Declaration

$49

Fight Your California Traffic Ticket by Mail

California law gives every driver the right to contest a ticket in writing instead of appearing in court. TicketFight prepares your complete TR-205 defense for $49, refunded in full if the court rules against you.

  • Based on Vehicle Code § 40902
  • Official Judicial Council Form TR-205
  • All 58 California Counties

Start Your Defense

Takes less than 5 minutes

100% Money-Back Guarantee

How It Works

  1. 1

    Upload citation

    Photograph the citation. We read the code section, the court, and your due date.

  2. 2

    TicketFight analyzes and builds a defense

    Your account of the stop is matched to the elements the officer has to prove.

  3. 3

    Submit documents to the court

    Print, sign, and mail the TR-205 with bail. No hearing, no day off work.

What a ticket really costs

Paying the ticket is the expensive option

The fine printed in the Vehicle Code is only the start. Court assessments roughly quadruple it, and the point on your record follows you for three years of higher insurance premiums.

Pay the fine$238–$490+
  • Base fine plus mandatory court assessments
  • One point on your DMV record for 3 years
  • Insurance increases, often $300+ per year
  • Traffic school costs extra and still requires paying the fine

Typical total for 1–25 mph over the limit

Hire a traffic lawyer$300–$500
  • Same TR-205 paperwork, prepared by an office
  • Fee is not refunded if you lose
  • Days of back-and-forth by phone and email

Typical flat fee for a single infraction

Fight it by mail$49
  • Complete TR-205 defense built from your facts
  • Refunded in full if the court rules against you
  • No court appearance at any point
  • Bail is returned to you if you win

TicketFight flat fee, money-back guarantee

Fine totals reflect California's uniform bail schedule for speed infractions after state and county assessments. Your courtesy notice shows the exact amount for your citation.

This is a real court process

Your right to a written trial is written into the Vehicle Code

“The court, pursuant to this section, shall, by rule, provide that the defendant may elect to have a trial by written declaration upon any alleged infraction, as charged by the citing officer, involving a violation of this code…”
The court decides your case on paper.
You mail in a sworn statement of facts on Judicial Council Form TR-205. The citing officer must submit their own written declaration proving every element of the violation. If they don't make their case, or don't respond at all, the judge finds you not guilty.
Your money comes back when you win.
You post the bail amount with your declaration. A not-guilty verdict means the court refunds every dollar, and the point never touches your record.
Losing doesn't end it.
California gives you 20 days to request a brand-new, in-person trial with Form TR-220. The written verdict is thrown out and the case starts over. That second chance is part of the same statute, and we include the instructions with every defense.
California Vehicle Code § 40902(a)(1)Read the statute

The outcome

What a dismissal notice looks like

  • Sample TR-215 Decision and Notice of Decision showing a not-guilty finding, in the style of the Los Angeles Superior Court Metropolitan Courthouse
    Los Angeles Superior Court · Metropolitan CourthouseSample
  • Sample TR-215 Decision and Notice of Decision showing a not-guilty finding, in the style of the Alameda County Superior Court Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse
    Alameda County Superior Court · Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse, OaklandSample
  • Sample TR-215 Decision and Notice of Decision showing a not-guilty finding, in the style of the Sacramento Superior Court Carol Miller Justice Center
    Sacramento Superior Court · Carol Miller Justice CenterSample

What your statement looks like

Every statement is built from your facts and the code section on your ticket. Defenses are filed with the court in English.

State of California — Judicial Council Form

People v. DefendantCitation No. ____________

6. Declaration of Facts — Statement of Facts (begin here):

I was driving on the freeway in Los Angeles County with the flow of traffic. The officer later told me that he had paced my vehicle, but his car was changing its distance behind me rather than maintaining a steady distance. I do not believe I was traveling over 65 miles per hour, and I do not believe the pacing accurately measured my speed.

Vehicle Code § 22349(a) requires the People to prove that I drove at a speed greater than 65 miles per hour. A pace measurement must reliably identify my vehicle and be based on a constant following distance over a sufficient period of time. The officer would also need to establish that the speedometer used for the pace was properly calibrated…

TR-205 • Request for Trial by Written Declaration

View the official blank TR-205 form

Common questions

Before you decide

What is a trial by written declaration?

A court process under Vehicle Code § 40902 that lets you contest a traffic infraction entirely by mail. You submit a written statement of facts, the officer submits theirs, and a judge rules on the paperwork. No court appearance is ever required.

How much does a California speeding ticket cost if I just pay it?

More than the fine suggests. A $35 base fine becomes roughly $238 after assessments; 16–25 mph over runs about $367, and 26+ over about $490. Then the point raises your insurance for three years, commonly $300 or more per year.

What are my chances of winning?

No honest service can promise a dismissal. Written declarations win when the officer's statement fails to prove every element of the violation, and officers handling stacks of these sometimes file thin declarations or none at all. Your defense is built to hold their statement to the legal standard.

What happens if I lose?

Two things. California law gives you 20 days to request a completely new in-person trial using Form TR-220, which erases the written verdict. And TicketFight refunds your $49 in full. Send us the court's decision and the refund goes back to your card.

Do I need a lawyer for this?

No. The TR-205 was designed by the Judicial Council for drivers to file themselves. A traffic lawyer typically charges $300–$500 to prepare the same form. What matters is that the statement addresses the legal elements of your specific code section, which is what we do.

What's the deadline to file?

Your request and full bail payment must reach the court by the due date printed on your citation or courtesy notice. If you're close to the deadline, call the court clerk, confirm the amount, and mail everything together. We include step-by-step filing instructions with your defense.

Go deeper

Guides for your ticket

Refund Policy: Provide documentation of the court’s decision for a full refund if the Trial by Written Declaration is unsuccessful: support@ticketfight.ai

Serving all 58 California countiesBased in California100% refund if not dismissedQuestions? support@ticketfight.ai
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