MARICOPA COUNTY JUSTICE COURTS
Visit us at justicecourts.maricopa.gov
COURT HOURS
Monday through Friday
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Except legal holidays observed by Maricopa County
See back of envelope or visit our website for court
locations & addresses.
You have just received a traffic complaint. This guide
explains your options. You must respond to the court
or, if eligible, use one of the options on or before the
date and time indicated on your traffic complaint.
CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS – Failure to appear for a
criminal violation will result in suspension of your driver
license, an additional misdemeanor charge of failure to
appear in the second degree, and a warrant issued for
your arrest (contact the court to inquire about virtual
appearances). Additional fines and penalties may be
incurred.
WARNING - Failure to respond to your complaint may
result in the following enforcement actions: default
judgment entered and reported to the Arizona Motor
Vehicle Division, prevention of your ability to renew
vehicle registration, assessment of additional fees, tax
refund, lottery and gaming interception, and the use of a
collection agency.
UNDER AGE 18 - If you are under age 18, you must
appear in court (contact the court to inquire about virtual
appearances) with a parent or guardian on or before
the date and time listed on your complaint.
For Civil Traffic Violations, choose and complete one of
the three options below on or before your court date.
YOUR OPTIONS
Plead “Responsible” to violation(s)
Plead “Not Responsible” to violation(s)
Attend Defensive Driving School at least
seven days prior to your court date.
**If you have multiple violations on your civil
traffic complaint, you will need to indicate a
choice for each violation.
List of Violations, Payment Amounts, and
Class Eligibility
RED LIGHT VIOLATIONS 28-645A3A or 28-647.1
The penalty amount is $180.00. If you plead
responsible or are found responsible for this charge,
MVD will direct you to attend Traffic Survival School
at your expense in addition to paying the court fine.
CHILD PASSENGER RESTRAINT
28-907A or 28-907B – The penalty amount is
$137.50. If the vehicle was not equipped with a child
restraint, you may provide the court proof that you
have installed an acceptable child restraint and the
fine will be suspended in accordance with state law.
VEHICLE REGISTRATION 28-2532A - If you do not
provide proof of registration to the court, the penalty
amount is $585.00. If you provide proof of current
registration to the court, the violation will be
dismissed.
NO DRIVER LICENSE IN POSSESSION
28-3169A – If you provide proof of a valid driver
license at the time of the violation, the charge will be
dismissed. Otherwise the penalty amount is $155.50.
PROOF OF INSURANCE 28-4135A, B, OR C - If the
vehicle you were driving was not insured at the time
of the violation, you must appear in court on or before
the date and time listed on your complaint (contact
the court first to inquire about virtual appearances).
Penalties range from $943.00 to $1838.00 and a
driver license and vehicle registration suspension
ranging from 3 months to 12 months. The court may
waive the license suspension and the monetary
penalty if proof that a minimum six-month vehicle
insurance policy has been purchased and the person
presents to the court an MVD driver license record
showing no insurance violations within the last 24
months or one violation within the last 36 months.
PROOF OF INSURANCE 28-4135B, OR 28-4135C
ONLY - If the vehicle you were driving was insured
at the time of the violation, please provide proof to
the court and the charge will be dismissed.
Plea by Mail, Walk-In, Online Options
MAIL - Complete this form and mail it with payment AND a copy
of your complaint at least five days prior to court date.
WALK-IN – Appear in court on the court date and time indicated
on your citation (contact the court to inquire about virtual
appearances). Bring any proof at this time, if applicable.
ONLINE – See below to pay with credit or debit card.
Complaint Number (located on top of your complaint)
_________________________________________________
Name____________________________________________
Address__________________________________________
City______________State_____Zip Code_______________
Phone #__________________________________________
For violation A I plead:
(__)Responsible (__)Not Responsible (__)Driving Class
For violation B I plead:
(__)Responsible (__)Not Responsible (__)Driving Class
For violation C I plead:
(__)Responsible (__)Not Responsible (__)Driving Class
For violation D I plead:
(__)Responsible (__)Not Responsible (__)Driving Class
For violation E I plead:
(__)Responsible (__)Not Responsible (__)Driving Class
Enter amounts for violations to which you plead “responsible”:
$ ________________ Violation A
$ ________________ Violation B
$ ________________ Violation C
$ ________________ Violation D
$ ________________ Violation E
$ ________________ (Additional $50 required by law for default and time
payment fees if payment will reach the court after your court date)
$ __________ Total payment
Enclose a check or money order. DO NOT mail cash.
See below to pay online by credit or debit card.
IMPORTANT: I understand that if I request a hearing (video,
phone, or in person) but fail to appear I will be found responsible
by default, and that if I attend Defensive Driving School I waive my
right to a hearing. I certify that I am 18 years of age or older.
Signature____________________________ Date_________
Pay your civil traffic violations with card
by scanning the QR code or visiting:
justicecourts.maricopa.gov
Revised: 3-27-2023
Option 1
Enrolling and Attending
Defensive Driving School
You may be eligible to attend an Arizona Supreme
Court certified defensive driving school diversion
course instead of paying the penalty on a moving
violation if you meet all of the following criteria:
You have not attended a defensive driving school
in the last 12 months (based on violation date).
Your complaint does not involve an accident that
resulted in a serious injury or death of any persons.
You are age 18 or over. If you are under 18 you
must appear with a parent or guardian on or before
the court date and time listed on your complaint
(contact the court to inquire about virtual
appearances).
You are a Commercial Driver License (CDL) holder
cited while driving a non-commercial vehicle.*
*CDL holders – After successful completion of an
Arizona certified defensive driving program, the
court is required to forward the record of judgment
to the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division; however, no
points are assessed to the driver’s record.
IMPORTANT: You may attend a defensive driving
class for only one of the violations instead of paying
the court penalty. You must choose a plea on the
others.
OUT OF STATE RESIDENTS - You may be eligible
to participate in this program and attend a class on
the internet or attend at a location that is closer to
your home.
The Arizona Supreme Court maintains a list of
certified defensive driving schools. You may visit
www.azdrive.com and enroll online or access the
list by calling 1-888-334-5565. Enroll promptly to
ensure completion of the class at least 7 days prior
to the court date listed on your complaint. If you
cannot complete class in time, you must contact the
court on or before your court date to request an
extension.
Option 2
Pleading Responsible
Agreeing to Pay the Traffic Complaint
If you do not wish to contest the violations listed on
your civil complaint and you would like to plead
“Responsible”, you must choose an option listed
below.
Pay online: go to justicecourts.maricopa.gov. You
will need to enter your driver license number and
name exactly as it appears on the citation. Payments
may take up to 24 hours to process.
Pay by mail: visit justicecourts.maricopa.gov for
specific traffic citation violation penalty amounts.
Complete and mail the attached form, a copy of the
complaint, and payment in the envelope provided.
Please allow 5 days prior to the court date for
mailing to avoid late charges.
Appear on your court date: attend court on the date
and time listed on your complaint (contact the court
to inquire about virtual appearances). Inform the
court of your decision to plead “Responsible”. The
court will advise you of the fine amounts for each
charge and you will be required to pay the court by
the end of the day. If you are unable to pay that
day, you may be eligible for a payment plan or
payment alternatives. Please contact the court for
more information. Do not ignore your responsibility
to pay, as this may result in additional penalties and
costs to you.
WARNING - Failure to pay timely or failure to
respond to the court will result in a $30 default fee
and a $20 time payment fee added to the total
amount you owe. Other enforcement actions may
also be taken as listed in the “Warning” on the front
of this page. If you fail to appear in court, a
default judgment will be entered against you
and reported to the Arizona Motor Vehicle
Division.
**If your civil traffic ticket/complaint lists multiple
violations you will need to indicate a choice for each
violation.
Option 3
Pleading Not Responsible
(Request To Challenge the Traffic Complaint)
If you believe that you are not responsible for having
committed the alleged violation(s) OR you would like
to provide testimony to the court regarding the
violations, you will need to enter a plea of “Not
Responsible”. When you plead “Not Responsible”
the court will schedule your case for a hearing at a
later date where the citing officer will tell the judge
why he or she cited you and you can tell the judge
why you feel you were not responsible for the
violation(s). You may question the officer and any
witnesses during the hearing. The judge will
determine if you are “Responsible” or “Not
Responsible”. To enter a plea of “Not Responsible”
and schedule a hearing, choose one of the options
listed below.
Mail the form from this page to the court indicating
the violation(s) where you wish to plead “Not
Responsible” and the court will mail you notification
of your hearing date.
Appear in court at the time and date listed on your
complaint (contact the court to inquire about virtual
appearances). Advise the court of your decision to
plead “Not Responsible” for any violation(s). The
court will schedule your hearing for a later date when
you and the citing officer will appear.
Failure to appear in court on your hearing date will
result in a default judgment for any violation(s) listed
on the complaint that have been unanswered, and a
$30 default fee and a $20 time payment fee will be
added to the penalty total amount.
WARNING - If you request a hearing to contest a
charge, you waive your opportunity to participate in
the Defensive Driving Program for that charge.
WARNING – If you are found responsible at the
conclusion of a hearing, the judge may impose a fine
amount higher or lower based upon the facts
presented in the case.
Revised: 3-27-2023
