Pay Traffic Ticket in Alabama

Know Your Options

What It Means to Pay Your AL Traffic Ticket

Pleading guilty means paying your traffic ticket fine and any related court costs and fees, as well as accepting any applicable penalties.

When you plead guilty:

• You can pay your ticket fine online or by mail, unless your traffic ticket states you must make a court appearance.
• Your judge might allow you to plead to a lesser offense, with lesser penalties.
• Your judge might allow you to enroll in driving school to get the ticket dismissed.
• You’ll incur points on your driving record which, depending on the violation and your current driving record, could lead to license suspension or revocation. (Our sections on Alabama’s vehicle code and point system provide further details.)
• You could experience an increase in auto insurance rates.

Alabama handles traffic tickets on a county basis, which means you’ll pay online via your county’s online payment system (see below), by mail using the address and payment method provided on your ticket, or in person at the traffic court address listed on your ticket.

Even if all you want to do is pay your ticket and move on, most counties require you to appear in court on the hearing date printed on your ticket if:

• Your violation isn’t marked on the ticket.
• You’ve been convicted of two violations in the last 12 months.

Check your ticket for this information.

NOTE: Drivers younger than 21―especially those in the GDL program―will follow basically the same procedures; however, they face different penalties than drivers 21 and older, depending on the violation. Learn more at our Ticket Fines & Penalties section.

You must respond to your ticket either by paying the fine before the hearing date printed on your ticket OR by appearing in traffic court on your hearing date. If you fail to do either of these, a warrant will be issued and your license could be suspended.

Most AL traffic tickets include a hearing date, but if yours doesn’t, contact your traffic court for a date.

Plead Guilty as a AL CDL Driver

Overall, CDL holders plead guilty and pay their fines, or plead not guilty and fight their tickets, in much the same way other drivers do; however, CDL holders must notify their employers within 30 days of receiving citations, and any CDL holder who receives an out-of-state citation must notify the DPS within 30 days, too.

Also, CDL holders face harsher penalties than regular drivers. For example, second offenses for certain violations bring lifetime CDL revocations.

For more information refer to Section One of the Alabama Commercial Driver License Handbook.

Plead Not Guilty

Note that you don’t have to plead guilty; you can plead not guilty and fight your traffic ticket in court. This is just one reason most AL traffic tickets already include hearing dates.

To learn more about contesting your ticket―including how to prepare for court and why a traffic ticket attorney can benefit you―visit Fighting Your Traffic Ticket.

Pay Your Alabama Traffic Ticket Online

Through the Alabama Traffic Service Center (ATSC) and the Alabama Judicial System’s Alapay, Alabama has a statewide system in place for drivers to pay their traffic tickets online. Simply visit the center, find your county (or the county in which you were ticketed), follow the instructions for paying online.

Note that you will have to pay a convenience fee for paying online through the ATSC. Also, you’ll need your traffic ticket so you can enter certain bits of information. Check our section on lost AL traffic tickets if you’ve misplaced your citation.

Determine Where You Got Your AL Traffic Ticket

Your AL traffic ticket should have the county name printed on it; at the very least, it will include a phone number for more information. Either visit the county website or call the number on the ticket.

Visit our section on lost AL traffic tickets.

Visit the Proper AL County Website

Each state has its own traffic ticket-related section on the Alabama Traffic Service Center website. Choose your county, and then select the option from the menu that best describes your needs (the option to pay online, or the option that describes the various payment methods).

Remember, if you’re required to appear in court, the only payment option available to you is paying in person.

Pay Your AL Traffic Ticket

If you can’t pay your ticket online (see above), you might pay in person, by mail, or over the phone. Payment methods vary (for example, most counties allow money orders and cashier’s checks; not all accept credit cards), so be sure to check your ticket for payment information and contact your traffic court before heading out or preparing your mail-in payment.

Driving School and Ticket Dismissal

Many drivers are allowed to enroll in a state-approved driving school for ticket dismissal. To request this option, you must appear in court on the date printed on your ticket or the date you’re given when you contact your court. Refer to our Ticket Dismissal section

NOTE: Points remain on your driving record always, but once two years have passed since the violation, the DPS doesn’t count them toward license suspension.

Check Your Driving Record

Regardless of your eventual procedure (plead guilty and pay the fine, or enroll in driving school and have the ticket dismissed), be sure to check your driving record so you can make sure:

• You didn’t accumulate any more points than you were supposed to.
• Your violation really was dismissed and doesn’t show on your record.

Shop for Better Auto Insurance Rates

Generally, anyone given the chance to enroll in driving school to have their ticket dismissed won’t experience an increase in auto insurance rates; however, those who plead guilty and pay their fines without a driving school option might end up paying higher premiums the next time they renew their policies.

For these drivers, comparing insurance quotes online is the first step to finding more affordable rates.