Do you have an unpaid traffic ticket that’s weighing heavily on your mind and wallet? If you’ve gotten a traffic ticket that you don’t feel was justified, there are ways that you can fight it.
Many people don’t bother disputing their tickets because they believe that they need a lawyer, which could end up costing a lot more money.
However, when you pay your ticket, you’re admitting guilt to the violation and adding points to your driving record. This also causes your car insurance premiums to increase.
Fortunately, we’ve made a guide on getting your traffic tickets dismissed. Keep reading our article to learn about disputing the different kinds of traffic violations and how to handle old tickets.
Disputing a Traffic Ticket
There are many ways to dispute a ticket, but only if you’re still in the window of time to pay or challenge it.
It’s also important to note that these tips are for tickets that were wrongly given to you. If you challenge a ticket that was rightfully given to you, you could face additional fines and penalties.
Look For Mistakes on the Ticket
If you’ve been issued a traffic ticket, you’ll want to double-check that all of the information on it is correct. Sometimes officers make mistakes when writing them up, such as listing an incorrect make or model of your vehicle, the wrong license plate number, or even a few other things.
In some cases, an officer may not have finished filling everything out completely, which can also affect the validity of your ticket. In either scenario, if you’ve noticed a mistake on your ticket, you may be able to get out of paying the fine by bringing it to a judge’s attention.
Take a Driving Safety Class
One of the best solutions to dismiss a traffic ticket is by taking a driving safety course. A driving safety course will refresh your memory of the driving laws in your area and can get rid of the fines and points that would damage your record.
Many people don’t want to go through the effort of attending a driving class for a ticket because it doesn’t line up with their schedule. Fortunately, dismissing a ticket is much easier with driving safety courses that you can attend online.
Delay Your Hearing
Once you dispute your ticket, a court date will be arranged for both you and the officer who issued the violation. If you can come up with a good reason to delay your hearing and reschedule it, the officer may not bother showing up and your ticket will be dismissed.
Use a Witness
If you had someone witness your violation, you may be able to get out of your ticket by having them back up your story. Whether it was another passenger in your vehicle or a bystander who saw you get the ticket, an eyewitness will improve your odds of getting that ticket dismissed.
Come Up With a Good Defense
If none of the tricks above are going to work for you, then the best course of action is to come up with a good defense. Depending on how recent the violation was, you may be able to even come up with proof for your story.
If you got a parking violation, try going back to where you parked your vehicle and checking out the area. Are the signs clearly visible, or is there shrubbery blocking them? Is there a colored curb that would indicate the parking rules?
Consider taking pictures of any flaws that would have led you to believe it was a safe place to park, then use them in court. If you tried using a parking meter that wasn’t working, try to get a video of that if it’s still broken.
Any small detail that confirms your story could save you money and points on your driving record.
Handling Old Tickets
Sometimes you can’t get to a traffic ticket right away, and then you forget about it. Old tickets start to accumulate fines and sometimes severe penalties on your driving record. Depending on the violation and the amount of time, an old ticket may cause your license to become suspended.
In order to avoid paying more late fees and being penalized, you should try to pay old tickets as soon as possible. If you’ve gotten traffic tickets, but you can’t remember where they are or if you’ve paid them, there are a couple of ways to check.
Call or Search Your Local Bureau’s Website
If you can’t find your old ticket or you can’t remember if you paid it, try searching your license plate number on your city’s violations bureau website.
Most websites can be searched by your license plate, but some may need your actual ticket number. If that’s the case, you’ll need to move on to the next step we’ve listed.
If your city doesn’t have a traffic violations website, then you can try calling them to search your old tickets and come up with a payment plan.
Reach Out to Your Municipal Court
You can look online or in the telephone book for the phone number to your municipal court. Call the court and let them know that you may have old tickets that you’d like to pay, and find out if there are any additional fines or penalties.
You may be able to convince them to drop some late fees if you’re willing to pay your tickets off right away.
Spare Your Wallet and Record With Driving Safety Class
Traffic tickets don’t just cost you a fine, but they also impact your driving record which raises your car insurance. If you’ve got a ticket that was wrongfully given to you, dispute it as quickly as possible. Old tickets are harder to get taken care of and can be more expensive the longer you wait.
Hopefully, this article taught you everything you needed to know about disputing a traffic ticket. If you found our article helpful, let us know by sharing it on your social media. Also, be sure to take a look at some of our other great content!