Traffic ticket Tacoma. Did you get a traffic ticket in Tacoma? Looking for answers about your Tacoma traffic ticket? Getting a traffic ticket is a real pain! Apart from the cost of the ticket, if you go to court you may have to miss work or other obligations. Many people don’t know how a moving violation could affect their license and hike up their insurance rates. Most people don’t know that even a non-moving violation could affect their license in some circumstances.
True Cost of a Tacoma Traffic Ticket
Many people are too busy to fight a ticket. Some people do not understand how much a ticket will really cost them if they don’t contest it. The true cost of a ticket is built into the cost of the ticket itself in combination with car insurance increases for moving violations.
Where to Handle a Tacoma Traffic Ticket
Traffic infraction hearings are held at Pierce County District Court is located at 930 Tacoma Ave S, Tacoma, WA 98402. Their website contains useful information on many topics. City of Tacoma cases are held at Tacoma Municipal Court which is also located at 930 Tacoma Ave S, Tacoma, WA 98402. You can find the Tacoma Municipal Court’s website here.
Contested Hearing - Traffic Ticket in Tacoma
If you want to contest a traffic ticket you can request a contested hearing. A judge will hear your case. A judge will hear the prosecutor’s case against you. The judge will then decide whether you committed the traffic infraction or not.
It is possible to beat a traffic ticket in WA. There are a number of reason why a traffic ticket can get dismissed. The reasons vary on a case by case basis. Getting a “no insurance” ticket dismissed may require a different process than getting an “expired registration” ticket dismissed. While getting a ticket dismissed is great, avoiding getting a speeding ticket in the first place will ensure your insurance rates do not skyrocket.
If you get a speeding ticket, an HOV ticket, a work zone or construction zone ticket, no insurance ticket, speed too fast for conditions, cell phone ticket, school bus camera ticket, fail to obey traffic signal or traffic control device, or other infraction, you should contact an attorney to try to get that ticket off your record.
A traffic ticket is not a criminal offense.
You can get on a payment plan for a traffic ticket. In most cases you can pay that traffic ticket online.
Mitigation Hearing - Traffic Ticket in Tacoma
Another option is to request a mitigation hearing. Although the judge may reduce the fine of the ticket – this will have no bearing on how your insurance views the ticket. Your insurance company will still see a moving violation and may significantly raise your insurance rates.
Deferred Traffic Ticket - Traffic Ticket in Tacoma
Finally, you may be able to defer your ticket. This is a sort of traffic ticket probation. If you do not commit another infraction the ticket will be dismissed. If you do commit another infraction the deferral is revoked, the ticket is found committed, and it goes on your record. A deferral costs about the same amount as the ticket (depending on the ticket). Often, people save the deferral for an expensive ticket, but conservative drivers might use one for a smaller ticket. The rules and costs of deferral are different in different courts. Talk to your attorney to see whether the deferral is a good option for you.
How Can I Beat a Traffic Ticket in Tacoma?
- Challenge the speed measuring device
- Request the SMD expert
- Subpoena the officer
- Find a problem in the officer’s report
- Consider hiring an attorney