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How to Pay a Traffic Ticket in Tennessee
Citations or traffic tickets are issued in the State of Tennessee for various violations of traffic law. You must respond to a citation, usually by paying a fine or appearing in court, or else a warrant may be issued for your arrest and your driving license may be suspended.
If you wish to dispute the citation, you must appear in court personally on the scheduled date, and enter a "not guilty" plea. Appearing in court gives you an opportunity to fight the traffic ticket in front of a judge or jury, and most people prefer to hire a traffic ticket lawyer to defend them in court. For more information on how to dispute a traffic ticket in Tennessee, see our general section on Traffic Tickets and Violations.
PAYING A TRAFFIC TICKET - WHAT IT MEANS
When you pay a ticket, you are essentially pleading guilty to a traffic offense. Motorists should be aware that receiving and paying a traffic citation could result in higher car insurance rates and points on your driving record. Your license may be suspended if you accumulate too many points on your driving record.
HOW TO PAY THE FINE
If you decide to plead guilty to a traffic violation, there are several ways to pay the ticket. Generally, the back of the citation will clearly indicate the deadlines and options for answering the ticket. Usually, you must act within fifteen days of receiving a traffic ticket to avoid additional fines and possible suspension of your license.
- Pay online. Some county courts in Tennessee allow you to pay traffic tickets online. Payment options are usually given on the ticket. If not, you can call the contact number provided on the ticket for more information.
- Pay by mail. Read the instructions on the back of the ticket carefully, then check the "Guilty" box and sign the ticket. Enclose a check or money order for the amount indicated on the ticket and mail to the court where your ticket is answerable. Remember to include your citation number with the payment. Be sure to retain a copy of the citation for your personal records.
- Pay in person. You can pay your traffic tickets at the court where your ticket is answerable. Bring the citation with you along with cash, check, money order or credit card.
PLEADING NOT GUILTY
If you decide to plead not guilty and dispute the ticket, read the instructions on the back of the ticket carefully. The instructions will generally indicate when and how to plead not guilty, and information about appearing in court to dispute your ticket. See our general section on Traffic Tickets and Violations for more information about how to dispute a traffic ticket in Tennessee State.DISMISSAL OF CHARGES
Remember that you cannot be found guilty of committing a traffic offense unless there is clear, accurate and convincing evidence that you committed the violation. Charges may be dismissed in court if the citation includes vague or incorrect information. For instance, vehicle information, time, location and circumstances must all be indicated correctly on the ticket. Many motorists choose to consult with a traffic ticket attorney to help them evaluate the validity of the ticket, and whether or not it is likely to be dismissed in court.LOST TICKETS
If you lost a traffic ticket after receiving it, you must contact the court where the ticket is answerable. If you do not know the name of the appropriate court, contact the local Department of Safety (DOS) office or call DOS at (615) 741-3954.ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- For more information on how to handle your traffic tickets consult our Traffic Tickets and Violations and Traffic Ticket Attorneys pages.
Reviews of How to Pay a Traffic Ticket in Tennessee
the move over law in tennessee being a class b misdemeanor is totally ridiculous, especially if there wasn't any place to go. I received a citation while visiting sick in-laws in Warren county, on SR 70. there was a flatbed red semi next to me and i did not have any place to move over, unless I stopped traffic. the deputy said he didn't see the semi, only my car(with out of state tags). I don't live in tennessee, i live in florida, i contacted an attorney in florida who put me in touch with an attorney in Tn.
I was coming from an intersection with a red light, two lane road and there were cars in both lanes. The 2 deputies had someone else pulled over up ahead, but coming from the red light and the semi next to me, there was no where to go. I am fully aware of the pull over law, put it being a class b misdemeanor is not logical when i could not prevent the incident. As I passed the 2 deputies, the one in front(they were in 2 separate vehicles)didn't even turn his lights off, just pulled in behind me, while i was stopped about 8-10 other vehicles, with local tags, passed in the same lane and did not pull over. the other deputy made no attempt to stop any of those vehicles. the second deputy only got out of his vehicle 1 time and got right back in. Since I live in Florida and it is almost impossible for me to drive back up there for a court hearing, I am not saying that I did not pass, see, or was not aware of the law, it is in Fla, too, but it is only a moving violation. I have not had any tickets, accidents, or anything on my record and am very upset about this whole incident. It may be detrimental to by business and I feel it whole thing was unfair, out of state tags seemed to have something with the matter. SR 70 is only a 2 lane road(in each direction) and there is hardly anywhere to move over to when other traffic is beside you. I have hired an attorney for this matter, since I can not be in court. Seems the state of Tennessee doesn't like out of state visitors!