Texas Traffic Ticket
84
What to do when you get a Traffic Ticket in Texas
Getting a traffic ticket in Texas can be confusing for anyone. While police officers are trained to explain the steps for handling your ticket, the shock value of actually receiving it may hinder your ability to later recall the steps the officer relayed outside of your vehicle.
Texas also has many courts at the county and municipal levels that tend to be the source of confusion for many people.
The steps below will help you determine which court you should go to, how to fight your ticket, pay your fine, or request a defensive driving school to have the ticket dismissed.
Resolving your Texas Traffic Ticket
Upon receiving a Texas traffic ticket, you have several options. You may plead "Not Guilty" in which case a hearing date will be set. You may plead "Guilty" and pay your fine, or you may plead "Nolo Contendere" which means you don't admit guilt but the case will be handled the same as a guilty plea.
In order to have your traffic ticket dismissed, you must request permission from the court by filling out a form. Depending on the court, you will have a certain time limit in which to submit the request.
Helpful Texas Traffic Ticket Links
Texas Courts for Traffic Tickets
If you receive a ticket from the Texas Department of Public Safety (Highway Patrol), a county sheriff, or a county constable, your ticket will normally fall under the jurisdiction of the Justice of the Peace Court in the county where you received your ticket.
Large counties may have numerous Justice of the Peace precinct courts and the precinct court handling your ticket will normally depend on the precinct of the law enforcement agency that issued the ticket.
If you receive your ticket from a municipal or city police department, your ticket will be handled by the Municipal Court in that city or town.
Do you qualify for Point Dismissal with a Defensive Driving Course?
Texas allows one ticket in a 12 month period to be dismissed if the driver attends an approved Defensive Driving Course with certain exceptions:
- You must not possess a commercial drivers license (CDL).
- You must admit guilt and sign a statement that you do not contest the ticket.
- If cited for speeding, you must not have been speeding more than 25 mph over the posted speed limit.
You must receive permission from the court to attend the Texas Defensive Driving course in order to have the points dismissed so make sure you contact the court prior to registering for the course. The court having jurisdiction over your ticket may require a fee to take the course and a fee to obtain a copy of your driving record in addition to the cost of the course itself.
CommentsLoading...
Good article...I would add that even if the driver has received a Texas traffic ticket within the last 12 months there are other options that may be available to keep the ticket off a driver's record.
I recall that there is a unique loophole in Texas that increases your chances of beating a speeding ticket. Do you know what that loophole is? It would be really helpful if you could write another hub with that information. I live in California and in California there is a law made in the 1980s that allows you to beat your speeding ticket if the cop didn't calibrate his/her radar gun in a set period of time.
Cool hub, glad to see that we wrote an article on similar subjects regarding tickets. Its nice to have a plethora of information to help citizens defend themselves
This is a good ebook to get out of speeding ticket(s). I've managed to get out of one so far..........obviously the answer is not to speed though!!
Great hub! Been looking for this information for ages! :D
Can any one tell me about 2011 new laws for cdl drivers?
The easiest online traffic citation dismissal ddc course is at http://www.gentlysdriving.com/affiliates/jrox.php?
I took mine at www.texasdsc.com and it was long but easy. Just $25 total. If you need the course to lower your insurance cost it's just $20.
Try http://www.texasddc.com Too easy and its just $25 also. Piece of cake.
This one is defensive driving online for fixing Texas tickets but I think they do all states also http://www.texasddc.com
pay traffic ticket
In tx do you have to pay the ticket if you do traffic school?
What if you took a driving course in one county for a ticket from a local police officer (CCPD) where I took a Driving Safety Course and recieved a ticket 3 months later in a different county from a State Trooper am I eligable to take a Driving course again?
i would love to pay traffic tickets..
let's be honest. texis is a shithole that we should probably give back to mexico
Looks like Erik is tryin to troll us.
Texas is a great state but I do believe cops shouldn't be used for fundraising state revenues. That is what all our taxes are for!
I moved to Houston in 1978 resident still here never gotten a ticket until last week asshole officer could have given me a warning. I was speed over the 10 miles she state maybe 4 she just need to makeup turn in something to show she was on duty that day. I was actual sitting at the red light when she told me to pull over. The system sucks...
I meant I was not coming over the 10 miles she said I was going over, I'm upset about this I know I was going perhaps 4 miles over the speed limit.
johnb0127 2 years ago
Great hub! I love living in Texas and will stay here. I am very lucky though because I have not gotten a ticket! HAha