Collections
General Information About Collections
The Collections Department is available in person or by phone Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. If you are unable to pay your balance in full, please contact us to determine if your case is eligible for a payment arrangement. Failure to resolve your delinquent account with us will result in possible wage garnishment, bank levies and tax intercept.
How can I pay?
You may pay by cash, check, cashier’s check, money order or by credit card. Payments can be made in person, by mail or by phone.
Visalia - County Civil Center
221 South Mooney Blvd.
Ground Floor – Room G28
Visalia, CA 93291
559-734-5440
Porterville - South County Justice Center
300 E Olive Ave,
Porterville, CA 93257
559-734-5440
Mailing Address
Attn: Court Collections
221 South Mooney Blvd., Room G28
Visalia, CA 93291
Pre-Collections
Failure to Appear Notice
The Traffic and Criminal Filings departments will mail a Failure to Appear (FTA) notice when a defendant has failed to appear as promised by the signature at the bottom of the citation. When the defendant receives a Failure to Appear notice, they must contact the originating court in order to pay the Bail Forfeiture amount in full or to request payment arrangements. If the defendant does not respond to the FTA notice within 20 days the case will be forwarded to the Traffic Commissioner to hold a Trial in Absentia, which may result in the case being referred to the court collection department.
Failure to Pay Notice
The Traffic and Criminal Filings departments will mail a Failure to Pay (FTP) notice when a defendant does not comply with a court agreement such as a payment plan. When the defendant receives a Failure to Pay Notice, they must contact the originating court in order to pay the fine in full or bring the original court order current. If the defendant does not respond to the FTP notice within 20 days, the case will be referred to the court collection department.
Cases Referred To The Collection Department
Not responding to the original delinquent notice within the stated time will result in the case being referred to the Court Collections department, . Once a case is referred to Court Collections the fine must be paid in full. If the defendant is unable to pay the fine in full, the defendant can request payment arrangements of $150.00 per month. Payment arrangements can be made over the phone, or at the counter in the Court Collections department in either Visalia or Porterville. If requested by phone, paperwork can be mailed or emailed to the defendant. The paperwork must be returned to the court within 10 days, along with the first payment.
Unsigned Citations
Once an unsigned citation falls delinquent, a certified letter is mailed notifying the defendant of the delinquency. For unsigned citations resulting from a traffic accident, the defendant is given 15 calendar days from the date of the notice to provide proof of correction and/or to pay the bail forfeiture amount. For owner responsibility citations, the defendant is given 10 calendar days from the date of the notice to provide proof of correction and/or to pay the bail forfeiture amount in full.
Failure to comply within the time frames specified above will result in the original bail amount payable in full; proof of correction will no longer be accepted. If payment in full is not received, a Failure to Appear (FTA) notice will be mailed. If the defendant does not respond to the originating court within 20 days of the FTA notice being mailed, the cases will be referred to the Court Collections department.
Making Payments
When making payments, please have your case number with you. If you do not know your case number, you will need to provide the name on the case, date of birth, social security number, current address, phone number, and as much information about the citation as possible to help us locate the correct case.
Low Monthly Payment Consideration
Click below to apply for a reduction in fine.
Failure To Comply
Failure to contact the Court Collection department to resolve the case balance will result in the case being referred to the State Franchise Tax Board or to the court's private collection agency in an attempt to initiate wage garnishments, bank levies and tax return intercepts.
Franchise Tax Board- (916)845-4064
Why is Ventura Superior Court contacting me in regards to my case?
Some of our delinquent cases are referred to Ventura Superior court for further collection attempts. If you receive a call from a Ventura Superior Court collector, please work with them directly to resolve the matter.
Ventura Superior Court - (805) 477-1083