Online ticket dismissal course for cyclists

Available for implementation anywhere in the USA and Canada.
Contact us for details.

Did you receive a traffic ticket while riding your bike?

• Have your fine waived and get your citation dismissed by taking this worthwhile course.

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We want to help.

If you believe you were ticketed wrongly, or were targeted by police because of your race or for another illegitimate reason, please contact us.

We will provide you access to the course at no cost. The content will provide valuable resources in contesting your case.

As well, we will work with you at no cost to locate an attorney in your area who is experienced and skilled at defending cyclists.

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Since July of 2010, we have been offering an option to cyclists that has been available to drivers for years – having a traffic ticket waived in exchange for taking part in valuable, effective training.

With this course you will find ways to avoid getting another citation, become more skilled at riding in traffic, and gain more comfort on the road. Valuable for cyclists of all experience levels.

"This is such an excellent resource. I’ve been commuting to school/work for 12 years and consider myself to be a pretty good rider, but I learned so much here. I’ve read plenty of things online and even a few books, but this addressed a lot of concerns I had and presented new info in a way that’s easy to comprehend (the graphics and videos helped a lot).

I liked that I could go back in when I wanted and it kept my place.

I’ve been trying out what I learned on my rides this week, and it’s already making a big difference. Thanks!"

— Stephen R.

Why take the Defensive Cycling course?

By successfully completing it, you will:

• Meet the requirements to have your fine waived by the court and your traffic ticket dismissed. (Note: you still need to pay your court fee and associated costs.)
• Keep the offense from being applied to your driving record in error.*
• Gain valuable techniques that will help you increase your competence and confidence in traffic, even if you are an experienced cyclist.
• Learn the laws that apply to you as a cyclist, reducing the likelihood of getting a future ticket.

Hello Allan,
Thank you for the heads-up [procedures for dismissing a ticket], the great service and course. I am glad I learned about it from a friend. I have to say that I learned a lot from the course and I now feel I am a safer rider.
Thanks again!
— Nikos B.

Here’s how you can take part in this ‘ticket dismissal’ option:

Cost: $35
Time: Approximately 5 hours

1. Complete and submit a Deferred Disposition form through the court, along with the payment of the court fee and any other associated charges.
2. Sign up for the online course (choose your location):
   • USA — TX
   • City of Austin / Travis County / City of San Marcos / City of Houston / Waller County
   • Other cities: USA
   • Other cities: Canada
3. Complete the course with a passing grade.
4. A Certificate of Completion will be prepared and emailed directly to the court, or sent to you to deliver to the court (depending on the jurisdiction).
5. Once the certificate is processed, the fine will be waived and the ticket dismissed.

Important: Be sure to read the Terms and Conditions regarding your participation in the course.

Ticket dismissal course – important information

• In order for a certificate to be issued, you must provide your complete and correct Court case (’cause’) number.
  • Austin: ‘8’ + 6-digit number— e.g., 8XXXXXX (Search for your case number here.)
  • Houston: 4-digit year + ‘TR’ + 7-digit number — e.g., 2022TRXXXXXXX
  • San Marcos: 4-digit year + 6-digit number — e.g., 2022XXXXXX
  • Travis County: ‘J5-CR’ (‘Justice of the Peace, Precinct 5’) + 2-digit year + 6-digit number — e.g., J5-CR-22XXXXXX
  • Waller County: ‘T’ + two-digit year + 4-digit number + JP1 — e.g., T22-XXXX-JP1
• Without this number, a certificate cannot be issued. A traffic citation/ticket number cannot be accepted. We cannot be responsible for any delay in submission of your Certificate of Completion if the necessary information is not provided.
• It is your responsibility to successfully complete the course (with a score of 80% or greater) in advance of your certificate submission deadline:
• No later than 7 days before the deadline for Austin or Houston.
• No later than 14 days before the deadline for Travis County or San Marcos. See below for details.
• Upon successful completion of the course, a Certificate of Completion will be prepared and delivered within five (5) business days. You will be copied on this email:
  • Austin, Houston and Waller County, TX: A PDF version of the certificate will be emailed directly to the Court. You will be copied on this email.
  • Travis County & San Marcos, TX: A PDF version of the certificate along with an accompanying letter will be emailed to you, which you must print out (the certificate must be in color) and mail or take in to the Court.
• Once the certificate is processed by the court, the fine will be waived and the ticket dismissed.
• You have full access to this course for six months from the date of purchase. This is independent of the Court deadline.
• Completing the course after the completion / certificate submission deadline is not cause for a refund.

If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact us by email, phone or text.

Here are the laws that apply to you as a cyclist, including your rights:

From the Texas Transportation Code:
Sec. 551.101. RIGHTS AND DUTIES.
(a) A person operating a bicycle has the rights and duties applicable to a driver operating a vehicle under this subtitle, unless:
(1) a provision of this chapter alters a right or duty; or
(2) a right or duty applicable to a driver operating a vehicle cannot by its nature apply to a person operating a bicycle.
(b) A parent of a child or a guardian of a ward may not knowingly permit the child or ward to violate this subtitle.

• Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 551:
  Operation of Bicycles and Mopeds, Golf Carts, and Other Low-Powered Vehicles
• Texas Transportation Code, All sections
  (Look for Title 7 – Vehicles and Traffic, Subtitle C: Rules of the Road)
• Austin Cycling Bylaws: Austin City Code, Chapter 12-2. Bicycles
• Austin’s Safe Passing / Vulnerable Road Users Ordinance

Additional resources

Here is what is explored in the course:

The course significantly exceeds the traffic skills training requirements for the national programs in United States and Canada:

• League of American Bicyclists’ ‘Smart Cycling’ program
• Cycling Canada’s ‘CAN-BIKE’ program

More than 1500 people have taken the classroom or online course to dismiss a traffic ticket. Many others have taken our Traffic Smarts course out of general interest, to gain a pedicab license, or to meet training requirements for their employers.

The Center for Cycling Education developed all applicable training materials and administers the course training.

With more than 20 years’ experience as an instructor, the primary course developer has been both a Master Instructor with the League of American Bicyclists and a National Examiner with the Canadian Cycling Association (now Cycling Canada). Others with these credentials, and numerous instructors with each program, helped develop and review the content and delivery.

* Unless dismissed via a Defensive Driving or Defensive Cycling course, all traffic citations received by many jurisdictions (including those received while riding a bike) are sent through to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) or equivalent state agency. Only citations received while driving a motor vehicle (moving violations) are supposed to be applied to one’s driving record. However, there are recorded instances where, through human error, a cycling ticket does end up on the record:

• Lack of notation on the ticket that the vehicle involved was a bicycle.
• Motor vehicle offense code entered on ticket instead of bicycle offense code.
• Improper processing of a bicycle-related citation at DPS as being a motor vehicle violation.