Maryland Payable Traffic Citations Client Alert - Upon receiving a payable traffic citation, the motorist has 3 options, any of which must be done within 30 days:

1- Pay the citation (via mail, phone, online at http://www.mdcourts.gov/, or at any District Court)

2- Request a Waiver Hearing (checkbox on citation, submit via mail)

3- Request a Trial (checkbox on citation, submit via mail)

If no action is taken by the motorist within 30 days, the Court may issue a warrant for the motorist's arrests, or at 35 days the Court may notify the MVA, who will then mail a warning letter to the motorist's last address on file. On the 15^th day after the warning letter is sent, the driving privileges shall be suspended unless the motorist pays the fine or posts bond or a penalty deposit and requests a trial or sentencing hearing. The Court may issue a warrant at that point as well.

A Waiver Hearing (referred to as a sentencing hearing in the statute, but a waiver hearing on the citations) may be requested by a motorist who wants to plead guilty but offer an explanation. These will be held before a District Court judge. This option is not available to Must Appear offenses.

Note: By requesting a waiver hearing the motorist is giving up the right to have a trial and the right to have the officer present. Nothing regarding "Must Appear" offenses has changed. "Must Appear" offenses are those that carry the possibility of jail time, "Must Appear" charges are also called incarcerable traffic offenses.

For more traffic citation information please click below:

http://www.courts.state.md.us/district/selfhelp/traffichb829.html#newproc