Paying or Contesting a Traffic Ticket in Rhode Island

Traffic violations are civil and are heard in the Traffic Tribunal or a municipal court. If eligible, the summons may be paid by Internet, by mail, or in person. The officer gives the driver a form that allows the charge to be resolved without appearing. To pay, the driver returns the form and summons to the Traffic Tribunal's violations section with payment of the scheduled fine (plus any technology surcharge) no later than 20 days from the date of the summons. Anyone who does not pay this way must appear before the Traffic Tribunal or municipal court on the date on the summons; a hearing is held before a judge or magistrate, and the state must prove the charge by clear and convincing evidence. If the person fails to appear, a default judgment may be entered, including a license suspension. A person who gets a third summons after two guilty adjudications within 12 months cannot pay by mail and must appear in person.

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.

The statutes read do not provide a traffic-school dismissal. Instead, a driver who has held a license for more than three years and has had no other traffic violations in the preceding three years may ask the Traffic Tribunal to dismiss the violation based on a good driving record, paying a $35 administrative fee plus a $25 surcharge. The request must be made within six months of disposition. It is not available for speeding more than 14 mph over the limit, chemical test refusal, school bus or child restraint violations, violations involving a crash with damage or injury, or violations by commercial license holders or in a commercial vehicle. A judge may also order a driver to attend a rehabilitative driving course.

A Traffic Tribunal judge or magistrate may suspend or revoke a license as authorized for the violation, and may suspend the license and registration for willful failure to pay a fine previously imposed. Speeding can carry a suspension of up to 30 or 60 days. DUI and chemical test refusal carry suspensions set by statute. A judge may delay a suspension's effective date by up to 30 days unless it would create a substantial traffic safety hazard.