Attention California Drivers! One of the most asked questions I get is…

“HOW did they come up with the fine I was levied for my traffic ticket?”

I wish I could tell you that it was a bunch of old witches and crones sitting around a bubbling cauldron conjuring up some evil numbers… but close.

The state legislators come up with laws that set the minimum fine for an offense and then the individual Judicial Traffic courts can tack on extras, like “Courthouse construction fund”, “Fingerprint Identification Upgrade Fund”, or whatever their pet project is in their district.

Also, many states mandate a “Penalty Assessment” on every minimum fine which can be from $10-$30 of ADDITIONAL fine for every $10 of the base fine….so more than DOUBLING your fine. So, a fine for “Speeding” could be a legislated $100, but after P/A and the other funds, you can get to $500 REALLY fast.