Vehicle Code

Infraction vs Misdemeanor – What’s The Difference?

Posted on May 21, 2025 | Category: Vehicle Code

Infractions vs Misdemeanors: What's the Difference?Watch this video on YouTube Infractions are less serious offenses than misdemeanors in California. Since infractions are not technically crimes, the only penalties are fines and possibly DMV points on your license.1 In contrast, misdemeanors carry fines and/or up to 364 days in jail.2 In this article below I discuss …

LAPD Traffic Collision Report – How do I get a copy?

Posted on April 10, 2025 | Category: Useful information, Vehicle Code

How Do I Get a Copy of my LAPD Traffic Accident Report?Watch this video on YouTube You were in a car accident in the City of Los Angeles and the insurance company is now requesting a copy of the traffic collision report (TCR). How do you get one? Further, what does it show? You can …

How do I get MVARS from CHP? A Defense Lawyer Explains

Posted on January 28, 2025 | Category: Criminal Defense, Traffic Laws, Useful information, Vehicle Code

Police MVARS dash cam footage being recorded at a point of traffic at night.

You were recently cited for reckless driving by the California Highway Patrol (CHP). You now want to contest the ticket. The CHP officer that cited you said he caught you on the patrol car’s Mobile Video Audio Recording System (MVARS). Can you get a copy of the MVARS video? Most likely, yes. MVARS footage is …

California Financial Responsibility Law – How Does it Work?

Posted on January 1, 2025 | Category: Laws, Useful information, Vehicle Code

A police officer asking a driver for his license and insurance.

In California, the term “financial responsibility law” refers to the requirement that you carry proof of your ability to cover damages you may inflict in the event of a traffic accident. This usually means proof of auto insurance. The law is largely found in Vehicle Code Sections 1600-16078 VC and is sometimes called “California’s Compulsory Financial Responsibility …

Can my California driver’s license be suspended for unpaid tickets?

Posted on February 22, 2024 | Category: Drivers License, Laws, Useful information, Vehicle Code

Not anymore. A new state law in California was passed in 2017 that forbids the DMV from suspending your driver’s license solely for unpaid traffic tickets. However, it can suspend your license for a criminal offense of willfully failing to appear in traffic court for those tickets. When can unpaid traffic tickets lead to a …

How do I get my license back after suspension in California?

Posted on November 8, 2023 | Category: Drivers License, DUI, Vehicle Code

A woman proudly showing off her reinstated driver's license.

California drivers with a suspended license have to wait for the suspension period to end. Then they have to apply for reinstatement with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This includes paying license reinstatement fees and proving proof of adequate car insurance. Some drivers may also have to provide evidence of completing certain courses, like traffic …

What is the Jurisdiction of the California Highway Patrol (CHP)?

Posted on November 8, 2022 | Category: Traffic Laws, Useful information, Vehicle Code

You were just cited for speeding on a rural California road by a CHP officer. Can this be right? Isn’t the CHP just responsible for overseeing California’s major highways? The California Highway Patrol can generally exercise its law enforcement authority anywhere in the State of California. The CHP has primary patrol jurisdiction over the following: …

Is it illegal to drive without your license in your possession?

Posted on February 3, 2022 | Category: Vehicle Code

Although this difference seems obvious, people often mistake the non-criminal infraction of driving without a license in one’s possession for the more serious misdemeanor offense of driving without a valid license. 1. What is the law under Vehicle Code 12951? California Vehicle Code 12951 penalizes driving without a license in your possession.1 As previously stated, …

Does Proposition 47 apply to the crime of Vehicle Code 10851 joyriding?

Posted on January 4, 2016 | Category: Vehicle Code

At the moment, California courts haven’t yet made up their minds about the answer to this question. Proposition 47, passed by California voters in 2014, provided that theft of property worth less than nine hundred fifty dollars ($950) would be a California misdemeanor for most defendants. (Prior to Prop 47’s passage, all theft of motor …

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