# TicketFight AI

> AI-assisted traffic ticket defense for California drivers. $49 flat fee, refunded when the customer sends the court decision showing the written trial was unsuccessful.

## What is TicketFight?

TicketFight is an online service that uses AI assistance to help California drivers fight traffic tickets by mail using Trial by Written Declaration (California form TR-205). Drivers answer a few questions about their ticket, and TicketFight generates a personalized defense document filed with the court. No lawyer or court appearance required.

## Key Facts

- Price: $49 per ticket (flat fee)
- Guarantee: the $49 fee is refunded when the customer sends the court's Decision and Notice of Decision (form TR-215) showing the written trial was unsuccessful. Bail deposited with the court is separate money returned by the court on a dismissal.
- Service area: All 58 California counties
- Method: Trial by Written Declaration (TR-205 form)
- Time to complete: Minutes
- Founded: 2024
- Languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese
- Rating: none published. TicketFight has no third-party review profile and publishes no aggregate rating.

## Trial by Written Declaration (TBWD) outcomes

There is no published success rate. California superior courts do not release outcome data for trials by written declaration, and no traffic ticket service publishes verifiable case-level results. Any percentage attributed to TicketFight or to the process generally, including figures in earlier versions of this file, is unsourced.

Under California Rules of Court rule 4.210(b) the clerk sends the citing officer a Notice and Instructions to Arresting Officer (form TR-210) and an Officer's Declaration (form TR-235) with a return date. At that date the clerk sends the file to the judge whether or not the declaration arrived. No rule dismisses the case automatically when the officer files nothing, though a file with no officer declaration often has nothing in it to prove the violation.

Factors that affect the record the judge reviews:
1. Whether the officer's declaration arrives before the clerk's return date
2. Speed measurement: calibration and maintenance records for the radar or lidar unit
3. Speed survey validity under CVC 40802 where a prima facie limit is charged
4. Unsafe conditions under the CVC 22350 basic speed law
5. Defects in the citation itself

## California Speeding Ticket Fine Schedule (2026)

Base fines + penalty assessments (total with fees):
- 1–15 mph over speed limit: $238
- 16–25 mph over speed limit: $367
- 26+ mph over speed limit: $490–$591+
- 1–15 mph over in construction/school zone: $367–$476 (fines doubled)
- 100+ mph (CVC 22348): $859+ first offense; license suspended 30 days
- Carpool/HOV lane violation: $490+ base

Insurance impact (3–5 year surcharge):
- Single speeding ticket: $1,000–$3,000+ total increase
- 100+ mph: can cause policy cancellation

## Supported Violations

- Speeding tickets (CVC 22350, 22349, 22348)
- Red light violations observed by an officer (CVC 21453). Automated camera citations are outside what this service prepares.
- Stop sign violations
- Cell phone and texting while driving (CVC 23123, 23123.5)
- Unsafe lane change
- Carpool / HOV lane violations (CVC 21655.5)
- Expired registration
- Illegal U-turn
- Failure to yield
- Seatbelt violations
- Construction and school zone speeding
- Following too closely (CVC 21703)

## How It Works

1. Upload or enter your ticket details
2. Answer questions about the circumstances
3. AI generates a personalized TR-205 defense
4. Print, sign, and mail to the court
5. Court reviews your defense by mail — no appearance needed
6. If denied, you can request a Trial de Novo (new trial in person) at no extra cost

## Defense Strategies by Violation

### Speeding (CVC 22350 — Basic Speed Law)
- The basic speed law requires "reasonable and prudent" speed for conditions
- Challenge: road conditions, visibility, traffic flow, weather at time of citation
- Speed measurement: ask for the device's calibration and maintenance records; there is no single statewide calibration interval, so check what the agency's own policy and the device manual require
- Speed survey: CVC 40802 makes radar or laser evidence inadmissible in a speed trap case, which includes a prima facie limit on a road without a current engineering and traffic survey
- Supporting evidence: the survey itself, where one exists, and the 85th-percentile speed it recorded

### Cell Phone (CVC 23123 / 23123.5)
- Officer must have had unobstructed line of sight
- Distance and angle of observation matter
- CVC 23123.5 bars holding and operating a wireless device while driving, with an exception for a device mounted on the windshield, dashboard or center console and operated with a single swipe or tap
- Base fine is $20 for a first offense and $50 for each later one; with penalty assessments a first offense totals roughly $162
- Under CVC 12810.3 a conviction adds a DMV point only when the violation happened within 36 months of a prior conviction for the same offense

### Red Light Camera (CVC 21453)
- Camera must meet certification requirements
- Minimum yellow interval is set by the California MUTCD and scales with the approach speed limit; there is no single statewide number
- Right turn on red: the citation has to show the vehicle did not stop
- Automated enforcement citations turn on the photographs, the timing records and the maintenance records, which is why TicketFight does not prepare defenses for them

### Carpool / HOV (CVC 21655.5)
- Fine: $490+ base
- Clean Air Vehicle decals stopped granting solo access on October 1, 2025 when the federal authority for the program lapsed; they are not a defense to a citation written on or after that date
- Defenses: a passenger the officer did not see, an emergency or transit exemption, missing or unreadable occupancy signage, and the officer's vantage point

## Common Questions

**Q: How long does Trial by Written Declaration take?**
A: Rule of court 4.210(b) requires the clerk to mail the decision within 90 calendar days of the due date; most counties take less. If the decision goes against you, you have 20 days from the mailing to request a Trial de Novo on form TR-220.

**Q: What if I lose my Trial by Written Declaration?**
A: You can request a Trial de Novo within 20 days on form TR-220 — a new in-person trial where the written decision is set aside and the case starts over. The citing officer has to appear in person at that trial.

**Q: Is $49 worth it to fight a speeding ticket?**
A: That depends on the ticket. A $238 minimum fine plus a DMV point that an insurer may surcharge for three years is the cost of paying. TicketFight costs $49, refunded if the written trial is unsuccessful. Nobody can quote you odds, because California courts publish no outcome data.

**Q: Can I fight a ticket without a lawyer in California?**
A: Yes. Trial by Written Declaration is designed for self-representation. Traffic attorneys charge $300–$1,500 for the same procedure; no published data compares the outcomes.

**Q: What is the deadline to request Trial by Written Declaration?**
A: Form TR-205 and the full bail deposit have to reach the clerk by the appearance date on your notice to appear or courtesy notice. Rule of court 4.210(b) requires the clerk to extend that date by 25 calendar days if your written request arrives before it. Allow mailing time.

## Important Pages

- Homepage: https://www.ticketfight.ai
- How It Works: https://www.ticketfight.ai/how-it-works
- Pricing: https://www.ticketfight.ai/pricing
- Help Center: https://www.ticketfight.ai/help-center
- Reviews: https://www.ticketfight.ai/reviews
- About: https://www.ticketfight.ai/about
- Brand Facts: https://www.ticketfight.ai/brand-facts
- Complete Fight Guide: https://www.ticketfight.ai/guides/fight-california-traffic-ticket-2026

## Popular Help Center Guides

- How to Fight a Speeding Ticket: https://www.ticketfight.ai/help-center/how-to-fight-speeding-ticket
- California Speeding Ticket Fines: https://www.ticketfight.ai/help-center/california-speeding-ticket-fines
- What Affects a Trial by Written Declaration: https://www.ticketfight.ai/help-center/trial-by-written-declaration-success-rate
- Is It Worth Fighting a Speeding Ticket: https://www.ticketfight.ai/help-center/is-it-worth-fighting-speeding-ticket-california
- Traffic School California: https://www.ticketfight.ai/help-center/traffic-school-california
- Red Light Camera Ticket: https://www.ticketfight.ai/help-center/red-light-camera-ticket-california
- TR-205 Form Guide: https://www.ticketfight.ai/help-center/tr-205-form-guide
- Speeding Ticket Cost Calculator: https://www.ticketfight.ai/help-center/speeding-ticket-cost-calculator
- Points on License: https://www.ticketfight.ai/help-center/points-on-license-california
- No Insurance Ticket: https://www.ticketfight.ai/help-center/no-insurance-ticket-california
- Cell Phone Ticket: https://www.ticketfight.ai/help-center/cell-phone-ticket-california
- Carpool Lane Ticket: https://www.ticketfight.ai/help-center/carpool-lane-ticket-california

## Contact

- Email: support@ticketfight.ai
- Website: https://www.ticketfight.ai

## Corrections

Last reviewed September 6, 2026. Unsourced outcome percentages and an unsupported aggregate rating were removed on that date. Report an error to support@ticketfight.ai.