Use the court’s online Ability to Pay tool on MyCitations. The Superior Court of Los Angeles County accepts requests there for traffic and non-traffic infraction citations issued anywhere in Los Angeles County, so you can ask the court to suspend all or part of the fine, set up or change a payment plan, or let you do community service instead, without appearing in person unless the court orders a hearing. A judicial officer decides each request; nothing is reduced automatically.

What you can ask for

The court announced the tool in May 2024 for launch on June 6, 2024, at MyCitations.courts.ca.gov. Through it you can request:

  • Suspension of the fine, in whole or in part.
  • Creation of a payment plan, if one is available.
  • Modification of an existing payment plan.
  • Satisfaction of the fine through community service.

The request needs supporting documents, such as proof of public benefits, fixed monthly payments, pay stubs, bank statements, or work or family obligations. The Judicial Council says judicial officers review these requests before final orders are sent to the email address you provide, and that ability-to-pay requests can now be made through MyCitations in all 58 California superior courts. Assembly Bill 143 (2021) required every superior court to offer the module by June 30, 2024.

The rule behind the tool

California Rule of Court 4.335 applies to any infraction for which you received a written Notice to Appear. On request, the court must consider your ability to pay. You can ask at adjudication or at any time while the judgment remains unpaid, including after the case becomes delinquent or is referred to a collection program. The court must let you ask by written petition unless it directs you to appear, and the judicial officer may decide on the written record or order a hearing.

The rule’s advisory committee comment lists factors the court should take into account, including receipt of public benefits such as SSI, CalWORKs, SNAP food assistance, General Relief, In-Home Supportive Services, or Medi-Cal, and a monthly income at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.

What the court can decide

Based on its determination, the court may, in its discretion, allow an installment plan (if available), allow community service instead of paying the total fine (if available), suspend the fine in whole or in part, or offer an alternative disposition. The advisory comment adds that the court may consider the severity of the offense whether or not you have shown an inability to pay, and that suspending the base fine is not intended to affect mandatory fees.

If you were ordered to pay in installments or to do community service, you may request an ability-to-pay determination at any time while the judgment is pending. Once you have had a determination in the case, though, a later request must be based on changed circumstances.

For a Vehicle Code infraction, Vehicle Code section 42003(a) separately lets the judgment allow payment within a specified time or in installments. Such a judgment must order you to appear in court if you miss a payment date, and willfully violating that order is punishable as contempt.

If you cannot use the online tool

The Judicial Council says the same request can be filed with any court in person or by mail on Judicial Council form TR/CR-320, and that the paper process does not require an email address or internet access. The Los Angeles court’s announcement also describes its in-person petition option at the time of adjudication and written petitions sent by U.S. mail.

Practical next steps

  • Look up the citation on MyCitations to confirm it is eligible before you start.
  • Gather proof of income, benefits, and fixed expenses first; the judicial officer decides on what you submit.
  • Without internet access, use form TR/CR-320 by mail or in person.
  • If your finances change after a decision, you can ask again, but explain what changed.

If the fine is one part of a larger citation or criminal case, the Law Offices of David S. Chesley can explain how the pieces fit together; for background, see the firm’s overview of infractions. Call (800) 755-5174.