Fight Traffic Ticket in Georgia

Stuck with a traffic ticket you feel you don't deserve? Exercise your right to a legal fight.

You can always challenge your Georgia traffic ticket by pleading not guilty and going to court.

Read below to find out more about what the process entails and the steps you'll need to take to contest your GA traffic citation.

Pleading Not Guilty in Georgia

There is no state-wide process for contesting a Georgia traffic ticket. The exact details you'll need vary by which county you were ticketed in.

Your traffic ticket will provide the specific information you'll need about:

  • Which court to contact.
  • How to reach the court—whether:
    • In person.
    • Via mail.
    • Over the phone.
  • A deadline by which to respond and/or a court date.
  • You could potentially face penalties for missing this deadline, including:
    • Higher fines.
      • Losing your chance to plead "not guilty."

Your initial court date will be your arraignment where you can officially plead not guilty.

*NOTE: When you plead "not guilty" to your GA traffic ticket, you take the legal stance that you did not violate the law(s) in question. It's highly recommended to consider any and all evidence you could use to prove this before going to court.

(Traffic) School Is in Session

A little extra time in school may help you spend less time in court. You could potentially have your ticket dismissed if you complete a defensive driving course.

Find out more on our Georgia defensive driving guide.

Fighting Your GA Traffic Ticket

Once your plea is officially recorded, your trial for your Georgia traffic ticket will be scheduled. This may or may not take place on the same date as your arraignment, so taking several trips to court is a possibility you may want to plan ahead for.

You'll have to represent yourself in your case unless you hire a Georgia traffic ticket attorney. There are no court-appointed lawyers for GA traffic court.

At your trial, you or your attorney will get the chance to:

  • Argue the law.
  • Question a police department representative.
    • This may be the officer who wrote you up.
  • Call witnesses.
  • Present other evidence.

After the case ends, the judiciary official in charge will render a verdict, ruling you either guilty or not guilty.

Potential Costs

It's not just the cost of your citation to think about when weighing whether to go to court.

Fighting your traffic ticket could come with a number of different costs, including any or all of the following:

  • A potentially higher auto insurance rate.
  • Additional court fines if you lose.
  • Lawyer fees.
  • Time off work to attend court.

Georgia also has a state-wide super speeder law, which adds an additional $200 fine to your ticket if you were traveling:

  • 75 MPH or faster on roads with 2 lanes.
  • 85 MPH or faster on other roadways.
Car Insurance Rate Up? What's Up?

What does your trial have to do with your auto insurance rate? Possibly quite a lot.

Find out more about the issue, and how to avoid higher rates, on our tickets and insurance guide.

Consequences of Fighting Your Ticket

Once both sides are heard from in your GA traffic ticket case, a verdict will be entered either for or against you.

If you win and are found not guilty, you're done with the issue. The case will be dismissed and you will NOT:

  • Have the violation on your driving record.
  • Need to pay the traffic ticket fine.

However, if you are found guilty the incident will stay on your driving record, and you may also have to:

  • Pay additional court fees.
  • Face additional penalties.
  • Pay the original fine.

Depending on how severe the violation was, losing your case could also lead to:

  • Getting points added to your license.
  • Having your license suspended.
  • Spending time in jail.
  • Completing mandatory community service/educational programs.

Make sure to ask the judiciary official or your traffic ticket attorney about ensuring the process is finished or any other potential consequences of losing your case.

Going on the Record

Whether you win or lose, your record will be affected by your case. Make sure the document accurately reflects the outcome of your trial by ordering a copy of your Georgia driving record for review.

Missing Your Court Date

The penalties for missing your court date could be just as bad as—or worse than—losing your case.

You could face any number of repercussions if you don't make your court date, including:

  • The original violation staying on your driving record.
  • License suspension.
  • A warrant issued for your arrest.
  • Points added to your license.
  • Additional fines and fees.

If you know you won't be able to make your court date, it's highly recommended to call the appropriate court as soon as possible and ask to reschedule.

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