Situation #1 – If the enforcement agency (the issuing officer) is the CHP, then:

• 25% to the county in which the prosecution is conducted,
• 25% to the prosecuting agency, and
• 50% to the air quality management district or air pollution control district in which the infraction occurred.

Situation #2 – If the enforcement agency is not the CHP, then:

• 15% to the county in which the prosecution is conducted,
• 10% to the prosecuting agency,
• 25% to the enforcement agency, and
• 50% to the air quality management district or air pollution control district in which the infraction occurred.

If no prosecuting agency is involved, the revenues that would otherwise be allocated to the prosecuting agency is allocated to the air quality management district or air pollution control district in which the infraction occurred. What is the air quality or air pollution office supposed to do with the money? They use it for programs that regulate and control vehicle emissions.

Let’s break this down into more concrete terms. If you are pulled over by a CHP officer and slapped with an average $300 fine, this is where it goes:

• $75 goes to San Diego County,
• $75 goes to the prosecuting agency, and
• $150 goes to the district’s air quality management office.

Taking the same $300 fine, only this time a local SDPD officer or Sheriff gives it to you, here is its breakdown:

• $45 goes to San Diego County,
• $30 goes to the prosecuting agency,
• $75 goes to the SDPD, and
• $150 goes to the district’s air quality management office.

No matter how you slice it, the money doesn’t go back into repairing roads or improving traffic flow. It pads the pockets of the various organizations.

Beyond this statute, nothing dictates how the various organizations must spend this money. It isn’t inconceivable then to understand why so many tickets are being issued. With funding no longer available to local law enforcement, and given the fact that local law enforcement derives significant revenue from traffic citations, they give more citations. In fact, law enforcement is even willing to skirt the laws and give tickets whenever they please.

Ultimately, YOU are taxed.

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