How to Respond to a Speeding Ticket in Michigan
Driver responsibility is part of the privilege of driving. Drivers are required to know the laws of the area they are driving in, including the speed limit. When a law officer pulls you over and issues a ticket for speeding in Michigan, you are given a verbal and written record of the charge. If you agree that you were not following the area's speed limit laws, you have a few options on paying the required fine. If you disagree with the charge, you have the right to appear in court to fight the ticket.
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Things You'll Need
- Traffic citation
- Address of court house
- Check or money order
- Appearance date
Instructions
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Read both the front and back of your traffic citation carefully. Decide whether you're going to plead guilty and pay the fine or plead not guilty and go to court to fight the charge.
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Call the telephone number of the court house on the back of your ticket. A recording will tell you the options you have to pay the ticket. You have to pay your fine within 15 days of receiving the ticket or you could be charged higher fees and lose your license.
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Sign your ticket and check the box that says "Guilty" if you're going to pay the fine. Mail the ticket with a check or money order to the district court that's on the ticket before the date it is due. If you don't want to mail it, you can take it to the district court house with your check or money order. A few district courts in Michigan allow you to pay traffic fines online, using your credit card. Check your speeding ticket to see if it's issued by a court that allows this.
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Go to the courthouse listed on your ticket to plead not guilty. An appearance date will be set up for you to explain why you should not have to pay the fine. The officer who issued the citation will also appear and introduce evidence that you were speeding.
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Tips & Warnings
Call the court right away if you lose your ticket.
Getting and paying a speeding ticket can cause your insurance rates to go up.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit truck speeding down the street image by Larry Roberg from Fotolia.com
