How to Pay or Look Up a Traffic Ticket in Every State (2026)
Official online payment and ticket lookup for each state and DC, from the state court system or motor vehicle agency.
| State | Paying or looking up a ticket online |
|---|---|
| Alabama | The Alabama Traffic Service Center (Administrative Office of Courts) handles statewide ticket help. Use RESOLVE (resolve.alacourt.gov) to see whether a ticket can be resolved before the court date; if not, you must appear in court. Pay online at www.AlaPay.com, by phone at 1-877-252-7294 (credit cards, 24/7), in person at the circuit clerk's window, or by mail to the circuit clerk's office. A late fee applies for failing to appear. Questions: 1-866-954-9399 or traffic@alacourt.gov. Alabama Traffic Service Center, FAQ |
| Alaska | Pay or look up a ticket online through the Alaska Court System's records site (records.courts.alaska.gov). For an Optional Court Appearance citation, within 30 days enter a No Contest plea and pay the fine and surcharge, or plead not guilty; Mandatory Court Appearance citations require appearing on the listed date. If you do not respond within 30 days you get a warning notice with 15 more days, then the court can enter a default judgment including $70 in court and collection costs; $35 per case in collection costs applies if the fine is not paid by the date the court ordered. Request more time with form TR-218 before the due date. Alaska Court System, Self-Help: Minor Offenses |
| 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. Arizona Judicial Branch, Self-Service Center: Making a Payment |
| Arkansas | Pay traffic citations online at the Arkansas Online Court Payment site (pay.arcourts.gov) if the citation is payable to a participating district court: choose the court, enter your name plus the citation number or driver's license/State ID number and date of birth, and pay the full amount plus an online service charge by Visa, Discover or MasterCard. Paying the full amount waives your appearance and trial and is treated as a guilty or no-contest plea. Not paying and not appearing can lead to a failure-to-appear warrant, license suspension, and extra fines and costs. A payment plan option is available on the site. Arkansas Judiciary, Arkansas Online Court Payment |
| California | Traffic tickets are paid to the court in the county where you got the ticket, usually online through that court's website, by mail or in person (use the county lookup on the self-help traffic page, or Find My Court). The court mails a reminder or courtesy notice with the amount due (bail), the due date and your options, including traffic school eligibility; it can take 30 days or longer, and if it does not arrive, contact the court. The court will never text, call or email you to ask for payment. California Courts Self-Help Guide, Traffic |
| Colorado | State penalty assessments (tickets issued under Colorado state statutes) can be paid to the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles online through myDMV (mydmv.colorado.gov), by mail with a check or money order payable to the Colorado Department of Revenue and a clear copy of the ticket, or in person (cash only in person). Summonses and municipal citations are paid to the court listed on the ticket; parking and photo radar tickets go to the city or agency. Tickets more than 40 days old have gone to court and can no longer be paid through the DMV. Paying is an admission of guilt; paying within 20 days can reduce the points. Colorado DMV, Tickets and Penalty Assessments |
| Connecticut | Infraction tickets are handled by the Judicial Branch's Centralized Infractions Bureau (CIB). Pay by credit card online (jud2.ct.gov/cibepay) or mail a check or money order payable to "Clerk of Superior Court," with the ticket number written on it and the ticket or Failure to Respond Notice enclosed, to Centralized Infractions Bureau, P.O. Box 5044, Hartford, CT 06102-5044. Full payment is due on or before the Answer Date on the ticket; no payment plans. Paying is a plea of nolo contendere. If you miss the deadline the case goes to court, DMV is notified and may suspend your license, and a $60 reopening fee applies. CIB: 860-263-2750. Connecticut Judicial Branch, Traffic FAQ |
| Delaware | Justice of the Peace Court traffic tickets with a voluntary assessment are paid to the Voluntary Assessment Center (VAC) in full within 30 days of receiving the ticket (no partial payments): online through the state ePayment site (pubsrv.deljis.delaware.gov/epayment) by card or e-check, by phone at 302-739-6911 (Visa, Mastercard or Discover), by mail to State of Delaware - Voluntary Assessment Center, P.O. Box 7039, Dover, DE 19903 (check or money order payable to "State of Delaware" with the ticket number), at a kiosk, or in person at the nearest Justice of the Peace Criminal Court. A three-installment payment plan is available for tickets 30 days old or less through courtpay.delaware.gov. Check the front of the ticket for where to pay or appear. Delaware Courts, Traffic FAQ |
| District of Columbia | DC DMV handles parking, photo enforcement and minor moving violation tickets. Pay online through DMV's Pay Tickets service (separate links for parking/photo and minor moving tickets) or the DC DMV mobile app by Mastercard, Visa, Discover or American Express (a 2.5 percent service fee applies to online card payments; ACH/e-check is temporarily unavailable online), or in person. If payment is not received within 30 calendar days of the ticket date, a penalty equal to the fine is added. Do not pay if you want to admit with an explanation or contest the ticket, because a paid ticket can no longer be adjudicated. DC DMV, Pay Tickets; Respond to a Ticket |
| Florida | Uniform Traffic Citations are paid to, or contested with, the Clerk of Court in the county where the violation occurred, and you have 30 days to choose: pay the civil penalty at the clerk's office or online at www.payflclerk.com (covering all 67 counties); contest the citation through the clerk; or, if eligible, elect a basic driver improvement course (fine reduced 18 percent, points may be withheld; allowed eight times in a lifetime). Paying counts as a conviction and points may be assessed; missing the 30-day deadline can bring extra fines and license suspension. Use FLHSMV's locations page to find the county clerk. Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), Traffic Citations |
| Georgia | Traffic citations are resolved with the court handling the citation. If a driver fails to appear in court or respond to a citation, the Department of Driver Services (DDS) suspends the license 28 calendar days after receiving notice; resolving the citation with the court before that date means no fees are due to DDS. Most Georgia courts send releases to DDS electronically. Georgia DDS, Violations and Suspensions FAQs: Failure to Appear |
| Hawaii | Respond to a moving citation within 21 days of the issue date, or the court may enter a default judgment. Pay online through eTraffic, by phone at 800-679-5949, by mail to the District Court on the island where you were cited (use the preprinted envelope if you have one), or in person at any district court, by Visa or MasterCard, check or money order (no cash; $25 charge for dishonored payments). Unpaid default judgments go to a collection agency after 90 days ($500 or less) or 180 days (over $500), and failing to pay within 30 days can result in a driver's license stopper. Hawaii State Judiciary, Self-Help: Moving Citations |
| 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). Idaho Judicial Branch, Understanding the Courts: Infractions |
| Illinois | Many counties let drivers resolve minor traffic and conservation offenses that do not require a court appearance through an Electronic Plea of Guilty (e-Guilty) program run by the county's chief circuit judge and circuit clerk; tickets requiring a court appearance are not eligible. Payments and pleas go to the circuit clerk of the county where the ticket was issued; the Illinois Courts website lists every county's circuit clerk with address and phone. Illinois Courts, Plead and Pay Traffic (e-Guilty program standards); Circuit Court Clerks directory |
| Indiana | The Indiana Judicial Branch's online services include a Pay Traffic Ticket tool (public.courts.in.gov/pay) and the MyCase case search (mycase.in.gov). Information on these sites is not an official court record; official records come from the court that maintains the case. Indiana Judicial Branch, Services |
| Iowa | Pay traffic, simple misdemeanor and civil infraction fines online through Iowa Courts Online (Pay Fines Online) using the county, charge type, and case or citation number, or search by name. Citations may take a week or more to appear; if nothing shows after 14 days, contact the clerk in the county where the citation was issued. Fines and fees are due to the clerk of court 30 days after a court order assesses them. Paying online is treated as a guilty plea; you need to appear only if the ticket's "court appearance required" box is checked. Payment plans are arranged with the clerk of court in that county; parking tickets go to the city or county clerk. Iowa Judicial Branch, Pay a Fine |
| Kentucky | Traffic fines are paid to the court in the county where you received the ticket; the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet does not accept fine payments. Kentucky Court of Justice county pages link to the courts' ePay system for online payment, and each county's Circuit Court Clerk lists its accepted payment options. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (DRIVE), License Reinstatement; Kentucky Court of Justice, Bell County |
| Maine | Traffic tickets are paid to the Violations Bureau: online 24/7 through Maine eCourts Traffic Pay (Visa, Mastercard, Discover; 5% convenience fee, $1 minimum), by phone at 1-866-729-8499 (2.89% convenience fee), by check or money order payable to "Treasurer, State of Maine" mailed to Violations Bureau, P.O. Box 480, Lewiston, ME 04243-0480, or in person at any Maine state courthouse. Handwritten tickets may take time to appear online. You have 30 days from the date the decision is entered to pay unless a judge orders otherwise; missing the deadline can lead to license suspension, a $50 late fee per violation and a BMV reinstatement fee. State of Maine Judicial Branch, Traffic Violations: Pay a Ticket |
| Maryland | For a payable citation, you must act within 30 days after receiving it. Pay online through the District Court's payment site (non-refundable convenience fee), by phone at (800) 492-2656, by mail to District Court Traffic Processing Center, P.O. Box 6676, Annapolis, MD 21401, in person at any District Court, or at the Maryland Uniform Traffic Citation Payment Kiosk in local MVA offices. Look up your citation and its status on the Maryland Judiciary Case Search. District Court of Maryland, Traffic Citation Information |
| Michigan | Some Michigan district courts let you pay civil infraction tickets and misdemeanor cases by credit card through the Michigan Courts ePAY system; the site being unavailable does not release you from answering the ticket or case by the due date. If your court does not participate, contact the court named on your ticket. Michigan Courts ePAY |
| Montana | Traffic tickets are handled by Montana's courts of limited jurisdiction (justice, city and municipal courts). The Montana Judicial Branch's Limited Courts page links to an online "Pay a traffic ticket or other fine" service (CitePay). Courts that do not accept online payment take payment directly; contact the court named on the ticket. Montana Judicial Branch, About Limited Courts |
| Nebraska | Waiverable citations (those that do not require a court appearance) can be paid online through the Nebraska Judicial Branch's citation payment system, run by the State Court Administrator. Court costs apply even when you plead guilty by waiver, and a convenience fee is added. Online payment is not available once you have appeared in court; you must deal with the court directly from then on, and partial payments require a time-payment agreement signed with the court. Online payments can take 24 hours or more to post, and a late online payment will not stop a license suspension already noticed by the DMV. Nebraska Judicial Branch, Citation Payment FAQ; Nebraska DMV, Failure to Comply with a Traffic Ticket |
| Nevada | Traffic offenses are handled by the local justice courts (and municipal courts in cities). Contact or pay the court named on your citation. State of Nevada Self-Help Center, How Courts Work |
| New Hampshire | For most motor vehicle violations you can plead guilty, nolo contendere or not guilty by mail to the Division of Motor Vehicles within 30 days of the summons. With a guilty or nolo plea, return the summons with the fine and penalty assessment to the DMV director (credit cards may be accepted). With a not guilty plea, the DMV sends the plea to the circuit court, which schedules a trial. If you do not respond within 30 days or do not pay the fine, you are defaulted and your driving privileges are suspended, and an administrative processing fee may be added. RSA 262:44 |
| New Jersey | If the ticket does not require a court appearance, you can pay the fine online by credit card through NJMCdirect, the Judiciary's municipal court payment system; paying the fine means pleading guilty. You need the court ID, ticket number and your license number. You can also call the municipal court to arrange to pay by check or cash at the court. If you don't have the ticket, use the Municipal Court Case Search or call the court where it was written; if you don't know where, call 609-421-6100. New Jersey Courts, Municipal Court Self-Help |
| New Mexico | Fines and fees owed to state courts (appellate, district and magistrate courts) can be paid online by credit or debit card through the Judiciary's Fines and Fees site (finesandfees.nmcourts.gov) or at the courthouse counter; the card vendor charges a 2.4% service fee. The state system cannot take payments for municipal courts; contact the municipal court directly. Cash and money orders are still accepted in person. New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts, news release (March 1, 2022) |
| New York | In New York City, the DMV's Traffic Violations Bureau (TVB) handles all non-criminal traffic tickets issued in the five boroughs; you can plead or pay online (single ticket, or several through MyDMV), by mail to the Traffic Violations Plea Unit (P.O. Box 2950 - ESP, Albany, NY 12220-0950, payable to "Commissioner of Motor Vehicles"), or by phone at 718-488-5710. TVB does not handle parking, red-light or speed camera tickets, or misdemeanors and felonies such as DWI. Outside New York City, tickets are processed by the criminal or traffic court of the city, county, town or village where the offense took place; contact that court directly. If you do not answer a ticket on time, your license will be suspended. New York DMV, Traffic Tickets in New York State; Plead To or Pay NYC TVB Tickets |
| North Carolina | Unpaid or unanswered citations are handled by the court in the county where the citation was issued. If you fail to appear or fail to pay, NCDMV suspends your driving privileges indefinitely until you comply with the case; contact the court in the county where you received the citation or where you failed to pay, then contact NCDMV about reinstating. NCDMV, License Suspension |
| North Dakota | For a non-criminal traffic citation, pay the bond/fee on the citation within 14 days to the court in the county where it was issued, in person, by mail, or online through the court system's public search portal (State of North Dakota > Criminal/Traffic > find the case > "Make Payment"; Visa, MasterCard and Discover only). New citations can take up to 4 days to appear, and not every case can be paid online; if there is no "Make Payment" button, contact the clerk of court where the citation was issued. Paying means you admit the violation and waive a hearing; to contest, sign the request for hearing on the citation and return it with the bond to the court within 14 days. If you do not respond, you are deemed to have admitted the violation and your license may be suspended. North Dakota Court System, Pay Fines; NDDOT, Uniform Complaint and Summons Information |
| Ohio | Each Ohio court has a traffic violations bureau run by its clerk. For offenses the bureau can handle, you can, before arraignment (or later with the court's permission), appear in person at the bureau, sign the guilty plea and waiver of trial on the ticket, and pay the fine and costs or set up an installment plan with the clerk named on the ticket; or sign the plea and waiver and mail the ticket with a check or money order to the clerk named on the ticket. Courts may also accept pleas and payments by phone or other electronic means. Paying by any means other than appearing in person counts as a guilty plea and waiver of trial. Serious offenses such as OVI, leaving the scene of an accident, fleeing police, drag racing, and passing a stopped school bus cannot be handled by the bureau. Ohio Traffic Rule 13 |
| Oklahoma | Fines on many Oklahoma district court cases can be paid online through OSCN e-Payments, but only in the counties listed in its County drop-down. For an undisposed traffic citation you must enter an online plea of guilty or no contest, pay the full amount, and do so on or before the initial appearance date on the citation. Only one case, citation or payment plan can be paid at a time; payments may take 24 to 48 hours to appear; if a warrant has been issued you must contact the court clerk after paying. The Attorney General warns that the Department of Public Safety and Highway Patrol do not take payment for traffic tickets; fines are collected by the court clerk's office. Oklahoma State Courts Network, E-Payments; Oklahoma Attorney General, traffic ticket texting scam warning (March 2026) |
| Oregon | For tickets that list an Oregon circuit court, use the Oregon Judicial Department's OJD Courts ePay / Electronic Central Violations Bureau (eCVB) to see whether you qualify for a reduced fine (up to 50 percent, depending on the violation and your driving record) and pay online. A reduction requires a No Contest plea, and a No Contest conviction still goes on your driving record. If you want a trial, plead not guilty, or send a letter of explanation, do not use ePay; follow the citation's instructions or contact the court. Tickets from municipal/city courts or justice courts must be handled with those courts directly. Oregon Judicial Department, Got a Traffic Ticket? |
| Pennsylvania | Pay traffic tickets and court costs owed to Pennsylvania's Magisterial District and Common Pleas courts online through PAePay on the UJS Portal (Pay Online > Traffic Ticket or Court Costs). Only obligations approved for online payment appear. A non-refundable 2.75% service fee applies to each transaction; Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express and ATM cards are accepted; the maximum applied to fines, costs and restitution is $2,500 per transaction. Cases with limited access cannot be paid online; contact the court where the case was filed. Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, UJS Portal - Pay Online |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal tickets can be resolved online (scan the QR code on the court's ticket sheet): you can pay the fine online, submit proof of correction (such as registration or inspection), submit a good driving record, or go to court on the hearing date printed on the summons. Fines and court costs imposed at a Traffic Tribunal hearing must be paid within 45 days or your license can be suspended for nonpayment. Pay by check or money order payable to the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal, mailed to 670 New London Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920 (include your name and citation number; no cash by mail); online by credit or debit card through the Judiciary's "Make Payments" portal (full balance only); or in person at the Traffic Tribunal cashier. If you cannot pay before the suspension date, call the clerk's office at (401) 275-2700 to request an ability-to-pay hearing and payment schedule. Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal, Payment Instructions (rev. February 2026); Dealing with Your Traffic Ticket (March 2024) |
| South Carolina | Tickets issued in a South Carolina Summary Court (magistrate) can be looked up and paid through the Judicial Branch's "Pay a Traffic Ticket" search by citation number, driver's license number and state, or name and date of birth; some Municipal Court tickets are also included. On SC.gov, choose the county or municipality that issued the ticket, then enter your last name and case number (the same as the ticket number). Tickets take 3 to 5 business days to be logged; if no record is found, contact the county or municipal court that issued the ticket. South Carolina Judicial Branch, Traffic Ticket Search; SC.gov, Traffic Tickets and Court Payments |
| South Dakota | Pay court fines, costs and fees by debit or credit card through UJS ePay (ujsepay.sd.gov). You can pay the full amount, a minimum of $25 (unless the balance is less), or any amount in between. ePay shows whether a case can be paid online, whether you need to contact the Clerk of Courts, or whether there is an active warrant; cases with an active warrant cannot be paid online, and new cases may take up to 14 days to appear. All fines and costs are due by the date on the ticket, or the date of sentencing if you had to appear in court. If you cannot pay in full by the due date, you can ask the court for an extension and then set up and sign a payment plan at the Clerk of Courts office. South Dakota Unified Judicial System, Fines, Costs, Tickets FAQ |
| Texas | Traffic tickets (Class C misdemeanors) are handled by local justice and municipal courts, and payment, plea options and fine information come from the court assigned to the ticket. For a citation from the Texas Highway Patrol, the DPS "THP Citation Search" finds the court's contact information for citations issued within the last 24 months (search by driver license or ID number, date of birth and name, matching your license). For citations from other agencies, contact the issuing agency. Texas DPS, THP Citation Search; Texas Judicial Branch, Trial Courts |
| Utah | Pay district or justice court fines and fees online through the Utah courts' ePayments system using your court case number or citation number (case numbers are unique to a court location, not statewide, so check that the name on the case matches). A delinquent or warrant fee may have been added to the fine. For a court that does not take online payment, contact the court directly. The courts warn that texts demanding payment through links or QR codes are scams. Utah Courts, Pay Fines/Fees Online (ePayments) |
| Vermont | Traffic tickets (civil violation complaints) go to the Vermont Judicial Bureau. Pay online on the Vermont Judiciary Public Portal: first try "Make Payments" (search by citation number, name or driver's license number); if the ticket is not yet in the system, use "Prepay Fees Online". Credit card payments carry a 2.39% convenience fee. Deliver your plea and fine within 21 days to avoid extra fees. You can also pay by phone (802-652-1900), by mail to the Vermont Judicial Bureau, PO Box 607, White River Junction, VT 05001 (check or money order, complaint number on the payment), or in person at 55 Railroad Row, White River Junction. Parking tickets go to the issuing municipality. Vermont Judiciary, Paying Judicial Bureau Fines |
| Virginia | Pay in the court named on your summons: general district court tickets through the Judicial System's online payment (select the court, then search by name, case number or hearing date and use "Mark for Payment" on eligible cases; up to five cases per receipt), and circuit court cases through the circuit court payment site. Only prepayable offenses can be paid before court (not reckless driving), and pre-court payment waives the hearing and enters a guilty plea. Online card payments carry a 4% convenience fee; pay before 3:30 p.m. Eastern on the business day before your trial date, or mail payment at least 7 days before court. Unpaid post-court balances go to collection 90 days after the court date. Virginia Judicial System, How to Pay Traffic Tickets and Other Offenses |
| Washington | Traffic tickets are paid to the court where the ticket was filed; the Administrative Office of the Courts states that all court fines are managed by the court where the fine originated and cannot give a list of your fines. Many courts offer online status checks and payment on their own websites (reachable from the state's district, municipal and superior court pages and court directory), and Find My Court Date and Search Case Records help locate a case. Washington Courts eService Center, Find a list of my court fines |
| West Virginia | Magistrate court fines, fees and court costs, including traffic tickets once they are assessed, can be paid online with a credit or debit card through the West Virginia Judiciary's payment portal by entering the case number. Restitution cannot be paid online. If you do not have your case number, call the magistrate court clerk in your county. The free Magistrate Record Search lets you look up magistrate court cases by name or case number (documents are not online). Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, news release "Magistrate Court Fines, Fees Payable Online"; WV Judiciary, Magistrate Record Search |
| Wisconsin | Circuit court fees and fines in all Wisconsin counties can be paid online through the Wisconsin Court System's payment service. To pay a citation before the court date, click Continue, use Simple Search to find the case, open the case number, choose View Case Details and then Pay Citation Online. US Bank charges a non-refundable 2.75% convenience fee for Visa and MasterCard or a $1.95 flat fee for electronic checks; Discover and American Express are not accepted. Juvenile and confidential cases are not shown; contact the county where the case was filed. This service covers circuit court only; tickets in a municipal court are paid to that municipal court. Wisconsin Court System, Pay court fees/fines online |
| Wyoming | Citations eligible for online payment can be paid through CitePay USA, the service the State of Wyoming uses to receive citation payments (help line 833-660-1879, including if you cannot find your citation number). Payment must be made on or before the court date. To contest a citation, appear on the court date at the court listed on the citation. The Judicial Branch warns that text messages demanding payment for unpaid traffic tickets are scams; call your local courthouse instead. Wyoming Judicial Branch, Payments; Frequently Asked Questions |
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.