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Lost Traffic Ticket in North Dakota

Determine Where You Were Ticketed in ND
To retrieve your ticket information, you will need to contact the court that was listed on your lost citation. This requires determining where you were ticketed. If you can't pinpoint an exact town, determine the county.
Knowing the citing law enforcement agency will help. Tickets issued by North Dakota's Highway Patrol, Sheriff's Office, and Game and Fish and Department are filed with the District Court from the county in which you were fined. Whereas tickets issued by local police officers are handled by the Municipal Court of that specific city or town. If you were ticketed near a municipality, but can't recall the citing law enforcement agency, you may have to make two calls (county court and the municipality court) before finding the correct presiding court.
Because you only have 14 days from the citation date to enter a plea, you must act fast. The court will not accept, "I lost my traffic ticket" as an excuse for entering a late plea.
Contact the Court
Call the court clerk. If you don't have the citation number, the clerk will use your name to track down the ticket. The court can provide a copy of the citation, which will have full instructions on how to respond.
Determine How You Will Plead
You have two plea options:
Regardless of plea, you must post bond within 14 days of the citation date. You may do this either by mail or in person.
Pay Ticket
(Plead Guilty or No Contest)- Pay the fine
- Option to plea bargain penalties
- Incur points on your driving record (could lead to license suspension/revocation)
- Possibly incur increase on auto insurance rates
- Possible option to attend driver training course and reduce points
Learn more about
Paying Your Traffic Ticket »Fight Ticket
(Plead Not Guilty)- Contest traffic ticket via trial
- Choose to represent yourself or hire an attorney
- Possibly lose option to plea bargain for lesser penalties
- No penalties if found guilty, but must pay court/attorney fees
Learn more about
Fighting Your Traffic Ticket »Other Topics in This Section
- Will a traffic violation affect my auto insurance rates?
- Why should I check my driving record?
- Should I hire a traffic ticket attorney?
FAQs
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- Traffic Stop Dos and Don’ts
- Why Hire a Traffic Ticket Attorney
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- Top Traffic Ticket Excuses
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- Why Pay Traffic Tickets
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