Civil Traffic Cases

Once you have made a plea or have been found responsible of a violation, you have an obligation to pay your fines and fees in full on the date of sentencing. You can refer to the Bond Card for details on what the sanction (fine) amount will be.  See Payment Options page for additional information.

For some civil traffic charges, the charge may be dismissed, or the fines may be reduced or suspended when proof is filed and accepted by the Court. See the categories below for more information.  You will need to send the proof to the Court via email, mail, fax or you can bring the proof in person during the Court's walk-in hours.

Please include your case or complaint number and a current address with your correspondence.  When submitting proof, please send a copy and not your original. The Court does not mail back the proof after it is received.

If the charge is for no vehicle insurance, the charge may be reduced or dismissed by providing valid proof of an insurance policy to the court. The policy must cover the vehicle in question on the date and time of the alleged violation.

If the charge is for no vehicle registration, the charge may be dismissed or the fine may be reduced if you provide a valid copy of the vehicle registration.

If you believe you are not responsible for any of the cited violations, you may request the Court to set a date for a civil traffic hearing. Requesting a hearing may waive your ability to attend DDC.  If you are found responsible, the fine, if any, is due at the time of sentencing. The request can be made in person, by mail, fax, email, or online motion.

If you are unable to attend a civil traffic hearing in person, you may request a documentary hearing. A documentary hearing is where you submit your testimony in writing to the court. You must show why attending a civil traffic hearing would cause a hardship.

It is the defendant's responsibility to follow up with the Court to ensure that the payment or correspondence was received by the Court and that all charges have been resolved on or before the arraignment date.

If you are unable to resolve your case on or before the court date given to you by the officer, you may request a continuance by completing a motion to continue or appearing at the Scottsdale City Court. A motion to continue can be filed in person, by mail, fax or email, and the Court must receive the completed motion prior to the court date.

PLEASE NOTE: It is the defendant's responsibility to follow up with the Court to ensure that the payment or correspondence sent via mail was received by the Court and that all charges have been resolved on or before the arraignment date.

A default means a judgment has been entered in favor of the State of Arizona, which includes a fine and default fee per civil traffic violation as well as a time payment fee. A civil default judgment is entered when a person fails to appear for their scheduled court hearing and/or pay the fine assessed. A civil default may include additional civil sanctions, suspend driver’s license and prevent the registration of vehicle(s).  To resolve a default judgment, you can pay in full.  You may also attempt to resolve the default by applying for a payment plan or filing a motion.

The Court will send the case to a collection agency if you do not contact the court to resolve this matter. Additional collection fees will be assessed if your case goes into collections. The Court will notify the Arizona Department of Revenue for interception of your Arizona income tax refund, Arizona lottery winnings, and/or event wagering/fantasy sports winnings.  For cases that are in collections/FARE program, you can: pay in full, make partial payments on FARE website at Arizona Courts Online Payment.  You may apply for a one-time compliance assistance program payment plan.  See Arizona Court collections website for more information.