Fines and Payments

Payment Instructions

You must send payment to, or appear at, the exact JP precinct and place number indicated on your ticket on or before the specified court date and time. Due to limited courtroom seating, crowded waiting areas and long service lines, please do not bring small children to court.

Failure to appear or pay on or before your court date, may result in a warrant being issued for your arrest and a charge of “failure to appear” or “violate promise to appear” may also be filed against you with a possible fine amount of up to $500 for each offense.

Right to Take a Driving Safety Course

You may be able to require that this charge be dismissed by successfully completing a driving safety course or a motorcycle operator training course. You will lose that right if, on or before your appearance date, you do not provide the court notice of your request to take the course. You must enter a plea of guilty or no contest and provide proof of liability insurance and have a valid Texas Driver's License or Permit and pay the required court cost at the time your request is made. You must make your request on or before your court date. Certain violation restrictions apply. 

Do not take a driving safety course without pre-approval from the exact court listed on your ticket. 

Pre-Court Date Options

  • Pay all fines and/or fees to the court by mail or in person.  No checks accepted. 
  • Request to take a driving safety course and pay the court costs of $137, or $162 on offenses committed in school zone. (NOTE: All DSC qualifications referenced above must be met.)
  • Submit proof of valid insurance (at time of the offense) for dismissal at no cost.
  • Expired Driver's License: Submit proof that driver's license was renewed within 20 days of offense by first court appearance and pay $22 dismissal fee.
  • Fail to Produce Driver's License: Submit proof in court of valid driver's license and pay $12 dismissal fee.
  • No Registration: Submit proof that remedied within 10 days of offense, or submit proof registration was purchased but not attached, and pay $12 dismissal fee
  • Expired Registration: Submit proof that registration was renewed within 20 days from date of violation or prior to first court appearance, plus proof penalty fee paid to tax assessor and  pay $22 dismissal fee.
  • Fail to Change Address: Submit proof that address was changed within 20 days of offense, and pay $22 dismissal fee.
  • There are similar remedies and dismissal fees applicable to various violations including: DL restriction, watercraft and commercial vehicles. Please see our website for a complete listing of these statutes.

Submitting A Payment 

Refer to the Ticket Fine Schedule to determine the total in fine amounts for all violations indicated on your ticket. Scheduled fines include mandatory state and county court costs. If your particular violation is not listed, or if you have any questions, call the court indicated on your ticket on or before the court date. 

Payments by mail are considered a guilty plea and waiver of trial by judge or jury. If paying by mail, send a money order or cashier's check payable to the JP precinct number indicated on your ticket, and mail it with the return reply form and a copy of your ticket to the court's address listed on the Justice of the Peace homepage. Do not mail cash. If paying in person, only cash, cashier's checks, and money orders will be accepted. No checks.

Liability Insurance Information

A second or subsequent conviction of an offense under the Texas Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act will result in the suspension of your Driver's License and Motor Vehicle Registration unless you file and maintain evidence of financial responsibility with the Department of Public Safety for two (2) years from the date of conviction. The Department may waive the requirement to file evidence of financial responsibility if you file satisfactory evidence with the Department showing that at the time this citation was issued, the vehicle was covered by a motor vehicle liability insurance policy or that you were otherwise exempt from the requirements to provide evidence of financial responsibility.

A  conviction of an offense under traffic laws of this state or a political subdivision of this state may result in the assessment on your driver's license of a surcharge under the drivers responsibility program.