Paying or Contesting a Traffic Ticket in Arizona
How to pay, contest or reduce a traffic ticket in Arizona, and what happens if you ignore it.
Short answer: For a civil traffic ticket, the options are to attend defensive driving school (eligible violations only), admit responsibility and pay the fine, or deny responsibility and request a hearing with the court listed on the citation. Arizona Judicial Branch Self-Service Center, Making a Payment; AZCourtHelp civil traffic options; A.R.S. § 28-3308
| Paying or fighting a ticket | For a civil traffic ticket, the options are to attend defensive driving school (eligible violations only), admit responsibility and pay the fine, or deny responsibility and request a hearing with the court listed on the citation. Payments can be made online at azcourtpay.com or the court's own payment site, in cash at participating retailers through PayNearMe, or by mail with a cashier's check or money order. A court reports a failure to appear on a Title 28 violation to MVD. Deadlines and hearing procedures vary by court; the court listed on the ticket controls. |
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| Paying or looking up a ticket online | Pay court fines, including traffic tickets, online with a credit or debit card at AZCOURTPAY (www.azcourtpay.com) or through your court's own payment website (use Find My Court at azcourthelp.org to locate it); Find My Case (apps.azcourts.gov/publicaccess) helps confirm your case number. Most courts also accept cash at retailers such as CVS, 7-Eleven and Family Dollar through PayNearMe, a cashier's check or money order by mail (payable to the court, with the case number), or payment in person. Contact the court with questions. |
| Traffic school | Arizona's court-run Defensive Driving Program lets a driver cited for an eligible civil moving violation (and, if the court allows, criminal speeding) attend a Supreme Court-certified defensive driving class once every 12 months, violation date to violation date. After completion, no points are assessed to the driving record. The class must be completed 7 days before the court date. Separately, MVD's Traffic Survival School is required after certain convictions (including DUI, red-light, wrong-way and aggressive driving), at 8–12 points, and for drivers under 18 after a first moving violation. |
| License suspension | Suspensions include point suspensions (see point system), failing to attend Traffic Survival School, failure to appear, and insurance violations: driving without insurance brings a three-month suspension (or a court-ordered restricted license), a second conviction within three years six months of license and plate suspension, and a third within three years one year. Licenses stay suspended or revoked until all reinstatement requirements are met; a reinstatement fee and re-application fee are required to end any suspension or revocation. |
Where to get help in Arizona
More Arizona traffic tickets & dui
- Reinstating a Driver's License in Arizona
- DUI Laws in Arizona
- How Driver Points Work in Arizona
- All Arizona traffic tickets & dui rules
FAQ
How do you pay or contest a traffic ticket in Arizona?
For a civil traffic ticket, the options are to attend defensive driving school (eligible violations only), admit responsibility and pay the fine, or deny responsibility and request a hearing with the court listed on the citation. Payments can be made online at azcourtpay.com or the court's own payment site, in cash at participating retailers through PayNearMe, or by mail with a cashier's check or money order. A court reports a failure to appear on a Title 28 violation to MVD.
How do I pay or look up a traffic ticket online in Arizona?
Pay court fines, including traffic tickets, online with a credit or debit card at AZCOURTPAY (www.azcourtpay.com) or through your court's own payment website (use Find My Court at azcourthelp.org to locate it); Find My Case (apps.azcourts.gov/publicaccess) helps confirm your case number. Most courts also accept cash at retailers such as CVS, 7-Eleven and Family Dollar through PayNearMe, a cashier's check or money order by mail (payable to the court, with the case number), or payment in person. Contact the court with questions.
Can traffic school remove a ticket or points in Arizona?
Arizona's court-run Defensive Driving Program lets a driver cited for an eligible civil moving violation (and, if the court allows, criminal speeding) attend a Supreme Court-certified defensive driving class once every 12 months, violation date to violation date. After completion, no points are assessed to the driving record. The class must be completed 7 days before the court date. Separately, MVD's Traffic Survival School is required after certain convictions (including DUI, red-light, wrong-way and aggressive driving), at 8–12 points, and for drivers under 18 after a first moving violation.
What gets your license suspended in Arizona?
Suspensions include point suspensions (see point system), failing to attend Traffic Survival School, failure to appear, and insurance violations: driving without insurance brings a three-month suspension (or a court-ordered restricted license), a second conviction within three years six months of license and plate suspension, and a third within three years one year. Licenses stay suspended or revoked until all reinstatement requirements are met; a reinstatement fee and re-application fee are required to end any suspension or revocation.
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.