How do I know which type of ticket I have?

If you park or leave your car somewhere and there is a ticket on the windshield when you get back, this is probably a parking ticket (although some agencies will issue “fix-it” tickets for parked cars with visible mechanical issues or expired registration tags). Parking tickets are the least serious type of ticket and do NOT involve the courts.

If you get pulled over and get a ticket while driving, it is an infraction or a misdemeanor ticket. Usually you get these tickets from a law enforcement officer who pulls you over on the road for a violation you committed while driving.

    An infraction ticket will instruct you to either pay a fine, or appear in court on a particular date and time if you want to challenge the ticket or can’t pay the fine.
    For a misdemeanor ticket, you MUST appear in court on the date and time shown or a warrant will be issued for your arrest. (That’s why the ticket is also called a “Notice to Appear”).

NOTE: For some misdemeanor violations (for example, a DUI), the police may arrest you on the spot and take you into custody. You may need to pay bail and/or sign a promise to appear in court before the police let you go. Afterward, you MUST appear in court on the date and time assigned to you in the promise to appear.

Tickets related to your car equipment, registration, insurance, or driver license are usually infraction tickets. Sometimes you can get the ticket dismissed if you correct the problem that you were cited for (also called a “fix-it” ticket or “correctable violation”).

IMPORTANT: When you sign any ticket, you are making a promise to do something—pay the fine, appear in court, and/or correct the problem as required by the ticket.

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