Paying Your Traffic Ticket

General Information

Minnesota mandates that traffic tickets issued by law enforcement agencies in the state are uniform, and contain the same elements regarding:

• Court appearance requirements

• Fines for pleading guilty and paying

• Notice that failure to appear means a guilty plea for petty misdemeanors

By law, Minnesota's traffic tickets must include the same basic components, which are as follows:

• Complaint

• This consists of the actual citation or violation, and provides space for arresting officer's notes on the reverse side. Other information that may be included in this space, which is on white paper, are the driver's record or court action.

• Court record for Minnesota Department of Public Safety

• This is a yellow paper copy of the complaint that includes a certificate of conviction on the reverse side.

• Police record

• This is a pink copy of the citation for law enforcement.

• Court summons

• This is an off-white copy of the citation for the Traffic Violations Bureau that includes a plea of guilty and waiver of right to trial option.

Minnesota's traffic tickets must be printed on sensitized paper that allows for copies without the need for carbon paper.

Traffic tickets in Minnesota must be paid if pleading guilty, and failure to pay may result in additional fines, or suspension or revocation of your Minnesota driver's license.

Motorists who wish to plead not guilty, or to seek payment alternatives such as traffic school, must appear in court.

Payment Information

Payments are usually made through the district court in the county where you received the ticket. Some courts allow you to pay online, while you will have to pay others in person or by mail.

For out-of-state drivers who get a citation in Minnesota, the law provides for those motorists to pay their tickets on the spot using a credit card.