Texas Tickets Points & Fines

No matter how cautious a Texas motorist drives, there is always the chance of committing a driving error and receiving a traffic ticket, adding points to your record and having to pay fines.  Nearly every Texas driver will obtain a traffic ticket at least once in their lifetime.  When a Texas driver receives a traffic violation it is essential to follow the steps to remedying the situation to ensure that they do not jeopardize their driving privileges.  4DMV.com has a wealth of information including resources and publications as well as forms and links that will give you all the information you need to know in how to handle each situation whether its tickets, points or fines.

Texas Traffic Stops

  • When you look in your rear view mirror and find that you are being pulled over by Texas law enforcement, it is vital to respond properly.  The first thing to do is to begin to pull to the outside lane where you can find a safe location to pull onto the shoulder of the roadway you are on.  Once you have pulled over, remain in the car, take a deep breath and wait for the officer to approach your front passenger door.  At that time, the officer will ask you for you license, registration and proof of insurance.
If the officer finds it necessary to write a traffic ticket, he will then explain which traffic laws you violated and are being cited for.  You will be asked to sign the ticket and to verify your receipt of the ticket.  By you signing the ticket it is not an admission of guilt in any way.  Once you are given a copy of the citation you will then have 10 day to determine whether you would like to fight the ticket in court or pay your fees.  If you should decide to fight your ticket in court, it will be your responsibility to contact the court to make a court date.

Paying Your Ticket Fines

When it is time to pay your Texas traffic ticket, you can go about it in various ways.  You can pay the ticket or you can contest the ticket in court.  If you decide to go to the court to contest the ticket, you may find that if you are found guilty, you may face higher fines than should you have paid the ticket.  To pay your fines you have the option of:

  • Paying online at:
  • Paying by mail to the address shown on the ticket
  • Paying in person at issuing traffic court
For more severe charges such as a misdemeanor or a felony you will be required to show up in court.

Texas Traffic Schools

Some Texas traffic tickets can be removed with the completion of a traffic school.  While many drivers that are eligible for this take advantage of it as it lessens the points that appear on their Texas driving record.  There are state approved schools throughout Texas that can be located by contacting the traffic court within the county your ticket was issued or y.  For more information visit 4DMV.com’s section titled Traffic Schools.

If you decide that traffic school is the right decision for you, then you will need to pay prior to attending the course.  Once you have completed the course and received your certificate of passing you will then submit the certificate to the Texas Traffic Court that you must resolve your ticket through.  This will remove the ticket from your record, removing points and keep you in good graces with the Texas DMV.

Contesting A Ticket

When you sign the ticket, you are not admitting guilt and you do have 10 days to decide if you would like to fight the ticket in court.   Within those 10 days you have the option of contacting the court and/or seeking legal assistance to contest the ticket.  There are drivers that will be in the situation that they are not guilty of the actual violation they are being charged with which can decrease the costs of fines and saving your driving record from points accumulated against it.

To contest your ticket you will want to contest within the court of the county that you receive your ticket.  You will need to contact the court and schedule a court date so that you can present your case.

When you contest your ticket, you will you will go through a preliminary hearing.  This is the time that you will enter your plea and the officer’s evidence is heard.  In case a verdict is not determined at this time, a trial will be requested and you will be given a court date to appear to once again present your case.  If you find that you are in a serious situation, there are traffic law attorneys which will represent you in court and help to you fight your violation.

Effects on Your License

Texas has a point system in place that accumulates points against a driver’s record each time they receive a violation or traffic offense.  These points can affect you in a number of areas.  Many employers use a driving record as part of their prescreening.  If a driver has a lot of points, it can serious affect your with future and present employment and insurance and can even be a threat to losing your driving privileges.  Driver’s have the availability of obtaining their driving report through the Texas DMV or a 3rd party company that will provide a comprehensive report of your choice.  For more information on driving records, visit our section titled Driving Records.