Pay Traffic Ticket in Utah

Pleading Guilty to Your UT Ticket

Opting to pay your UT traffic ticket outright is an admission of guilt, meaning you're pleading “guilty" to the violation.

Entering a “guilty" plea means:

  • Depending on your exact violation and your court, you might be able to avoid a court appearance and pay your ticket fine online or by mail.
  • The state will add points to your driving record.
    • The number depends on your specific offense.
  • You could face license suspension or revocation. This depends on:
    • The number of driving record points you accumulate.
    • The violation. Some offenses mean automatic suspension or revocation.
  • You're at risk for harsher penalties for more serious traffic violations, such as driving while under the influence.
  • It's likely your car insurance provider will increase your rates.

You face additional penalties for failing to pay or failing to appear in court by the deadline stated on your citation. Such penalties could include driver's license suspension and an arrest warrant. If you can't make the deadline or need to reschedule, contact the appropriate court.

Utah CDL Drivers & Traffic Tickets

As a CDL holder, if you choose to plead or are found “guilty" in court, you must notify:

  • Your employer within 30 days of the traffic ticket conviction.
  • Your driver's license agency within 30 days of the traffic ticket conviction IF you received it in another state.

You must make these notifications regardless of the type of vehicle you were driving at the time of receiving the vitiation.

Before you enter a “guilty" plea, note that depending on the offense commercial drivers sometimes more severe penalties than other drivers; for example, you could lose your commercial driver's license temporarily or permanently.

See the UT Commercial Driver License Handbook for more information.

How to Pay Your UT Traffic Ticket

Depending on your court and the offense, you may be able to pay your Utah traffic violation online, by mail, or in person.

Regardless of how you choose to pay your fine, you'll need your traffic ticket; if you've misplaced yours, jump over to our Lost Traffic Tickets in Utah page for help retrieving the information.

Online

Many courts in the state use Utah Courts ePayments; others accept online payments via their own individual websites. Check your presiding court's website for online payment information.

If you can't find your UT traffic ticket using the statewide system or your court's own website, contact your presiding court.

Other Payment Methods

Most courts accept payments by mail (as long as you aren't required to appear in court) and in person.

Check the payment options printed on your citation, and contact your court with any questions.

Tickets & Defensive Driving Courses

Your options—or requirements—regarding a defensive driving course depend on your situation, including your traffic offense.

The court might:

  • Allow you to complete a traffic school for ticket dismissal.
  • Require you to take a course to satisfy your traffic ticket.

You also might consider completing a course to reduce your driving record points (if eligible) and possibly get a discount on your car insurance rates.

Car Insurance Rates

Once you pay your Utah traffic ticket and check your driving record, contact your car insurance company and ask about how the violation will affect your rates. It's likely you'll see an increase in premiums the next time you renew your policy.

Get ahead of the added expense by shopping online to compare auto insurance rates.

Check Your Driving Record

No matter the outcome of your Utah traffic ticket—whether you plead “guilty" or fight the ticket in courtcheck your driving record to make sure:

  • It shows ONLY the correct traffic violation and the points associated with that violation.
    • Generally, your driving record shouldn't show tickets the court dismissed after you completed a defensive driving course.
    • Your record shouldn't show the violation if you were found “not guilty" in court.
  • Your driving privileges aren't at risk.
    • Check that the number of driving record points isn't close to or higher than the limit before license suspension.
    • Make sure your license wasn't suspended or revoked after the “guilty" plea or verdict (some offenses lead to automatic suspension); you can't legally driver with a suspended license.

Remember, your driving record keeps tabs on your driving history and negative information can affect multiple areas of your life—from your driving privileges to potential employment. So, it's important to check your driving record to make sure the information is accurate and take steps to correct it if it's not.

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