Pay Traffic Ticket in Maryland

SUMMARY: How to Pay a Maryland Traffic Ticket

In Maryland, you can pay your traffic ticket online, by mail, by phone, or in person. You also have the option to explain why you committed the violation to try to have your fine reduced or waived. Be sure to respond within 30 days of receiving the ticket to avoid a driver's license suspension.

Continue reading this page to learn more about paying Maryland traffic tickets.

NOTE: If you want to contest the fine, visit our Fight Traffic Tickets page.

Pay Ticket
(Plead Guilty or Guilty With an Explanation)

  • Pay the fine.
  • Incur points on your driving record (could lead to license suspension/revocation).
  • Possibly incur increase on auto insurance rates.

Fight Ticket
(Plead Not Guilty)

  • Request waiver hearing (could lower or raise your fine).
  • Contest traffic ticket via trial.
  • Choose to represent yourself or hire an attorney.
  • Possibly lose option to plea bargain for lesser penalties.
  • Be found guilty and pay fines and related court fees; have option to appeal.
  • Charges dismissed, only pay related court fees; no points added to record.

Learn more about
Fighting Your Traffic Ticket »

Responding to Your MD Ticket

Paying your MD traffic ticket means you're pleading "guilty" to your traffic violation.

You can either:

  • Plead “guilty" and pay your traffic ticket fine completely.
  • Plead “guilty with an explanation" and possibly have your fine waived or reduced. (See “Plead Guilty With an Explanation" below for details.)

NOTE: You must respond to your traffic ticket within 30 days or risk a suspended MD driver's license.

As explained below, you can pay your traffic ticket:

  • Online.
  • By mail.
  • By phone.
  • In person.
  • By kiosk.

IMPORTANT: If your traffic ticket says you must appear in court, you cannot pay your traffic ticket using the methods listed above; you must show up in court on your scheduled date.

Plead Guilty with an Explanation

An alternative option to pleading “guilty" and paying your traffic ticket in full, is to plead “guilty with an explanation."

This option gives you the opportunity to explain why you committed the traffic violation before a judge (during a waiver hearing) and possibly have:

  • Your fine waived or reduced.
    OR
  • Your conviction changed to probation.

While this may seem like the best option, be sure you have a good explanation for committing the violation; an unfavorable outcome can result in an increased fine.

To request a waiver hearing:

  • Check “Request a Trial" on your MD traffic ticket.
  • Sign and date the traffic citation in the space provided.
  • Mail the traffic ticket to:
District Court Traffic Processing Center
P.O. Box 6676
Annapolis, MD 21401

The district court handing your case will send you a hearing date. Before your court appearance, you can change your mind and pay the traffic ticket in full to avoid going to court.

CDL Drivers in Maryland

Usually, drivers with a commercial driver's license (CDL) can plead “guilty" or “guilty with an explanation" in much the same way regular drivers would plea.

However, please take note of the following:

  • You MUST notify your employer within 30 days of any citation convictions other than parking violations. If the conviction occurs in another state you must also notify the MVA within 30 days.
  • A moving violation conviction can disqualify commercial drivers from operating a commercial vehicle, regardless of the vehicle type you were driving during the time of the citation.
    • The MVA will provide you with more information about this possibility.

For more information, refer to the Maryland Commercial Driver License Manual.

How to Pay Your MD Traffic Ticket

You can pay your traffic ticket online, by mail, by phone, in person, or by kiosk.

NOTE: You cannot pay your traffic citation using the above methods if your ticket states you must appear incourt . When this is the case, youmust appear in court on your scheduled date.

Online

Maryland uses the LexisNexis Payment Solutions system for drivers to pay traffic tickets online. Simply provide your citation number and other required information, and follow the program's prompts.

Payments may take up to 1 business day to be processed.

By Mail

To pay your MD traffic ticket by mail, send a check or money order (payable to the “District Court of Maryland") to:

Maryland District Court Traffic Processing System
P.O. Box 6676
Annapolis, MD 21401

Check your traffic ticket for more payment instructions.

By Phone

To make your traffic ticket payment by phone, call (800) 492-2656. Be prepared with a valid credit card.

In Person

To pay your MD ticket in person, visit your local district court office.

Bring your traffic ticket with you along with a currently accepted form of payment:

  • Cash.
  • Check or money order payable to “District Court of Maryland."

By Kiosk

The MVA now offers Maryland Uniform Traffic Citation Payment Kiosks at MVA locations for drivers to pay certain types of less serious traffic violations such as speeding violations, driving with expired tags, and failure to wear a seat belt.

Currently, these kiosks require a valid credit card. Please contact your local office to find out if a kiosk is onsite.

Point Accumulation & Traffic School

Maryland doesn't offer traffic school as a way to get your ticket dismissed.

However, the state requires drivers to enroll in and complete the Driver Improvement Program under certain circumstances, some of which could be related to or a result of your traffic ticket—such as accumulating a certain number of driving record points or getting the ticket with a provisional driver's license.

Learn more at our guide to Defensive Driving in Maryland.

Check Your Driving Record

It's important to periodically check your driving record – especially after you plead “guilty" to or are otherwise convicted of a traffic infraction. You want to check factors such as:

We can help you order your driving record today.

Car Insurance Rates

If you plead “guilty" to a traffic ticket or are found guilty in court (see below), it's likely your car insurance rates will increase.

Before making a decision on whether to plead “guilty" or fight your ticket (which risks a “guilty" verdict), talk with your car insurance provider about how the outcome will affect your rates. If they will go up, consider comparing quotes online for more affordable rates.

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