I got pulled over for U turn and no license in san fernando valley CA< near CSUN?

here is my situation, i overstayed my tourist visa, and i dont have a california drivers license, but i did get an international drivers license which was bassed on the the license from my native country, so when the officer pulled me over for U turn violation, he told me that international drivers license isnt valid in california so he gave me a citation for driving without license and U turn, and i have to go to court for the 1st one, so im wondering now, what am i facing for this, and i do not have a california residency yet, thats the reason im using the international license, would they arrest me at the courthouse, because i dont have legal CA status yet? because my immigration status is getting dragged im having trouble gaining CA residency
Thank You all in advance for your comments

First, an "international drivers license" is meaningless. The only function they can sometimes serve is translating a foreign drivers license which is not in English, but they are not a license to drive. What you need to have with you is a drivers license from your country of residence.

That said, I believe the citing officer may have been in error. The question is whether you are a California resident, which means whether you are domiciled here, or your true, fixed, and permanent home is somewhere else. If you are not a California resident, and you have in your immediate possession a valid drivers license issued by the foreign jurisdiction where you are a resident, you are not violating the law. (Veh C sec 12502(a)(1).) (If you did not have the foreign license with you, that is a less serious offense which will probably be dismissed if you bring the license to court.)

I find no statute which says that your ability to drive with a foreign license if you are a foreign resident is in any way changed if your status in the U.S. becomes unlawful.

If you ARE a California resident (and you can be a California resident even though not legally in the country), then you were driving unlawfully, and probably have been for some time. However, you will not be able to get a CA drivers license until your status in the U.S. is legalized.

Driving without a license (rather than being licensed but failing to have the document in your possession) can be filed as a misdemeanor, but is commonly filed as an infraction.

I think your best bet is really to tell the truth, admit to a U-Turn violation but plead non-guilty to the drivers-licence violation. INTLicense SHOULD not have an expiry. But..when all else fails call a professional lawyer, or call the police and ask...and buy a ticket home and show them that your planning on returning.

driving w/out a licence is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 1yr. but they wont jail you just for that, you must show up in court or you'll get a bench warrent, and that will stop your visa/passport, cause then you'll be a fugitive,
you can show proof of the national lic.
I dont know why they cited you for that, i dont know the laws on that, but, for a first offence, driving w/no licence, you should get a heavty fine, maybe community service, which is where you work off the fine., and maybe informal probation for 1yr,
sometimes the judge will give you a continuance to give you time to get your calif. lic...this can reduce the charge allot.
hopefully you had some form of insurance for your car
I dont think they'll jail you, and they should give you extra time to pay the fine's,

the u turn is a minor infraction, and will probably cost about 200-300 more in fines.
what ever you do Dont fight the case, It will cost you way more if you lose, just plead guilty, and take the fine,

ask for a reduction from misdemeanor to an infraction, they might do it..
the courts are not in the habit of jailing people for small mistakes, they will make you pay lots of money.
Make sure you show up, on time. take off all metal items, you will be searched at the entrance of the court, everyone is searched.

just for kicks look up the california vehicle code, on your computer, use the violation number on the ticket, there should be two numbers one for each violation,,not the docket number, or ticket number,,it'll say something like

v.c. 44493.b or somthing like that
if the number is a p.c. number then look up the california penal code, and that number
it should have some literature about international/visitor licences...read it
I think you can have a international lic. in calif. but there are particulars to the law.
read up,, it may help you in court.