San Bernardino County Traffic Ticket Guide
A San Bernardino County traffic ticket is heard at the courthouse printed on it: Fontana for the western cities and the Lake Arrowhead and Crestline areas, Barstow for the High Desert including Victorville, Joshua Tree for the Morongo Basin, or Needles for the eastern edge of the county. The Traffic Ticket Attorneys fight traffic tickets in San Bernardino County courts from our office in Glendale, and the first consultation is free.
Courthouses That Hear Traffic Tickets in San Bernardino County
The Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino hears traffic infractions at four courthouses. The court publishes the areas each one serves, and the court district is printed at the bottom of the ticket.
| Courthouse | Address | Areas it hears |
|---|---|---|
| Fontana District | 17780 Arrow Boulevard, Fontana, CA 92335 | Fontana, Rialto, Chino, Chino Hills, Montclair, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, San Bernardino, Colton, Grand Terrace, Loma Linda, Highland, Redlands, Yucaipa, and mountain communities including Crestline, Lake Arrowhead and Running Springs |
| Barstow District | 235 East Mountain View Street, Barstow, CA 92311 | Barstow, Victorville, Hesperia, Apple Valley, Adelanto, Phelan, Lucerne Valley, Big Bear Lake, Big Bear City, Baker, Fort Irwin, Yermo and the rest of the High Desert the court lists |
| Joshua Tree District | 6527 White Feather Road, Joshua Tree, CA 92252 | Joshua Tree, Landers, Pioneertown, Twentynine Palms, Johnson Valley, Morongo Valley, Yucca Valley |
| Needles District | 1111 Bailey Avenue, Needles, CA 92363 | Needles, Earp, Essex, Parker Dam, Vidal Junction, Havasu Landing, Big River, Goffs, Nipton and everything east of Kelbaker Road |
The clerk’s offices are open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Victorville, Rancho Cucamonga and San Bernardino courthouses do not hear traffic infractions: the court sends Victorville-area tickets to Barstow and Rancho Cucamonga and San Bernardino tickets to Fontana.
Source: the court’s “Where Can I File?” page, its location pages for the four districts and each district’s court appearance information sheet, read October 6, 2026.
What Happens After a Ticket in San Bernardino County
The court sets out these steps on its Traffic, Pay a Traffic Ticket and Traffic FAQs pages.
The Notice and the Due Date
The court mails a reminder notice to the address on the ticket. The court states that a driver who does not receive it is still responsible for the ticket by the appearance date. The court grants a one-time 60-day extension or two 30-day extensions on an infraction.
Paying the Ticket
The court takes payment online through its Court Access Portal, by phone at any hour, by mail to the courthouse named on the ticket, at kiosks, and in person at any San Bernardino County courthouse. The court states that paying online closes the case and that a traffic conviction is reported to the DMV.
Traffic School
The court lists these conditions: a moving violation of the Vehicle Code, no traffic school in the previous 18 months, speeding no more than 25 mph over the limit, not driving a commercial vehicle at the time, no charge that requires a mandatory appearance, and no alcohol or drug charge. A Class A license holder cited while driving a personal vehicle may attend. A completed course is processed as a confidential conviction (the court’s Traffic School Information page).
Contesting the Ticket
The court offers two ways to contest an infraction (the court’s Contest Your Traffic Ticket guide):
- A court trial. It needs no bail. It is requested at an arraignment reserved by phone or at a traffic window, by mail at least 5 calendar days before the due date, or at the traffic counter. The trial is set about 30 days later.
- A trial by written declaration. The forms and the bail are mailed to the court named on the ticket at least 5 calendar days before the due date, and the bail is paid directly to the court; the court’s website does not accept it. A driver who disagrees with the decision can ask for a new trial within 20 days.
The court states that an attorney is not required in traffic court and that a driver may hire one.
Appearing by Video
Fontana and Barstow hold remote traffic arraignments on Zoom at 8:30 a.m., scheduled through the clerk. Big Bear holds video arraignments on the first Wednesday of each month. Needles allows telephone appearances for infractions, except for trials (the court’s Remote Traffic Arraignments page).
San Bernardino County Hears Traffic in Four Districts
The court describes San Bernardino County as “the largest geographic county in the contiguous United States”, served by 12 court facilities across 20,105 square miles (the court’s Judicial Governance page). Four of those facilities hear traffic infractions, and the court routes tickets from the other courthouses’ areas to them:
- Victorville tickets go to Barstow. The court’s Victorville sheet states: “The Victorville District does not hear Infraction matters (Traffic/Non-Traffic). Please see the Barstow District.”
- San Bernardino and Rancho Cucamonga tickets go to Fontana. Both courthouses send infractions to the Fontana District.
- Big Bear holds arraignments only. Big Bear Lake and Big Bear City tickets belong to the Barstow District. The Big Bear courthouse holds traffic arraignments by remote video on the first Wednesday of each month at 10:00 a.m.; all other traffic matters for the area are heard at Barstow (the court’s Remote Video Proceedings page).
- Appearances are scheduled. The court states that all court appearances must be scheduled in advance by phone or in person, and that night court is not offered.
Our Record in San Bernardino County Courts
Our Victory List shows 13 San Bernardino County cases listed as dismissed, as of October 6, 2026: 6 at Fontana, 4 at Barstow and 3 listed as Victorville.
| Date | Court, as listed | Vehicle Code section | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/29/25 | Victorville | 21461 (a) | Dismissed |
| 5/14/25 | Fontana | 21655.5 (b) | Dismissed |
| 10/5/23 | Victorville | 22348 (b) | Dismissed – 103 MPH |
| 10/5/23 | Victorville | 22348 (b) | Dismissed – 102 MPH |
| 9/26/23 | Fontana | 22350 | Dismissed |
| 9/26/23 | Fontana | 22348 (c) CDL | Dismissed |
| 9/26/23 | Fontana | 22356 (b) | Dismissed |
| 9/26/23 | Fontana | 26708 (a) | Dismissed |
| 8/2/23 | Fontana | 22450 (a) | Dismissed |
| 5/20/22 | Barstow | 22348 (b) | Dismissed – 101 MPH |
| 5/13/22 | Barstow | 22348 (b) | Dismissed – 101 MPH |
| 5/13/22 | Barstow | 22406 (a) CDL | Dismissed |
| 5/13/22 | Barstow | 22406 (a) CDL | Dismissed |
Past results do not guarantee a future outcome. Every case turns on its own facts.
Questions About San Bernardino County Traffic Tickets
Which Courthouse Is on My Ticket?
The court district is printed at the bottom of the ticket. San Bernardino County infractions are heard at Fontana, Barstow, Joshua Tree or Needles, according to the area where the ticket was written. A ticket written in Victorville, Hesperia or Apple Valley goes to Barstow; a ticket written in San Bernardino, Ontario or Rancho Cucamonga goes to Fontana.
Can I Go to Traffic School for This Ticket?
Under the court’s conditions, a moving violation can go to traffic school when there was no traffic school in the previous 18 months, the speed was no more than 25 mph over the limit, the driver was not in a commercial vehicle, and the ticket carries no mandatory appearance or alcohol or drug charge. The court states that traffic school cannot be requested through its online ability-to-pay tool.
Do I Have to Appear in Person?
Many infractions can be paid, sent to traffic school or contested by written declaration by mail. Fontana and Barstow also offer remote arraignments on Zoom, Big Bear holds video arraignments, and Needles allows telephone appearances except for trials. A court trial itself is set in the district that has the ticket.
What Happens If I Miss My Court Date?
The court states that a driver who does not respond by the due date may face a $100 civil assessment, referral to collections and an arrest warrant. It also places a failure-to-appear hold on the driver’s license, and the DMV can suspend the license until the ticket is dealt with (the court’s Traffic FAQs). Our failure to appear page explains how these cases work.
Can a Lawyer From Glendale Handle a Ticket Here?
Yes. Our attorneys fight tickets in San Bernardino County courts, and our Victory List shows dismissed cases in Fontana and Barstow, including commercial drivers’ cases. We review the ticket and the court’s notice, explain the options the court offers for that ticket, and handle the court appearances the case requires. No lawyer can promise an outcome.
We Fight San Bernardino County Tickets From Our Glendale Office
From our office in Glendale, The Traffic Ticket Attorneys fight traffic tickets in Los Angeles County courts, in Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and Kern counties, and across California. Our attorneys have over 45 years of combined experience in fighting traffic tickets, including CDL tickets, speeding tickets and failure to appear cases.
Sources
Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino
- Fontana District(opens in a new tab)
- Barstow District(opens in a new tab)
- Joshua Tree District(opens in a new tab)
- Needles District(opens in a new tab)
- Where Can I File?(opens in a new tab)
- Traffic(opens in a new tab)
- Pay a Traffic Ticket(opens in a new tab)
- Traffic FAQs(opens in a new tab)
- Traffic School Information(opens in a new tab)
- Contest Your Traffic Ticket(opens in a new tab)
- Remote Traffic Arraignments(opens in a new tab)
- Judicial Governance(opens in a new tab)
- Remote Video Proceedings(opens in a new tab)