Generally, you can go to traffic school if:
You have a valid driver's license,
The offense occurred while driving a noncommercial vehicle, and
Your ticket is for an infraction that is a moving violation.

If the court sends a courtesy notice, it will say if you are eligible for traffic school.

If you have a noncommercial driver’s license and the court permits you to attend traffic school for an eligible offense, after completion of the course a confidential conviction will be recorded on your driving record at the DMV, but you will not receive a point on your driving record. The court may approve traffic school for a driver with a commercial driver’s license if the eligible offense occurred in a noncommercial vehicle. After completion of an approved program by a driver with a commercial driver’s license, a conviction will appear on the driving record at the DMV, but a point will not appear for the offense.

Notice: If you are eligible and decide not to attend traffic school, your automobile insurance may be adversely affected.
You can print a list of DMV-approved traffic schools on the DMV website.
You CANNOT go to traffic school for:
Equipment offenses
Non-moving offenses (like parking offenses)
Misdemeanors
Offenses with a mandatory court appearance
Alcohol-related offenses
Offenses in a commercial vehicle

You are also NOT eligible for traffic school if you have gone to traffic school for another ticket that you got in the last 18 months.

There are other reasons you may not be eligible for traffic school. For more information on eligibility for traffic school, see the California Rules of Court, rule 4.104.

Talk to a lawyer if the court says you are not eligible for traffic school but you believe you should be.
NOTE: Make sure that the court approves attendance of traffic school before signing up!
What happens if you choose traffic school

In general, if the court lets you go to traffic school for an eligible offense and you complete the course by the due date, you should not get any points on your driving record. If you have a noncommercial license, a confidential conviction will appear on your driving record. If you have a commercial driver’s license, a conviction will appear on your driving record.

If you agree to go to traffic school, you will have to pay the court an administrative fee. You will also have to pay the traffic school a fee.

If you decide to go to traffic school without going to court, you have to request permission from the court by the due date on your traffic ticket.

If the clerk or judge says you can go to traffic school, he or she will also give you a deadline for you to finish traffic school.

Once you are finished with traffic school, the traffic school will notify the DMV and the court of your completion of the course.