You may have received a traffic ticket that you are able to correct to get the citation dismissed, which is often called a “fix it ticket.” Review the left-hand side of the ticket which should read “Correctable Violation” and go down from there to the left of the violation where there should be a Yes/No box. If the box is checked “Yes, you have a fix it ticket. If you have more then one violation, you may have multiple items that need to be fixed or you may have one violation that can be fixed and another violation such as speeding or failing to stop that you will need to address with the Court. Once you determine you have a fix it ticket there are three things that you need to do:
- Fix the violation.
The first thing that you need to do is fix the cause of the citation. Whether it be to add a front or rear license plate, removing window tint or fixing lights that aren’t working.
- Get the ticket signed off by a police officer.
Now that you’ve corrected the violation you need to have the citation signed off by a police officer who can verify that the correction has been made. You can get a ticket signed off for a fee at your local Police station, Sheriff office or Courthouse. If you have a CHP office nearby, they will also sign off your citation and they usually don’t charge a fee.
- Turn the signed off citation to the Court
Once you have completed steps one and two, all you need to do now is turn in the signed citation to the Clerk’s Office at the Courthouse. The Clerk will take the signed citation and charge you an administrative dismissal fee, which is usually around $25, and your case will then be dismissed.
What If I Forget About My Fix It Ticket?
If you forget to complete steps one through three by the due date stated on the ticket, the Court may tack on additional fines and fees, which are called Civil Assessments and can cost as much as $325. The Court may also put a hold on your license until the citation is corrected and all fees are paid. If the Court puts a hold on your license, the DMV may suspend your driving privileges which could lead to criminal charges and jail time if you are pulled over for driving on a suspended license.
If you or someone you know needs help dealing with the Court while handling a fix it ticket, Court imposed civil assessments and/or license holds, contact us at RPM Law as we’ve been restoring licenses for our clients for years.