How to Pay Traffic Tickets in Montana
Completing the process of paying driving fines in Montana, instead of contesting a traffic ticket in court, is often the less expensive option, since courts generally set additional costs and surcharges.
Therefore, drivers who are unable to beat a traffic ticket in MT through the state court system often choose to provide their traffic tickets payments in order to avoid paying more than their base traffic fine. Review several methods of paying a speeding ticket and other types of citations, and learn how to fight traffic tickets in Montana in the sections outlined below:
- How to pay a traffic ticket fine in Montana
- Montana traffic ticket attorneys
- Pleading not guilty in Montana
- Dismissal of charges in Montana
- Lost tickets in Montana
How to Pay a Traffic Ticket Fine in Montana
The procedure to pay driving tickets in Montana generally varies based on the practices of the court that is processing your traffic citation. For example, while paying traffic tickets online in MT is the fastest way to settle the issue, not all courts offer this option.
However, if you are unable to pay traffic fines online, you will still be able to submit your driving fine payment in person or by mail.
Note: To settle certain types of traffic violation tickets, drivers will be required to make a court appearance.
Paying a Montana Ticket Online
Drivers who are eligible for the option to pay traffic ticket online in Montana can generally complete the procedure by accessing the corresponding ticket payment service through the website of the corresponding court. A large number of courts accept online ticket violation payments in MT via the CitePayUSA platform.
To finalize the procedure to pay traffic citations online in MT, motorists will first be asked to provide their traffic ticket number for identification purposes. Then, they will be prompted to submit their traffic fine payment with a valid credit or debit card.
Note: CitePayUSA generally charges an additional convenience fee of five percent of the paid fine amount.
Paying a Montana Ticket by Mail and in Person
Motorists who cannot submit their traffic citation payments in Montana via the internet, and those who would like to pay via more conventional methods, can also complete the payment procedure by mail and in person.
Prior to paying traffic fines via these methods, check your traffic citation to learn where to pay traffic tickets in MT, and to review the acceptable forms of payment.
Montana Traffic Ticket Attorneys
If you choose the option to fight traffic tickets in Montana, you can ensure the success of your plea by hiring a traffic ticket attorney.
A traffic citation lawyer can guide you through every step of the process of fighting traffic tickets in MT. For instance, if you are granted the option for a pretrial hearing, an experienced lawyer can help you negotiate agreeable settlement terms and avoid going to trial.
If you choose to present a traffic ticket defense before a judge, on the other hand, a good lawyer can help you avoid paying the traffic fine and a conviction on your driving record. In such cases, your car insurance rates will remain unaffected as well.
You can hire a qualified lawyer easily online by submitting a snapshot of your ticket and answering some basic questions about the citation.
Pleading Not Guilty in Montana
Submitting a plea of “not guilty” and contesting a traffic ticket in Montana is a process that can generally be initiated by appearing at court on the date displayed on your traffic citation.
During your first appearance, the court will set your pretrial hearing date and your official trial date. If you do not resolve your MT traffic ticket issue with the state prosecutor during your pretrial hearing, you can start preparing your traffic citation defense in the weeks leading up to your official trial.
After hearing your reasons to fight traffic fines in MT, and reviewing the submitted evidence and witness testimonies, the judge or the jury will render a decision regarding your case.
If you fail to successfully dismiss traffic tickets in MT through the state court system, you will be required to pay the driving fine amount in its entirety and a conviction of the offense will be recorded on your driver’s record. For this reason, hiring an experienced attorney is important. You can find the best attorney for your case quickly and conveniently online.
Note: The steps in the procedure to fight traffic citations in MT outlined above may vary based on the practices of the court that is handling your case.
Dismissal of Charges in Montana
Drivers who were incorrectly issued a Montana traffic citation have the right to request a ticket dismissal, since a citation which contains incorrect information can lead to doubt regarding the traffic violation. Therefore, prior to initiating the process of fighting traffic fines in MT or the procedure to pay the ticket, carefully check the accuracy of the citation.
Note that certain courts also allow drivers to enroll in a state-approved defensive driving course for purposes of ticket dismissal. Contact the court that is processing your case to inquire of whether or not you can dismiss traffic citations in MT in this manner.
Lost Tickets in Montana
If you lose your Montana traffic ticket, you may encounter certain difficulties when initiating the procedures to dispute traffic tickets or paying traffic fines in MT.
The best course of action in such circumstances is to contact the presiding court and provide the clerk with the necessary identifying information. When the court clerk retrieves your traffic citation based on your name, birth of date and driving license number, you can resume the process of settling a ticket within the state.