Paying Your Traffic Ticket

Georgia is tough with traffic offenders. If you are ticketed, you cannot attend traffic school in hopes of reducing the number of points assigned to your license or stripping the ticket from your driving record.

Hang onto the citation the officer gives to you―it has all the information you need to resolve your ticket. A date will be written by the officer somewhere on the ticket (sometimes at the bottom, sometimes near the top). This is the date of your first court appearance.

If you wish to avoid going to court by pleading guilty and paying the fine on the ticket, do so at least two weeks before the court date indicated. This will give the courts time to process your payment―and give you time to follow up to be sure your account was credited. If you are late with your payment and fail to show up in court, additional hefty fines will be imposed, your license could be suspended, and a warrant could be issued for your arrest.

Also on this ticket will be the offense(s) you are charged with. Most times, the citation will also include the fine you must pay. If the amount is not on the ticket, call the court clerk in the county where you received the ticket, and they will give you an amount. You'll need to wait a week to 10 days after getting the ticket though; it will take about that long for the ticket to be processed and show up in the system.

For more information about paying your ticket, contact the county clerk where your ticket was issued.

Paying Your Ticket Online

Some Georgia counties are now allowing you to pay your traffic fines online; most also charge a small fee for this service. If you can pay online in your county, be sure to check deadlines. Most payments must be received at least two days before your scheduled court date, to allow for processing time.

You will also need to pay the ticket in full if you remit online. Partial payments are not accepted unless arranged by the judge on court day.

Once you make a payment online, you'll receive a confirmation number with which to track your payment and ticket. You'll also be sent an e-mail with your payment confirmation number.

Expensive Ticket Alert

For the safety of emergency, road works, and law enforcement personnel operating on the side of the road, Georgia has enacted the "Move Over Law." This legislation requires you to move over one lane when approaching emergency vehicles with flashing lights. If you fail to do so, the fine is a whopping $500. If you are in heavy traffic and cannot move over, you must slow down and be prepared to stop.