Respond to a Criminal Charge/Traffic Citation

To respond to a charge or traffic citation, you must submit a written plea regarding the alleged offense by the 'on or before' date on your citation. Use a form below to submit a Plea to the appropriate court, also listed on the citation. 

• Plea Form (PDF) for Precinct 1
• Plea Form (PDF) for Precinct 2
• Plea Form (PDF) for Precinct 3
• Plea Form (PDF) for Precinct 4

Plea Definitions

• No Contest: You do not contest the charge, but you do not admit guilt. You agree to waive the right to trial and pay the fine and costs.
• Guilty: You do not contest the charge, and you admit guilt. You agree to waive the right to trial and pay the fine or costs.
• Not Guilty: You intend to contest the charge against you. You must decide whether you will want a trial by judge or a trial by jury. Your case will then be scheduled for trial, and you will be mailed and/or emailed notice of when to appear for a pretrial hearing.
  • A pretrial hearing is an opportunity to meet with the prosecutor to discuss a possible resolution prior to the actual trial.
    • You are not required to discuss the matter with the prosecutor prior to trial, but failure to reach an agreement prior to trial will require your appearance at trial. Failing to appear for trial may result in a warrant being issued for your arrest.

Juveniles and Minors Must Attend Plea Hearings

• Juveniles (16 years or younger) must appear in court with a parent or guardian to enter a plea to any charge. 
• Minors (17 - 20 years) with alcohol or tobacco charges must appear in court to enter a plea to the charge. 
• Notification will be sent by mail of the date and time to appear for a plea hearing. 
  • This hearing date will replace the appearance date indicated on the citation. 

Traffic Citation Disposition Options - Plea of No Contest or Guilty 

Pay citations in full: Appear in person, pay online, or mail in payment. Submitting full payment for your fine and costs constitutes a plea of ‘No Contest’ and the offense will be reported as a conviction.

• Visit our Justice Courts online payment center. Check your citation for Precinct information. Payments to the wrong precinct will delay processing.

Extension to pay in full or payment plan: Enter your plea in writing and submit it to the court by your due date. The offense will be reported as a conviction. You will be given 30 days to pay in full. If additional time is needed, a payment plan may be granted. If not paid within 30 days a $15 time-payment fee will be added.

Driving Safety Course (DSC): You may request to take a Driver's Safety Course (DSC) to dismiss one violation. In order to be eligible, you must meet the following requirements and submit your written plea to the court by your appearance date, along with proof of insurance and payment of court costs. 

• Possess a valid Texas Driver's License - Commercial Driver's License (CDL) holders and Out of State Driver's are ineligible. 
• Provide proof of liability insurance in your name.
• Have not taken a DSC course in the last 12 months.
• Violation was not in a construction zone with workers present.
• Violation was not while passing a school bus loading or unloading. 
• Speed not more than 24 miles per hour (mph) or more over the posted limit.
• Speed not more than 95 mph or more.
• Pay court costs of $144.00 (or $169.00 if the offense was in a School Zone) 

Community Service: Enter your plea in writing and submit it to the court by your due date. The offense will be reported as a conviction. You will be ordered to complete enough community service hours to satisfy the assessed fines and costs. 

• If performing community service imposes an undue hardship, a defendant who is Indigent or who lacks sufficient resources to pay may be entitled to a waiver of the fine and costs, in whole or in part. An application is required and may require a hearing.

Jail Credit: A defendant may be entitled to jail credit in certain circumstances if the defendant was confined in jail or prison after the commission of the offense pending in justice court. Enter your plea in writing and submit it to the court by your due date.

Compliance Dismissals:

Certain offenses—such as Expired Registration, Expired Driver’s License, or Defective Equipment—may be eligible for dismissal if the issue is corrected. For example, if your registration was expired, you must renew it and pay the associated penalty fee to the tax assessor’s office. 

• To request dismissal, you must submit proof of correction to the court either the 20th day after your citation date or the “on or before” date listed on your citation. These types of dismissals may carry a dismissal fee of up to $20.00. 
• If you were cited for No Insurance but had valid insurance coverage at the time of the traffic stop, you may present proof to the court for dismissal with no fee. However, if you did not have current insurance at the time of the stop, the citation is not eligible for dismissal but may be eligible for a deferred disposition. Contact the appropriate court for details. 

Deferred Disposition:

Deferred disposition is a process, similar to probation, where the court imposes certain conditions on the defendant. If the defendant complies with the conditions, the criminal charge is dismissed, and no conviction is ever entered. However, if the defendant fails to comply, they will be convicted of the offense. Deferred disposition may not be granted on any Rules of the Road offenses occurring in construction or work zones with workers present. Additionally, deferred disposition may not be granted on any offense relating to motor vehicle control, committed by a person who holds a commercial driver's license or who held one at the time of the offense.