Superior Court of Los Angeles County Launches Electronic Citations Program with Beverly Hills Police Department, Reducing Paper Traffic Citations
New eCitation Capability Streamlines Filing, Reduces Data Entry and Scanning, and Speeds Access to Citation Information for Defendants
The Superior Court of Los Angeles County has launched a new electronic citation (eCitations) program in partnership with the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) as part of an initial effort to allow law enforcement agencies to electronically transmit traffic citations directly to the Court.
Beginning Monday, Sept. 28, the Court began receiving traffic citations electronically from the Beverly Hills Police Department. The new capability reduces the need for BHPD and the Court to physically handle paper citations and eliminates related data entry and scanning currently required to digitize these court records. Importantly, it also ensures the citation appears much sooner in the Court’s online citation system than a paper citation, enabling users to act more quickly. In the paper citation system, it can take up to one month for law enforcement to file the citations with the Court. With eCitations, the Court typically receives the citation within 48 hours.
“The launch of eCitations marks a meaningful step forward in how citation information moves from law enforcement to the Court,” said Presiding Judge Sergio C. Tapia II. “By connecting the Beverly Hills Police Department’s records system directly with the Court’s case management system, we eliminate much of the manual data entry and scanning that once slowed this work, shorten processing times, and give defendants faster access to information about their cases. We are grateful to the Beverly Hills Police Department for its partnership in bringing this program to life, and we will continue to seek out ways that technology can help us serve the public more effectively.”
Direct Integration with Law Enforcement Records Systems
eCitations transmits citation information directly from the Beverly Hills Police Department’s records system to the Court’s case management system, reducing the need for Court staff to manually enter citation information and scan paper citations.
The new process is expected to reduce costs associated with paper handling, data entry, and scanning while also shortening the time from when a citation is filed with the Court to when it becomes available to defendants through the Court’s online services. Defendants can use the Court’s online services to access information about their citations and determine how to address them.
“The Beverly Hills Police Department has appreciated its continued partnership with the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in providing an electronic platform that improves citation efficiency and reduces costs,” said Chief Max Subin of the Beverly Hills Police Department.
The Court will evaluate opportunities to expand the eCitations program to additional law enforcement agencies based on this initial rollout with the Beverly Hills Police Department as it continues to modernize citation processing and reduce reliance on paper-based filing.
Continuing the Transition to Electronic Court Records
The new capability is part of the Court’s broader effort to leverage technology to streamline court operations, improve information sharing with law enforcement and justice partners, and enhance access to online traffic services.
The launch of eCitations builds on the Court’s recent expansion of traffic services through its CourtHelp application, an interactive online tool that allows court users to look up traffic citations, identify available options, and complete eligible traffic-related requests. CourtHelp also allows users to request notification when a citation is filed with the Court. By electronically transmitting citations directly from law enforcement agencies to the Court, eCitations supports the Court’s efforts to make citation information available through its online services more efficiently.
The Court previously announced the expansion of its electronic filing (efiling) capabilities with justice partners, including a Criminal efiling platform that allows select justice partners to securely submit court documents electronically. The Court’s recent pilot with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for out-of-custody felony cases builds on earlier efforts to electronically receive probation reports and is designed to replace paper-based filing processes.
The Court also recently launched its Court Access Portal, providing a unified online experience for accessing court information and services.
The launch of eCitations aligns with the Court’s 2025-28 Strategic Plan and supports new approaches to streamline court operations and enhance the court user experience.
You can view the full notice here.
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