Individuals feeling disheartened by looming debt from traffic tickets have reason to smile because of an expanded amnesty program.

Superior courts in all of California’s 58 counties are offering a limited-time amnesty program for certain types of traffic offenses. The program will give individuals a 50 to 80 percent discount off the fine for the traffic offense.

The program is extended to traffic tickets that were issued on or before Jan. 1, 2013. Parking tickets, driving under the influence citations and reckless driving tickets are not eligible for the amnesty program. The program will end March 31, 2017.

To qualify for the 50 percent discount, all of the following conditions must be met: In Failure to Appear cases, the case has to currently be at a failure-to-appear status and the appearance date was on or before Jan. 1, 2013. In Failure to Pay cases, the due date was on or before Jan. 1, 2013; the last payment was made on or before Sept. 30, 2015; there are no current payments being made on the ticket to a collection agency; there is no restitution owed to a victim on any case within the county where the traffic case was filed; and there are no outstanding misdemeanor or felony warrants within the county where the traffic case was filed. Other eligibility requirements may vary from county to county.

To qualify for the 80% percent discount, all of the following conditions must also be met: The individual must meet all 50 percent discount conditions and certify under penalty of perjury that monthly income is 125 percent less than the current federal poverty guidelines and receipt of specified public benefits.

Stanislaus County Superior Court will conduct the amnesty program business at the Traffic Division at 2260 Floyd Ave. in Modesto. The Traffic Division window will be open for the amnesty program from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and 8 a.m. to noon Fridays.

All applicants to the amnesty program will have to pay a $50 program fee.

Amnesty Participation Program information is available on the Court’s website at http://www.stanct.org/traffic-amnesty-program.  The Amnesty Participation Application form is also available on the Court’s website under Traffic Forms, http://www.stanct.org/forms/7.  Forms are also available only during amnesty program business hours at the Traffic Division.