In Defense of a Good Defense

First Time Offender: What To Know About Traffic Violations

Traffic violations are frustrating and inconvenient to deal with. If you have been pulled over for speeding or committing some other form of a traffic violation, you will have to take some steps to deal with your ticket. If you have never dealt with a traffic violation matter before, here are some things you need to know:

Make Contact

To begin dealing with your traffic violation, you need to call the phone number located on your ticket. You may initially have to choose from different options on an automated menu system. You should choose the option that seems to best provide you with information to deal with your ticket.

You should be able to find out how much your ticket cost if you need to attend court, how to contest the ticket, and so on. If you cannot find out all the information you need from the automated system, you should have an option to hold and speak to a person for specific answers about your case.  

Pay the Ticket Fine

Depending on the nature of your offense, the amount of your fine can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. Your state may require you to pay your ticket in person or may allow you to mail your payment in. You might even be able to pay your fine online. This is a question you will need to ask when you call.

Go to Court

If you intend to contest your ticket, you will have to go to court. If you have never contested a ticket before, it might be best to contact an attorney to find out what you need to bring to court. You should plan to be in court for many hours because you will essentially have to wait in line for your turn. Depending on the caseload, your wait may be substantial. You do not have to have an attorney with you, but you can bring one if you wish to do so.  

A benefit of working with an attorney is the fact that there are some aspects of your traffic violation you will not have to do yourself. Your attorney will help you fight your violation in court if needed. Working with an attorney makes the process more streamlined and simpler for you.

If you are dealing with a traffic violation for the first time, you should at least seek out a free consultation with an attorney who works with traffic issues, such as Tolbert & Tolbert, LLP. You can get some questions answered and gain the information you need to get started.


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