TEU - Frequently Asked Questions
Why does it take so long for my traffic complaint to be addressed?
Traffic complaints are addressed through the School and Neighborhood Enforcement program (SNE); click here for information and details on the program. Enforcement operations are based on the number of complaints the Traffic Enforcement Unit receives, and the danger the conditions create for the residents and the schools. We rotate our enforcement on a quarterly basis, and we encourage you and your neighbors to continue to lodge your requests.
If your requests qualify your neighborhood to be part of our SNE program, one of our Unit's enforcement teams will focus their efforts in your neighborhood, for a period of three months, to address the situation. Please refer to the Neighborhood Enforcement map on the TEU website periodically for the updated School and Neighborhood Enforcement zones.
The TEU also concentrates its enforcement efforts on the eighteen highest crash locations in the city. These efforts have proven to be successful in reducing collisions at these locations. Click on the link to see the locations of these high crash areas. Lower priority complaints in areas with low crash rates are handled as staffing and time allow.
What occurs after I receive a citation?
You should receive a courtesy notice, via the mail, from the Santa Clara County Traffic Court prior to the appearance date written on the bottom of the citation. If you have not received a notice at least one week prior to your appearance date, you may either call the traffic court at 408-556-3000 or appear on the date listed on the bottom of the citation. Appearance dates are generally 45 to 60 days after the date the citation was issued.
The address for the San Jose branch of the Santa Clara County Traffic Court is:
1095 Homestead Road, Santa Clara, CA, 95050. http://www.sccsuperiorcourt.org/contact/contacts_traffic.htm
What can I do if I observe a traffic violation?
If it is a chronic problem occurring in the city of San Jose that involves speeding, stop sign violations, or pedestrian right-of-way violations, etc., please complete an on-line request for enforcement form.
If you observe a one-time violation, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has a program that allows you to contact the CHP and provide the violator’s information, license plate number, vehicle description and violation observed. The CHP will send the registered owner an advisory letter regarding the incident. Call 1-800-TELL-CHP (835-5247). Keep in mind the CHP only patrols freeways and county highways / roadways. They may not respond to traffic violations that are observed on city streets. Letters are sent to violators at the discretion of the local CHP area watch commander.
The San Jose Police Department and Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office do not have any similar programs; however, if you would like to report a single, non-emergency incident in the City of San Jose, you may call 3-1-1 or (408) 277-8900. The incident will be reported to officers working in the area where the incident occurred so they can be on the lookout for the vehicle.
How do I report littering from a vehicle?
To report litter coming from a vehicle in the city of San Jose, you may call the Vehicle Littering Hotline, 408-277-4111. Please be prepared to provide the following: license plate number, make of vehicle, type of vehicle – such as sedan, convertible, pick-up, and vehicle color. Also, specify if it is litter being thrown from a vehicle or blowing out of a vehicle. An advisory letter will be sent to the registered owner of the vehicle. If you would like to report an illegal dumping site, please call the Silicon Valley Anti-Litter Campaign, 408-277-3208.
How do I apply for speed bumps, stop signs, or to change the speed limit on my street?
Any request to have physical changes made to a roadway — such as the addition of speed bumps/humps, stop signs, or a change in the speed limit — must be requested through the city of San Jose’s Department of Transportation (DOT). Before any alterations will be made, certain criteria must be met, and evaluations and surveys need to be performed by traffic engineers. Please follow the link to the DOT’s website for more information — http://www.sanjoseca.gov/transportation/. DOT also has many suggestions and solutions for such issues. To view some of these helpful ideas, refer to their Traffic Calming page.
Can I put after-market tinting on the windows of my vehicle?
The main requirements for legal window tinting in California are:
- The windshield and front driver's side and passenger's side windows cannot receive any aftermarket tinting.
- If the rear window of a vehicle is tinted, the vehicle must have outside rearview mirrors on both sides.
The law prohibits any person from driving any motor vehicle with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied upon the windshield or side or rear windows, with certain limited exceptions.
However, legislation signed into law effective January 1, 1999, exempts from the above prohibition specified clear, colorless, and transparent material that is installed, affixed, or applied to the front driver and passenger side windows for the specific purpose of reducing ultraviolet rays. If, as, or when this material becomes torn, bubbled or otherwise worn, it must be removed or replaced.