Defensive Driving School Options
If you are charged with an offense indicated with an asterisk (*) in the court cost chart, you may be eligible to have your case dismissed upon completion of a Defensive Driving course and payment of court costs. This will allow you to avoid a court appearance and will prevent the accrual of points assessed against your Alabama Driver’s License as a result of this offense. To qualify you must:
- Be charged with an offense eligible for Driving School.
- Have not received a moving violation in the past three (3) years.
- Have not been arrested for DUI.
- Do not currently have a CDL, and
- Be approved for Driving School by the District Attorney.
To determine your eligibility for Driving School, you must contact the Jefferson County, Birmingham Division, District Attorney's Office Traffic Unit within 14 days of receiving a citation. To expedite the process, send an email to jeffcobhamtraffic@jccal.org and be sure to include:
- the UTC number (located in the upper right of your ticket);
- your date of birth;
- contact information.
If you do not have an email account, you may call the Jefferson County, Birmingham Division, District Attorney's Office Traffic Unit at (205) 325-5871.
If you are approved for Defensive Driving School, your case may be dismissed upon payment of court costs after your completion of the course. If you are NOT eligible for driving school, you may still avoid a court appearance by following the instructions above.
Payment and certificate must be received in the clerk's office before the court appearance to dispose of the case. Payment or certificate will not be accepted without the other.
If you are not eligible for driving school, you may still avoid a court appearance by following the instructions at the top of this page for paying your ticket.