Lost Traffic Ticket in Minnesota
You can find details about your lost MN traffic ticket or parking ticket by phone; the traffic court handling your citation depends on where you received your ticket.
NOTE: You can search for your lost traffic ticket online ONLY if you have your citation or case number.
Minnesota Traffic Ticket Search
You can search for your lost traffic ticket in Minnesota by calling the Court Payment Center OR online if you have your citation or case number.
Call the Court Payment Center
The Minnesota Court Payment Center accepts traffic ticket payments, as well as provides information about your citation.
If you're calling from:
- The Twin Cities Metro Area, dial (651) 281-3219.
- Any other part of Minnesota (800) 657-3611.
It can take the center up to 10 business days from the date you received your ticket to process it (and, consequently, have information about it).
Online Traffic Ticket Search
The MN Court Payment Center provides an online payment system for traffic tickets.
Technically, it's possible to use this system to find information about your traffic ticket as long as you have your citation or case number; however, because you've lost your traffic ticket, it's unlikely you have either of those numbers.
So, calling the Court Payment Center probably is your best bet.
Gather Lost Traffic Ticket Details
Because you must respond to your MN traffic ticket within 30 days of receiving it, be sure to call for lost traffic ticket information as soon as possible.
Ask the representative questions such as:
- Does my violation require a court appearance?
- Find out the court location, date, and time.
- What is my specific violation?
- This might help you determine whether you want to plead “guilty" and pay, or plead “not guilty" and possibly consult a traffic ticket attorney.
- What is my traffic ticket number?
- You'll need your citation number for most payment options.
- What are my payment options and methods?
- Remember to get information such as the appropriate telephone number, mailing address, or traffic court location if you're not paying online.
- Ask whether and when you can pay with cash, personal checks or money orders, or credit cards (and which types).
- Am I eligible for a payment extension?
Plead to Your MN Traffic Ticket
Once you've gathered all your lost traffic ticket information, it's time to determine how you'll plead to the violation.
Visit our Pay Traffic Ticket and Fight Traffic Ticket sections for details—including the pros and cons—about each option.