By Mail: To enter a plea of not guilty by mail, check the appropriate box on the back of the courtesy notice and mail it along with full payment of the fine, to the Traffic Division. The clerk will send the defendant and the officer, a notice of the trial date and time. The money paid by the defendant will be placed in trust pending the outcome of the trial. If the defendant is found guilty, the money will be forfeited in payment of the fine. If the defendant is found not guilty, the money will be refunded to the depositor in approximately 30 days.

If the defendant did not receive a courtesy notice, a plea of not guilty on an infraction charge may be entered by the defendant writing a letter to the court, stating his/her plea and request for trial. The letter must be signed by the defendant and received by the court on or before the due date.

In Person: To enter a plea of not guilty in person the defendant must come to the Traffic Division office, located at 463 Second Street, Room 115, Yuba City, CA, during regular business hours, and advise the clerk of his/her plea and request for trial.

If the defendant receives a citation for a misdemeanor that does not require a mandatory appearance, he/she may call or come into the Traffic Division office to schedule an arraignment. The clerk cannot set a court trial on a misdemeanor without a court appearance by the defendant. These types of arraignments are scheduled on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. The defendant must schedule his/her appearance for any Monday, no later than the prior Thursday at noon. At the arraignment the defendant may enter his/her plea of not guilty, at which time the judge will set a trial date and time.

The court does not hear pleas of guilty with an explanation, nor will judges reduce or dismiss citations without hearing both sides of the case. To schedule an arraignment by phone the Traffic Division may be reached at (530) 822-3303.