State laws differ but normally each state has set a time limit in which you must take your traffic school course and submit a completion certificate to the courts if you are trying to keep a ticket and the associated points off your driving record.

There are some states that allow you to take a driver improvement class in order to take points off your record that have already been placed on it. This type of course you can usually take at any time.

If you are taking the course to keep a ticket off your license then the time period is usually set by the state or perhaps the jurisdiction in which you received the ticket.

For example in California if the court has granted your request to take traffic school for a ticket you will usually have sixty (60) days to complete the course though we have read that some jurisdictions within CA may allow more time. Your completion certificate will need to be sent to the court. In some instances CA traffic schools will do this electronically. Upon the court receiving proof of such completion, your case should be dismissed and the violation will not appear on your driving record.

Another example is Florida where the FL HSMV state that within 30 days from the date you received the traffic citation and prior to attending class, you must: inform the Clerk of Court in the county where you received the citation that you want to go to traffic school, and pay an election fee to the Clerk of Court in the county where you received the citation.

You may contact the traffic school of your choice to register for class. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must approve the course. You are required to choose one of the three options within 30 days of receiving the citation. When you choose the Traffic School Option, you must attend and successfully complete the 4 hour traffic ticket class within 60 days of your citation date normally. However some Florida Counties permit 90 days so you would have to check with the county clerk.

For example Orange County, Florida County Clerk notes that upon payment of your traffic ticket, your case will be updated for 90 straight calendar days, not 3 months. Within the 90 days, you will need to contact a school of your choice, complete the 4 hour course and return your completion form to the clerk’s office. Failure to complete the school and return proof within 90 straight calendar days of the date you made your election could result in suspension of your privileges, points being assessed, and assessment of additional penalties and late fees.

If you want to take a class for point reduction then depending upon state laws then you may be able to take the course at any time. In New York there is a driving course that you can take at any time to reduce your point total by four (4).

In NYS even after you complete the course, most violations, conviction and points assessed will continue to show on your driving record for up to four years though. Violations and convictions involving drugs or alcohol will remain on your driving record for ten years. "Point reduction" means the DMV will not count up to four points on your driving record toward license revocation or suspension.

To find out about the traffic school in your state and rules regarding how often you can take it, the benefits and if the course must be completed within a set amount of time contact your Department of Motor Vehicles or if there is a ticket you want to get rid of then the court listed on the citation.