Misdemeanor Ticket for Driving with Learners Permit in California

[devibalaraman83]

...

[cdwjava]

Got a misdemeanor ticket for driving in California with Learners Permit. Asked to appear in court within 60 days. As it is the first time need some clarifications.

So, you received a misdemeanor citation for VC 12500(a) (unlicensed driver)?

Are you an adult or a minor?

If only driving on a permit, you're lucky your vehicle was not towed (and held for up to 30 days and $2,000-$3,000 in impound and storage fees).

I was practicing car driving near my apartment when the cop asked to pull over the car as one of the brake lights was not working and then when checked for DL I had only the learners permit. Hence issued the ticket. So do I need to get a Driving license before appearing in the court; will that be the safest one? Or I can go and say that I am yet to get the DL ?

The good news is that these are generally charged as infractions - one that is most often permitted to be correctable. What that means is that if you can get a valid license prior to the court date, the court may allow you to pay only a $25 fee as opposed to a hefty penalty for the offense.

Also, do I need to wait till I get the citation through mail ? Or I can go to the court before getting the citation ?

Through the mail? Weren't you issued a citation at the scene? Or, are you a juvenile and released to a responsible adult? Too many officers inform people they cited that they "WILL" receive a "courtesy notice" in the mail with information on how to take care of the offense (CHP is most notorious for this). But, a "courtesy notice" is NOT a legal requirement! The citation the officer issues to you at the scene IS! If you have a cite with a court date, then you need to take care of the matter on or before that court date. Generally, only juvenile cases do NOT have a court date as they require contact from Juvenile Probation at a later date.

Do I need to consult an attorney to appear in the court ?

If charged with a misdemeanor, certainly. If charged as an infraction, it's up to you, but an attorney cannot generally help much beside assisting you with navigating the process.