Traffic Tickets

If you received a traffic violation, you have three options to choose from to resolve your ticket:

  • Attend Defensive Driving School
  • Pay your fine associated with the ticket
  • Request a hearing to dispute your ticket

Traffic Violation Information

Read this information carefully. You may be able to resolve your complaint without having to appear in court

  1. If you are a JUVENILE (under 18 years of age), regardless of your charge, you must appear in person on your initial appearance date WITH A PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN.
  2. If you are an adult (18 years of age or older) and charged with any criminal traffic or criminal offense, you MUST appear in person on your initial appearance date and go before a judge.
  3. If you are an adult (18 years of age or older) and charged with a civil traffic offense, you may:

Admit Responsibility: Pay fine by mail, in person or online, on or before the date listed on your citation. (to pay online click HERE.  An online fee will be assessed);

Attend Defensive Driving School: This will only dismiss one moving violation.  Please follow the instructions listed below;

Deny Responsibility: You may request a hearing.  Please follow the Instructions listed below.

FAILURE TO RESPOND on a civil traffic complaint by the appearance date will result in a default judgment against you for the bond/fine amount, plus a late and default fee of $70. Your driver license will be suspended until the fine/sanction and fees are paid in full.

FAILURE TO APPEAR by the appearance date on the citation for a Criminal or Criminal Traffic charge will result in a warrant being issued for your arrest and your driver license being suspended.

NOTICE: Per ARS 12-116, a $20 onetime fee will be added to each citation not paid in full on the date Court imposes sanctions.

Any unpaid balance may be turned over to a collection agency and/or tax intercept program and collection fees will be assessed.

Equipment Repair Violations

  • If you were cited for any of the following charges: ARS   28-924A, 28-925A, 28-931C, 28-939, 28-941, 28-952, 28-956, 28-957B or 28-957.01A

Mandatory Insurance

  • Violation of ARS §28-4135A,B,C
    If you had insurance on the date cited on the vehicle you were driving or any vehicle where you are the named insured, mail proof of insurance (to reach the court on or before your court date) and the charge will be dismissed.
    OR
    Fine may be reduced to $133 with proof of a six-month insurance policy and a Motor Vehicle Record showing no 28-4135 violations within the past 24 months or no more than one 28-4135 violation in the past 36 months.

Registration Violations

  • 28-2158C ....................................................................$156
    (No Registration in possession) – Fine may be suspended if you show proof vehicle was registered on violation date, but didn’t have it in possession.
  • 28-2153A ....................................................................$166
    (No current registration/expired registration) -  May be suspended if defendant shows proof they do not own the vehicle or may be reduced to $78 with proof vehicle was registered after violation date.
  • 28-2532A ....................................................................$585
    (No current plates/registration) - May be reduced to $133 with proof vehicle was registered after violation date. 
  • 28-4139A ....................................................................$493
    (Display plate suspended for financial responsibility)  - May be reduced to $136 with proof of insurance on the vehicle you were driving and obtaining a valid registration after you were citied. 

Bond/Fine Schedule

  • View the current Bond/Fine Schedule(PDF, 64KB).
    Pursuant to  A.R.S: §§12-116.04 (A), an additional $13 assessment has been added to all violations that occur on or after July 20, 2011 to which state surcharges currently apply.

Admit Responsibility: Pay the Fine by Mail

  • If you wish to admit responsibility (civil traffic charges only) and pay your fine, without appearing in court, payment must be received prior to your court date (located on bottom of citation). Points will be assessed on your driver license by MVD for moving violations.
  • Refer to the bond/fine schedule(PDF, 64KB) for your fine amount. Add  $25 to your total fine for a Court Security Fee per Town Ordinance (O) 10-3, section 5-5-1(A)
  • To pay by mail, complete the Admit Responsiblity (Civil Traffic) form(PDF, 80KB) and mail to Oro Valley Magistrate Court with payment in full.  Or pay online (an online fee will be assessed) using the online payment system.

 

Defensive Driving School

You may have received more than one charge on your Arizona Traffic Ticket and Complaint Form. If you qualify for the defensive driving program option, it may be applied to only one eligible traffic charge. You must appear in court or pay the fines for any additional charges.

Advantages

  • You will not have to go to court for one traffic charge. 
  • The eligible charge will be dismissed. 
  • You will receive no points against your Driver License for that charge. Points may increase insurance premiums and may result in a Driver License suspension. 
  • You will not have to pay a fine for that charge.  

Eligibility

You are eligible if you meet all of the following criteria:

  • You have not attended a Defensive Driving School within 12 months from the date of your last violation for which you were authorized to attend a defensive driving school.
  • A violation code on your complaint matches one that is listed in the “Violations Eligible for Defensive Driving Program” section on the Bond Card (PDF). 
  • Your traffic charge did not result from an accident involving serious physical injury or death. 
  • As of 9/1/19, a commercial driver license holder MAY be able to attend defensive driving school providing the holder was driving a vehicle requiring a Class D or M license and the vehicle was not being used for commercial purposes. A.R.S. §28-3392 2(b). 

What to do 

  • If you are eligible to attend Defensive Driving School for diversion, you may only attend an Arizona Supreme Court certified school. 
  • If you wish to attend class in a state other than Arizona OR would like to take an ONLINE class, you may do so by contacting one of the Supreme Court certified schools. 
  • Visit www.azdrive.comlinks to external site OR 
  • Call the Defensive Driving School information line at 1-888-334-5565 (automated response only; there is no option to speak to a representative) 

You must register and complete the class at least 7 days prior to the court appearance date on the complaint or extension notice.  It can take several days for processing of registrations and completions to be completed, so please allow sufficient time for this processing to occur.

Failure to complete the defensive driving class at least seven days prior to your court appearance date may result in the entry of a default judgment and/or your driver license suspension with additional monetary penalties being imposed.

Red Light Violations: Persons found responsible or entering a plea of responsible for red light traffic control signals, including flashing stop signal violations, will be ordered by the Motor Vehicle Division to attend and successfully complete Traffic Survival School or suffer suspension of your driving privileges. 

Driving without Insurance

I received a Driving Without Insurance suspension, what do I do?

The following is important information for you to know if you have received a driver license and/or registration suspension for driving without insurance pursuant to ARS § 28-4135A, 28-4135B or 28-4135C.

Effective September 30, 2009, Arizona Revised Statute (A.R.S.) §  28-4135 requires the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) to administratively suspend the driver license and registration of any person convicted of a violation of A.R.S.§ 28-4135 (A), (B) and (C) upon receipt of the abstract of the record of judgment.  The monetary penalties associated with the violations of the above referenced statute remain the same and are:

  • $938 + surcharges and court fees, for a first offense 
  • $1383 + surcharges and court fees, for a second offense 
  • $1828 + surcharges and court fees, for a third offense

Effective September 30, 2009, the statute also allows the court to reduce or waive the penalty imposed for a violation of A.R.S. § 28-4135 if the person provides proof of both the following items:

  1. The defendant (driver) has not been found responsible of a violation of A.R.S. § 28-4135 within the past 24 months OR has not had more than one violation of A.R.S. § 28-4135 within the past 36 months as evidenced by the person's driving record.
  2. The defendant has purchased a six month policy of insurance that meets the requirements of A.R.S. § 28-4009.

The statue allows the courts to:

  • waive the monetary penalty
  • waive only the driver license suspension
  • waive only the registration suspension
  • waive both the driver license suspension and the monetary penalty 
  • waive both the dirver license suspension and registration suspension
  • impose a lower monetary penalty, or
  • any combination of the items listed here

Upon receipt of the record of judgment, MVD is responsible for entering a suspension of the defendant's driver's license and/or registration/plates in their system.  In order to ensure that the defendant is in compliance with the suspension and to receive timely notification from MVD, the defendant must ensure that MVD has their most current address.

The suspension of the defendant's driver's license/registration/plates is not effective until MVD mails the Corrective Action Notice to the address of record.  Service of the notice is considered complete upon the mailing of the Corrective Action Notice.  The Corrective Action Notice will provide information of the effective date for the suspension and reinstatement requirements (e.g., fees, SR22, proof of insurance, etc.).

Defendants may be eligible for a MVD issued restricted license if they obtain a SR22, proof of insurance and they comply with the additional criteria established by the MVD.

To determine eligibility and for any other questions regarding suspension, defendants should contact MVD at:

TTD Systems Only:     Phoenix (602) 712-3222   |  Elsewhere in Arizona 1-800-251-5866

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