Lost Traffic Ticket in Washington

To get details about your lost traffic ticket, you'll need to contact the appropriate WA municipal court (if ticket was issued by a city or town officer) or district court (if ticket was issued by a deputy sheriff or WA State Patrol trooper). Refer to the state's court directory for contact information.

NOTE: You can look on your county court website to find out if an online ticket search feature is available.

How to Find a Lost Traffic Ticket in WA

Conduct your traffic ticket search with the presiding traffic court. By “presiding," we mean the court that handles traffic tickets for the county where you received the citation.

If you're not sure which court to contact, note that if you received the ticket:

  • By a town or city officer, contact the county's municipal court.
  • By a deputy sheriff or WA State Patrol trooper, contact the county's district court.

Check Washington's court directory for each court's contact information.

Gather WA Traffic Citation Details

Whether you decide to plead "guilty" and pay your fine or plead "not guilty" and fight your traffic ticket, the following information is critical to helping you enter your plea on time and avoid additional penalties.

NOTE: Some violations carry mandatory court appearances, meaning you must appear in court before you enter your plea. Ask the court clerk if you're required to appear in court and, if so, the court's address and your hearing's date and time. Also, consider consulting a traffic ticket attorney if your alleged violation is serious enough for a court appearance.

  • Your WA traffic violation details:
    • What is the exact violation?
    • What is your citation number?
    • What are the names of the ticketing officer and law enforcement agency?
  • The traffic citation payment details:
    • What is your traffic ticket fine?
    • Do you owe any other fees or surcharges?
    • What are the available payment methods (these can vary by court) and which are your eligible payment methods?
  • Whether you're eligible for ticket deferral:
    • Are you eligible for a ticket deferral?
    • Will you have to appear in court to request one?
    • How does the cost of a ticket deferral compare to the actual traffic ticket fine?
  • The deadline to plead:
    • By what date must you enter your plea of "guilty" (and pay your fine) or "not guilty" (and schedule your hearing)?

Respond to WA Traffic Ticket

You can respond to your WA traffic ticket by:

  • Pleading "guilty" and paying your traffic ticket fine outright.
  • Pleading "not guilty" and fighting your violation in traffic court.

We explain the details for each option in our Paying Traffic Tickets and Fighting Traffic Tickets sections.

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