Plea Options

After you are issued a traffic citation, you must enter a plea by the appearance date located at the bottom of your citation. You have 3 options for each violation shown on your ticket. You may enter a plea of:

• Nolo Contendere (No Contest)
• Guilty
• Not Guilty

Please Note: You may be issued more than 1 violation per citation. You may enter a plea on each violation by signing the back of the green citation. Only the person who received the ticket can sign the plea form. You can make your plea either in person, by mail, or online.

Nolo Contendere (No Contest)

A plea of nolo contendere means that you do not contest the charges filed against you and you are waiving your right to a trial by judge or jury.

When you enter a no contest plea, you must pay the fine specified for the violation. Either bring or mail the fine payment to the court. Payment must be received before your due date at the bottom of your ticket.

Guilty

By entering a plea of guilty, you admit that the act is prohibited by law, that you committed the act charged, and you are waiving your right to a trial by judge or jury.

When you plead guilty to a violation, you must pay the fine specified for the violation. Either bring or mail the fine payment to the court. Payment must be received before your due date at the bottom of your ticket.

Not Guilty

A plea of not guilty means that you are informing the court that you are not guilty of the offense in which you were accused. You must plead not guilty in the presence of the judge in open court. When entering a plea of not guilty, please inform the judge whether you want a trial by judge or jury.

What If I Do Not Make a Plea or Ignore My Ticket?

If you fail to make a plea for each violation shown on your ticket, a warrant can be issued for your arrest. For more information on warrants and how to resolve them, please refer to the Warrants page.