Pay Traffic Ticket in Mississippi

Know Your Options

What it Means to Pay Your MS Traffic Ticket

Paying your traffic ticket is an admission of guilt. This means:

• You have agreed to waive your right to a trial before a judge.
• The violation appears on your driving record, which could, depending on your line of work, jeopardize your job status.
• The violation appears on your driving record, causing an increase in your car insurance premiums.

Pleading Guilty as a Mississippi CDL Driver

After being convicted of a traffic violation, you must notify your employer within 30 days. This applies to all vehicles in all driving situations, regardless if it occurred in or out of state.

Pleading Not Guilty

If you feel you were ticketed in error, you possess the option to fight the ticket by pleading not guilty. This requires time and effort (court appearances, building a defense, possibly hiring a traffic ticket attorney), but may pay off with reduced charges or even a dismissed ticket. Learn more in our Fighting Your traffic Ticket section.

Submit Your Plea on Time

Every ticket posts a due date in which you must enter your plea by. In most instances you will be given 30 days to respond. You must enter a plea before this date expires to avoid additional fines, possible license suspension and even a bench warrant for your arrest.

Pay Your MS Traffic Ticket

After being cited, call the court listed on your MS traffic ticket for the fine amount. If the court has no record of your citation it probably means it has yet to be filed into the court's database. Wait at least seven days from the date of the citation before calling.

If you cannot find your citation, learn what to do on our Lost Traffic Tickets page.

Pay Online

Some courts may offer online payment. This information will be explained, if available, on your Mississippi traffic ticket. In most instances you will need your citation number to pay online.

Pay in Person

Bring citation and payment to the court listed on your ticket. Accepted forms of payment vary. Some courts, for instance, will not accept personal checks. Call ahead to confirm.

Pay by Mail

Mail completed citation, along with a check, to the court address listed on your traffic ticket. Be sure to include the citation number on your check.

Keep Ticket From Appearing on Your Driving Record

Mississippi allows a one-time opportunity to enroll in a defensive driving school to keep a traffic violation from appearing on your driving record. To qualify:

• You must receive court approval
• You cannot have been cited for any other traffic violations in the last three years

Again, keep in mind that this is a one-time opportunity. To receive credit the school must be approved by the Department of Public Safety (DPS). Call your local DPS office for a list of approved programs. For more on this, check out our page on MS traffic ticket dismissal.

Check Your Driving Record

You should always check your driving record for accuracy after being cited. Verify that all violations listed on your driving record are legitimate. Because accumulated violations could cause an unwarranted spike in your car insurance rates and/or prompt state officials to suspend your MS driver's license, be sure the state's record is correct.

Shop for better Auto Insurance Rates

If a traffic violation causes a dramatic increase in your auto insurance rates it may be time to look for a new provider. You can shop for car insurance coverage online by comparing rates from a list of auto insurance companies.