Pay Traffic Ticket in Texas

Know Your Options

What it Means to Pay Your TX Traffic Ticket

Paying a non-criminal traffic ticket is an admission of guilt or no contest plea. This means:

• You might be able to plea bargain for lesser penalties in court; by going before a judge or clerk in traffic court, you could plead your case in person.
• The state will assess points against your driver’s license, depending on the severity of your moving violation; check the TX vehicle code for more on the state’s point system.
• Additional points to your driving record could increase your auto insurance rates or affect your job or employment options (if your work requires you to maintain a clean driving record).
• An increase in points could lead to suspended or revoked driving privileges. Be sure you know how many points you currently have on your driving record.
• In some cases, the court will grant you permission to take a state-approved driving safety course. This could dismiss your traffic ticket and reduce points on your driving record. Additionally, your auto insurance company might give you a discount on your car insurance rates.

If you fail to pay your civil traffic ticket, the alternative isn’t prettier, and might result in a warrant for your arrest or the suspension of revocation of your TX driver’s license.

In many cases you can resolve the ticket in a convenient way: online, by phone or by mail. If either of the following apply to you, it's likely you'll handle your violation in person through the court system:

• You are a minor.
• You were cited for a criminal violation such as driving under the influence (DUI) or reckless driving.

Texas drivers younger than 18 and those pulled over for criminal activity behind the wheel often times must deal directly with the court. Review your citation for court date info and location.

Pleading Guilty as a TX CDL Driver

If you hold a Texas commercial drivers license, you must notify your motor vehicle agency within 30 days of conviction in another jurisdiction. This only applies to traffic violations; parking tickets don’t count. This is the case no matter what type of vehicle you were driving when a law enforcement agent cited you for a traffic infraction. For more on this and the affects of serious traffic violations on your CDL, check out our FAQ page or consult the Texas Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Handbook.

Pleading Not Guilty

Keep in mind you also have the option to plead not guilty and contest the ticket. Making a good case could mean the court dismisses your ticket. Keep in mind that if you take your case to trial, you could lose the option to plea bargain for lesser penalties. Learn more in our section on contesting a Texas traffic ticket.

Pay Your Texas Traffic Ticket Online

You might have the option to pay your traffic fines online. Once you take care of this, scroll down and learn more on getting your driving record points reduced.

Determine Where You Got Your TX Traffic Ticket

Your TX ticket should display the steps to paying the traffic fines. If you’re unclear on how to resolve your citation, this page will help. If you simply misplaced the citation, check out our section on Lost Traffic Tickets.

Texas handles traffic citations and speeding tickets at the county level. Therefore, to pay your traffic fines, you’ll need to know the name of the county in which you were cited. Look on your physical ticket for this info if you don’t already know it.

Keep in mind that in Texas, the following law enforcement officers can cite you for violating TX traffic laws:

• Sheriff

• Local police officer

• Texas Highway Patrolman

Use the TX Highway Patrol’s Online Ticket Search

If you were pulled over by the TX Highway Patrol, you can run an online ticket search through the Texas Department of Public Safety. Be prepared to submit your driver’s license or ID number.

Visit the Proper TX County Web Site

Go to the county Web site where you were ticketed if the payment instructions on your citation aren’t clear. Here you will find details on how and when you should pay the ticket. Keep in mind each TX county handles traffic infractions differently.

Pay Your TX Traffic Ticket

From the county Web site, search for info on traffic tickets. It’s likely you’ll need to pay through the county court system. Here you’ll find more on possible payment options such as:

• Paying online

• Paying in-person

• Paying by mail

• Paying by phone

In some cases, you might be required to go to traffic court and appear before a county clerk or judge. If the court requests a mandatory appearance AND it’s not possible for you to make your court date (due to work, being out of state, etc.), consider consulting a traffic ticket attorney. You might be able to have a traffic lawyer stand in for you in court.

Get Points Removed from Your Driving Record

In some cases, the state will allow you to take defensive driving if you decide to plead guilty and pay your traffic ticket. Learn more on taking a state-approved defensive driving course to reduce points and penalties associated with your non-criminal moving violation.

Check Your Driving Record

Whether you have the option to reduce your driving record points through defensive driving, we suggest you check your driving record to ensure the state record accurately reflects your points―especially after getting a traffic ticket. Learn more on the points associated with specific traffic violations by checking out the TX point system.

Shop for Better Auto insurance Rates

Once you pay your ticket and check the resulting driving record points, inquire with your auto insurance company on how the violation will affect your rates. Because points stay on your record for up to three years, you could see an increase in your insurance premium the next time you renew your policy. Get ahead of the added expense by shopping online to compare auto insurance rates.