Traffic FAQs at 52-3 District Court

• You may pay tickets online if you wish to admit responsibility without an explanation (on certain civil infraction tickets).
• If you wish to deny responsibility, please see statement regarding informal hearing requests in the Traffic section.

• Defective Equipment
• Registration Violations (No Proof or Unsigned)
• No Operator's License on Person

If you have an officer sign off your ticket and return it to the court within 10 days of the issued date, the fines and costs will be waived. You are still responsible/guilty of the offense.

Defective Equipment, No Proof of Registration and No Operator's License on Person are not reportable to Secretary of State.

An Informal Hearing consists of the Magistrate, the respondent and the police officer who issued the ticket. Attorneys are not allowed to participate in an Informal Hearing. Both individuals are placed under oath and the Magistrate listens to the testimony. The burden of proving the defendant responsible is on the police officer, who is also called the plaintiff.

The plaintiff must prove by a preponderance of the evidence, or that it is more likely than not, that the respondent is responsible for the alleged traffic violation. The respondent is also entitled to testify, including having witnesses testify on his/her behalf.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the Magistrate will make a determination of responsible or not responsible. If either party is not satisfied with the outcome, the case may be appealed within seven days of the Informal Hearing to a Formal Hearing, which will then be sent to the Criminal Division and held before a District Judge.

If the decision is appealed by the respondent, a cash bond must be posted in the amount of the fine. A notice of the formal hearing will be mailed to the respondent within approximately two months.

A Formal Hearing is held before a District Court Judge. At the formal hearing, the respondent may be represented by an attorney, and the prosecutor will represent the plaintiff's case.

If a response is not made within 14 days of the issuance of the ticket, or if the respondent fails to appear for a scheduled hearing, a default judgment is entered. Once a default judgment is entered, a $35 default fee is added to the price of the ticket.

Within 14 days of being notified of the default judgment, the respondent must either pay the fine, plus the $35 default fee, or file a Motion to Set Aside the Default Judgment and Order - CIA04.