If you have received a citation for a traffic violation in Maryland, you have a few ways of taking care of it.
- Option A: You can pay the full fine and plead guilty. Within this option, you can pay online, you can call it in, you can pay by mail, you can pay in person at any local District Court or you can pay using the Maryland Uniform Traffic Citation Payment Kiosk, which is at the local Motor Vehicle Administration office.
- Option B: You can enter into a payment plan. It is important to understand that if you have more than one traffic violation, you will have to open separate payment plans for each one. You will qualify for a payment plan if you have at least $150 in outstanding fines. If you intend to request a payment plan, you will need to check off the box for “request a Payment Plan” on the citation for each violation (one citation for one violation), put the date on the bottom of the citation, and mail the citation within 30 days to the address that is provided.
- Option C: This option is to request a waiver hearing so that you can plead guilty with an explanation. If this is the option that you choose, you will check the box that says, “Request a Waiver Hearing” on the citation. You will then sign and date the citation and mail it to the District Court Traffic Processing Center.
- Option D: This option allows you to request a trial so that you can plead, “not guilty.” If this is the option that you choose, check off the “Request a Trial” box on the citation, sign and date the citation and mail it to the District Court Traffic Processing Center.
What happens if you lose the citation that the officer gave you?
If you lose your citation, you can fill out a form, “Lost or Missing Citation Option Form and select any of the options that were mentioned above. It is important to remember that if you plead guilty, there may be points involved on your license. If you don’t respond to the citation within 30 days, the district court will begin proceedings to suspend your driver’s license. If the officer didn’t check the box, “This is a payable citation” on your citation, you must appear in court. In that case, you will receive information through the mail regarding the date of the trial.
Solid advice from an experienced Maryland attorney
If you have received a citation for a traffic violation, your life will be affected. And, if you have multiple tickets, your driving privileges could be in jeopardy. That is why the advice of an experienced Annapolis, Maryland, attorney may make a big difference to your case. Your attorney can walk you through the process and can make sure that your rights are protected. Hopefully, the end result will not be too harsh and you can move on with your life.