Fight Traffic Ticket in Kentucky

Know Your Options

What it Means to Fight Your KY Traffic Ticket

Fighting your traffic ticket means pleading not guilty and going to court to make your case. If you win, you won’t have to pay a traffic ticket fine and you won’t incur any penalties; if you lose, you have to pay everything and deal with penalties.

Before proceeding, you should be aware that by choosing to fight your KY traffic ticket, you’re also (in most cases) giving up the opportunity to plead to lesser penalties or attend traffic school to avoid point accumulation. Because of these risks, many drivers who choose to fight their citations also choose to hire traffic ticket lawyers.

Pleading Guilty or No Contest

Generally, pleading guilty means paying your ticket fines and court costs outright, and dealing with any related penalties (such as point accumulation). Sometimes, judges give drivers the option to enroll in traffic school to satisfy the ticket and avoid incurring points.

Head over to our Paying Your Traffic Ticket page to learn more about your options.

Avoid License Suspension

Your traffic ticket includes a court date and time in the “Court” section. If you can’t make that appointment, contact your court to ask about rescheduling.

Do this as soon as possible, because failure to respond to your traffic ticket on time sometimes results in license suspension.

Notify the Court

Locate the County Court

You can find the city and county in which you were ticketed on your citation in the section labeled “Date/Time.” Generally, the ticket also includes address information, but if you need to contact your court for directions or any information that might be missing from your ticket, visit your courthouse’s website.

Schedule Your Hearing

Most KY traffic tickets include court date and time information; again, this is in the section labeled “Date/Time.” For a driver who wants to contest a ticket, this is the date to show up and plead not guilty.

If your ticket doesn’t include this information, or you can’t make the date printed on your ticket, contact your court to ask about rescheduling.

Hire a Traffic Ticket Attorney

Some drivers don’t feel confident enough to contest their tickets before a judge and the officer who cited them; some drivers face criminal charges and their driving privileges―and sometimes freedom―are on the line.

Whatever the case, consider hiring a traffic ticket attorney to represent you. If that route suits your budget, find a lawyer well versed in Kentucky traffic laws who knows the drill when it comes to fighting tickets in court.

Prepare Your Case

You have from the day you decide to fight your ticket until the court date printed on your citation to prepare your case. Often, traffic ticket lawyers help drivers in this area.

Whether you’re planning your case yourself or with legal help, be sure to consider:

• Any evidence that helps prove your innocence.
• Witnesses who can testify about the situation.
• Your own testimony, and whether you plan to testify or let your lawyer talk on your behalf.

Plead Your Case Before a Judge or Jury

During your hearing, the judge will talk with you, the officer who cited you, and any witnesses either of you bring. After hearing testimony and viewing evidence, the judge will decide whether you’re guilty or not guilty.

Usually, drivers found not guilty can put the situation behind them; those found guilty, though, will need to pay their traffic ticket fines, court costs, and any other surcharges, as well as incur penalties like point accumulation or even license suspension or revocation.

Filing an Appeal

Your traffic ticket lawyer can file an appeal for you, but if you don’t have one, talk with the judge or clerk about the paperwork you need to complete to appeal your verdict.

Check Your Driving Record

Regardless of your verdict, it’s a good idea to check your driving record. Drivers found not guilty can make sure they don’t accumulate any points, and those who are found guilty can make sure their point accumulation hasn’t put them too close to license suspension.

Learn more about how the KY Point System can affect your driving privileges.

Shop for Better Auto Insurance Rates

Drivers who are found not guilty shouldn’t experience any changes in their current auto insurance rates, but those found guilty might see a rate increase the next time they renew their policies. To avoid these additional costs, talk with your agent about whether your traffic violation and any added points will affect your rates; if you find out it will, start comparing auto insurance rates online to find a better price.