ARTICLE 4. Notice to Correct Violation [40610 - 40618]
( Article 4 added by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1350. )
(a) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), if, after an arrest, crash investigation, or other law enforcement action, it appears that a violation has occurred involving a registration, license, all-terrain vehicle safety certificate, or mechanical requirement of this code, and none of the disqualifying conditions set forth in subdivision (b) exist and the investigating officer decides to take enforcement action, the officer shall prepare, in triplicate, and the violator shall sign, a written notice containing the violator’s promise to correct the alleged violation and to deliver proof of correction of the violation to the issuing agency.
(2) If a person is arrested
for a violation of Section 4454, and none of the disqualifying conditions set forth in subdivision (b) exist, the arresting officer shall prepare, in triplicate, and the violator shall sign, a written notice containing the violator’s promise to correct the alleged violation and to deliver proof of correction of the violation to the issuing agency. In lieu of issuing a notice to correct violation pursuant to this section, the officer may issue a notice to appear, as specified in Section 40522.
(b) Pursuant to subdivision (a), a notice to correct violation shall be issued as provided in this section or a notice to appear shall be issued as provided in Section 40522, unless the officer finds any of the following:
(1) Evidence of fraud or persistent neglect.
(2) The violation presents an immediate safety hazard.
(3) The violator does not agree to, or cannot, promptly correct the violation.
(4) The violation cited is of subdivision (a) of Section 27151 for a motorcycle.
(c) If any of the conditions set forth in subdivision (b) exist, the procedures specified in this section or Section 40522 are inapplicable, and the officer may take other appropriate enforcement action.
(d) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (a), the notice to correct violation shall be on a form approved by the Judicial Council and, in addition to the owner’s or operator’s
address and identifying information, shall contain an estimate of the reasonable time required for correction and proof of correction of the particular defect, not to exceed 30 days, or 90 days for the all-terrain vehicle safety certificate.
(e) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2027, and as of that date is repealed.
(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 595, Sec. 4. (AB 2496) Effective January 1, 2023. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, by its own provisions. See later operative version added by Sec. 5 of Stats. 2022, Ch. 595.)
(a) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), if, after an arrest, crash investigation, or other law enforcement action, it appears that a violation has occurred involving a registration, license, all-terrain vehicle safety certificate, or mechanical requirement of this code, and none of the disqualifying conditions set forth in subdivision (b) exist and the investigating officer decides to take enforcement action, the officer shall prepare, in triplicate, and the violator shall sign, a written notice containing the violator’s promise to correct the alleged violation and to deliver proof of correction of the violation to the issuing agency.
(2) If a person is arrested
for a violation of Section 4454, and none of the disqualifying conditions set forth in subdivision (b) exist, the arresting officer shall prepare, in triplicate, and the violator shall sign, a written notice containing the violator’s promise to correct the alleged violation and to deliver proof of correction of the violation to the issuing agency. In lieu of issuing a notice to correct violation pursuant to this section, the officer may issue a notice to appear, as specified in Section 40522.
(b) Pursuant to subdivision (a), a notice to correct violation shall be issued as provided in this section or a notice to appear shall be issued as provided in Section 40522, unless the officer finds any of the following:
(1) Evidence of fraud or persistent neglect.
(2) The violation presents an immediate safety hazard.
(3) The violator does not agree to, or cannot, promptly correct the violation.
(c) If any of the conditions set forth in subdivision (b) exist, the procedures specified in this section or Section 40522 are inapplicable, and the officer may take other appropriate enforcement action.
(d) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (a), the notice to correct violation shall be on a form approved by the Judicial Council and, in addition to the owner’s or operator’s address and identifying information, shall contain an estimate of the reasonable time required for correction and proof of correction of the
particular defect, not to exceed 30 days, or 90 days for the all-terrain vehicle safety certificate.
(e) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2027.
(Repealed (in Sec. 4) and added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 595, Sec. 5. (AB 2496) Effective January 1, 2023. Operative January 1, 2027, by its own provisions.)
(a) Upon proof of correction of an alleged violation of Section 12500 or 12951, or any violation cited pursuant to Section 40610, or upon submission of evidence of financial responsibility pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 16028, the clerk shall collect a twenty-five-dollar ($25) transaction fee for each violation. The fees shall be deposited by the clerk in accordance with Section 68084 of the Government Code.
(b) (1) For each citation, ten dollars ($10) shall be allocated monthly as follows:
(A) Thirty-three percent shall be transferred to the local governmental entity in whose jurisdiction the citation was issued for deposit in
the general fund of the entity.
(B) Thirty-four percent shall be transferred to the State Treasury for deposit in the State Penalty Fund established by Section 1464 of the Penal Code.
(C) Thirty-three percent shall be deposited in the county general fund.
(2) The remainder of the fees collected on each citation shall be deposited in the State Court Facilities Construction Fund, established in Section 70371 of the Government Code.
(c) No fee shall be imposed pursuant to this section if the violation notice is processed only by the issuing agency and no record of the action is transmitted to the court.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 79, Sec. 37. (AB 143) Effective July 16, 2021.)
An exact, legible copy of the notice to correct shall be delivered to the alleged violator at the time he or she signs such notice.
(Added by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1350.)
Any person who signs a notice to correct or a certificate of correction with a false or fictitious name is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(Added by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1350.)
Any person willfully violating a written promise to correct or willfully failing to deliver proof of correction of violation is guilty of a misdemeanor. Proof of correction may consist of a certification by an authorized representative of one of the following agencies that the alleged violation has been corrected:
(a) Brake, lamp, smog device, or muffler violations may be certified as corrected by any station licensed or contracted to inspect and certify for the violation pursuant to Article 6.5 (commencing with Section 9888.5) of Chapter 20.3 of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code or Section 27150.2.
(b) Driver license and registration violations may be certified as
corrected by the Department of Motor Vehicles or by any clerk or deputy clerk of a court.
(c) Any violation may be certified as corrected by a police department, the California Highway Patrol, sheriff, marshal, or other law enforcement agency regularly engaged in enforcement of the Vehicle Code.
(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 681, Sec. 27. (AB 1263) Effective January 1, 2024.)
Whenever proof of correction of violation is not received by the issuing agency in accordance with Section 40610, the issuing agency may deliver the signed promise to the court having jurisdiction of the violation with a certification that no proof of correction has been received. If prepared on a form approved by the Judicial Council, the promise under Section 40610, together with the certification under this section, shall constitute a complaint to which the defendant may enter a plea, and upon which a warrant may be issued if the complaint is verified.
(Added by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1350.)