Minnesota Traffic School can be the cheapest way to deal with a speeding ticket — in many states, completing a state-approved course may be limited, so check your court, which keeps your insurance from going up. This guide explains how minnesota traffic school works in plain English: whether Minnesota allows it, who qualifies, how often you can use it, the course requirements and state fee, and the exact court steps to request it. All information is general guidance, verified against Minnesota sources as of June 2026.
In This Minnesota Guide:
Minnesota Traffic School: The Key Facts
Here is how minnesota traffic school works for a speeding ticket at a glance:
| Dismissal / point reduction allowed? | NO — Minnesota has no statewide traffic school program for dismissing tickets or reducing points. Minnesota does not use a points system. Individual courts may allow a defensive driving course at the prosecutor’s discretion, but the primary mechanism is a Continuance for Dismissal (CFD), not traffic school. |
| What it does | Minnesota does not offer ticket dismissal or point reduction through a defensive driving course. The state has no point system — violations are simply recorded. The main alternative is a Continuance for Dismissal (CFD): you pay the fine, stay violation-free for one year, and the ticket is dismissed from your record. A defensive driving course primarily provides an insurance discount for drivers 55 and older (at least 10% reduction, mandated by MN Statute 65B.28). |
| How often you can use it | For a Continuance for Dismissal (CFD): determined by the individual court, typically once every 12 to 24 months — check with your county court. For the 55+ defensive driving insurance discount: the course may be retaken every 3 years to renew the discount. |
| Course length | 4 (reduced from 8 hours effective July 1, 2024, for the state-approved accident prevention / defensive driving course) |
| State / admin fee | UNVERIFIED — Minnesota does not charge a separate state or admin fee to elect traffic school because there is no statewide traffic school election process. For a Continuance for Dismissal, you pay the original fine amount plus prosecution costs. Course tuition for defensive driving is typically 20 to 40 through approved providers. |
Who Qualifies for Minnesota Traffic School?
For a Continuance for Dismissal (CFD): many drivers with a clean record for the prior 2 years may qualify; the prosecutor must agree; availability varies by county (more common in metro-area courts). For the 55+ insurance discount course: any licensed driver aged 55 or older. CDL holders should check with their court and employer, as commercial violations have separate rules. Eligibility is decided by the court, so check your citation and confirm before you enroll.
How to Request Minnesota Traffic School Step by Step
Minnesota does not have a formal traffic school election process. Instead, the primary option is a Continuance for Dismissal (CFD): (1) After receiving a speeding ticket, contact the court listed on your citation or request a hearing with a Hearing Officer (in some counties like Hennepin, this can be done by video/Zoom, walk-in, or appointment).
(2) At the hearing, the prosecutor reviews your driving record. (3) If you have a clean record (typically no violations in the prior 2 years), the prosecutor may offer a Continuance for Dismissal. (4) You pay the fine amount plus prosecution costs upfront.
(5) Your case is continued (suspended) for approximately one year. (6) If you receive no new moving violations during that year, the ticket is dismissed and does not appear as a conviction on your driving record. (7) If you do receive a new violation during that year, the original ticket is also entered as a conviction.
About 85% of people who meet with a Hearing Officer reach an agreement without needing a full court trial. Alternatively, you may negotiate a plea bargain to reduce the charge to a non-moving violation, or contest the ticket at trial.
Choosing a State-Approved Course in Minnesota
For the 55+ insurance discount, the defensive driving course must be approved by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) division. Approved providers include the Minnesota Safety Council and other DVS-licensed online or classroom programs. For any court-ordered course, check with your specific court about which courses they accept. MN Statutes 169.971 through 169.973 govern Driver Improvement Clinics and require the Commissioner of Public Safety to supervise curriculum and instruction standards.
Online traffic school is the most popular option because you can complete it at home at your own pace. Clearly-labeled course providers are offered as paid options; you can also use our traffic school eligibility checker to see whether Minnesota is likely to let you use it.
Does Minnesota Traffic School Help Your Insurance?
By keeping points off your record, minnesota traffic school can stop a speeding ticket from raising your premium in the first place.
Insurance benefit: Yes. Under MN Statute 65B.28, drivers aged 55 and older who complete an approved 4-hour accident prevention course are entitled to at least a 10% reduction on their private passenger automobile insurance premium.
The discount is valid for 3 years and may be renewed by retaking the course. For drivers under 55, there is no state-mandated discount, but some insurers voluntarily offer a safe driver discount for completing a defensive driving course — check with your specific insurer.
A ticket can raise your premium for years — compare cheaper car insurance at Car Cover Guide if your rate has already gone up.
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How Minnesota Traffic School Works
Traffic school — also called defensive driving or a driver-safety course — is a short class that, in many states, lets you keep a speeding ticket from hitting your record. Depending on Minnesota’s rules, completing an approved course can fully dismiss the ticket, reduce the points it adds, or mask the conviction from your insurer. The catch is that you usually have to ask the court for permission first, and you can only use it so often.
Most drivers take the course online because you can do it from home at your own pace, though some courts still allow in-person classes. The course covers traffic-safety basics and ends with a short quiz; once you pass, the provider issues a certificate that you submit to the court by its deadline. Because the rules, the fee, and the eligibility limits are set by Minnesota and sometimes by the individual court, always confirm the details with the court on your citation before you pay for a course.
Used correctly, Minnesota traffic school is often the cheapest way to protect both your license and your insurance rate.
Even where Minnesota traffic school does not fully dismiss a ticket, the point reduction alone is often worth the time, because fewer points means a lower chance of suspension and a better insurance rate. Confirm with your court that the specific course you choose is on the approved list before you pay for it.
What to Do About Your Minnesota Speeding Ticket
Once you have a Minnesota speeding ticket, you generally have three choices, and the right one depends on the points involved, your driving record, and your insurance:
- Pay it — the fastest option, but paying is an admission of guilt that adds points and can raise your premium for years.
- Fight it — contesting can get the ticket reduced or dismissed, especially if the officer does not appear or the evidence is weak. See how to fight a speeding ticket in Minnesota.
- Take traffic school — if you qualify, a state-approved course can keep points off your record. See the Minnesota traffic school guide.
Before deciding, it helps to know the full cost — use our speeding ticket cost calculator and the Minnesota points guide to see how close a ticket puts you to a suspension. There is no single right answer for everyone; the best choice depends on how many points the ticket adds, what your record looks like, and how much your insurance would rise.
Other Minnesota rules to know: Minnesota has NO point system — the state tracks violations by count rather than points. License suspension is triggered by 3 violations in 12 months (30-day suspension), 4 in 12 months (90-day suspension), or 5 in 12 months (1-year suspension). The Continuance for Dismissal (CFD) is the primary mechanism for keeping a ticket off your record and is far more commonly used than any defensive driving course.
CFD availability and terms vary significantly by county — metro-area courts (Hennepin, Ramsey) offer them more readily than rural courts.
The Minnesota DPS also operates a Driver Diversion Program (DDP) for drivers with outstanding citations and license reinstatement needs, which is separate from ticket dismissal. As of July 1, 2024, the required course length for the 55+ insurance discount was reduced from 8 hours to 4 hours. Course tuition fees are capped at the average cost as determined by the Commissioner of Public Safety.
Official Minnesota Sources & Resources
- Minnesota DMV: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvs
- Minnesota Courts: https://mncourts.gov/Help-Topics/Traffic-Issues.aspx
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: nhtsa.gov
- Cornell Legal Information Institute: law.cornell.edu/wex
Statute reference: MN Stat. 169.971–169.973 (Driver Improvement Clinics); MN Stat. 65B.28 (insurance discount for 55+ completing approved course); MN Stat. 171.20 (license reinstatement may require driver improvement course)
This Minnesota traffic school guide was last verified against official sources in June 2026. Always confirm eligibility and deadlines with the court listed on your citation.
More Minnesota Traffic Ticket Guides
- Minnesota Speeding Ticket Cost
- Minnesota Driving Points & Suspension
- How to Fight a Speeding Ticket in Minnesota
- Speeding Ticket Cost Calculator
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Disclaimer: This guide is informational only and is not legal advice. Fines, points, and procedures are estimates for general guidance and change when state laws change. Always verify the exact amount and process with your state DMV or the court listed on your citation, and consult a licensed traffic attorney in your state for advice on your specific situation.