Paying or Contesting a Traffic Ticket in Idaho
How to pay, contest or reduce a traffic ticket in Idaho, and what happens if you ignore it.
Short answer: An infraction citation sets a court appearance date 5 to 21 days after the citation. The driver can pay the fine and court costs (which counts as admitting the charge), contest the citation by pleading not guilty and going to trial, or ask about a payment plan. Idaho Infraction Rule 5; Idaho Courts, Understanding the Courts – Infractions
| Paying or fighting a ticket | An infraction citation sets a court appearance date 5 to 21 days after the citation. The driver can pay the fine and court costs (which counts as admitting the charge), contest the citation by pleading not guilty and going to trial, or ask about a payment plan. If the driver neither pleads not guilty nor pays, the court enters a default judgment of guilt; unpaid amounts can be collected like other court debt (including state tax refund intercept), and the court may order a show-cause hearing, with possible contempt and an arrest warrant for missing it. |
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| Paying or looking up a ticket online | An infraction citation can be paid online, by mail or in person at the courthouse; the fine for each infraction is set by the Idaho Legislature in statute (for example, speeding 9 mph over the limit means a $90 debt to the court if found guilty). |
| Traffic school | Once every three years, a driver can remove 3 points by completing an approved defensive driving course, or remove the points for a specific citation by completing a city-sponsored Traffic Safety Education Course offered by the officer at the roadside (where available). Only one reduction is allowed in any 3-year period from either course. The course does not remove the conviction, cannot undo a points suspension already imposed, cannot be 'saved' for future points, and has no effect on CDL disqualifications. |
| License suspension | Suspensions include point suspensions (30 days, 90 days or 6 months), failure to provide insurance (a first offense is an infraction with a one-year suspension; a second within 5 years is a misdemeanor with a three-year suspension, and an SR-22 is required for the suspension period), DUI and test refusal or failure, and three or more distracted-driving convictions in 3 years (court may suspend up to 90 days). |
Where to get help in Idaho
More Idaho traffic tickets & dui
- Reinstating a Driver's License in Idaho
- DUI Laws in Idaho
- How Driver Points Work in Idaho
- All Idaho traffic tickets & dui rules
FAQ
How do you pay or contest a traffic ticket in Idaho?
An infraction citation sets a court appearance date 5 to 21 days after the citation. The driver can pay the fine and court costs (which counts as admitting the charge), contest the citation by pleading not guilty and going to trial, or ask about a payment plan. If the driver neither pleads not guilty nor pays, the court enters a default judgment of guilt; unpaid amounts can be collected like other court debt (including state tax refund intercept), and the court may order a show-cause hearing, with possible contempt and an arrest warrant for missing it.
How do I pay or look up a traffic ticket online in Idaho?
An infraction citation can be paid online, by mail or in person at the courthouse; the fine for each infraction is set by the Idaho Legislature in statute (for example, speeding 9 mph over the limit means a $90 debt to the court if found guilty).
Can traffic school remove a ticket or points in Idaho?
Once every three years, a driver can remove 3 points by completing an approved defensive driving course, or remove the points for a specific citation by completing a city-sponsored Traffic Safety Education Course offered by the officer at the roadside (where available). Only one reduction is allowed in any 3-year period from either course. The course does not remove the conviction, cannot undo a points suspension already imposed, cannot be 'saved' for future points, and has no effect on CDL disqualifications.
What gets your license suspended in Idaho?
Suspensions include point suspensions (30 days, 90 days or 6 months), failure to provide insurance (a first offense is an infraction with a one-year suspension; a second within 5 years is a misdemeanor with a three-year suspension, and an SR-22 is required for the suspension period), DUI and test refusal or failure, and three or more distracted-driving convictions in 3 years (court may suspend up to 90 days).
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.