Salt Lake City

Justice Court

John L. Baxter Courthouse | 333 S 200 E, Salt Lake City UT 84111

Traffic

TRAFFIC CITATIONS

If you have received a traffic citation, the following are the possible ways a citation can be resolved:

  1. Deferred Prosecution Agreement
    • Only citations issued within the past 21 days are eligible for this option.
    • A deferred traffic prosecution agreement is an agreement where the prosecutor agrees not to prosecute the case if you complete the requirements of the agreement.  If you successfully complete the terms of the agreement, the citation will be dismissed, no plea is required, and the citation will not be reported to the Driver’s License Division.
    • If you do not qualify for a deferred traffic prosecution agreement, you may qualify for a plea in abeyance.
    • To learn more, click here, which will take you to a new webpage.
  2. Plea In Abeyance agreement (“PIA”) without appearing in court.
    • This requires that you accept responsibility (plead guilty), but the case will be dismissed and reported to the Driver’s License Division as a dismissal as long as you pay the fine amount plus a $25.00 PIA fee, complete traffic school, and have no further violations of the law during the abeyance period.  To see if you qualify for the PIA, click here
  3. Pay your citation or make payment arrangements by contacting the court.
    • This does not require you to complete traffic school or pay the $25.00 additional PIA fee, but it does act as a conviction and is reported to the Driver License Division.  Click here if you wish to pay the citation. 
  4. Make arrangements to appear in court before a Judge. 
    • Click here if you either want to negotiate with the prosecutor or set the case for a hearing with a judge. 

ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC INFORMATION

Driving Record

For more information about how a citation may affect your driving record, or points associated with different types of violations, go to the Utah Driver License division website or the Utah Point System page.

Accidents, School Zones and Speed 20+ miles over the limit

If you were involved in an accident, were cited for speeding in a school zone, or for going 20+ miles over the speed limit, and are interested in traffic school, you must contact a Judicial Assistant by phone or in person to find out if you qualify. Drivers with a Commercial Driver License are not eligible for traffic school.

“Fix It” or Equipment Violations

If you receive a citation for a “fix it”, also known as equipment violation, you have 14 days from the date of your citation to comply. You may take your vehicle to a local law enforcement officer OR a Salt Lake City Justice Court Judicial Assistant to inspect for compliance and sign off on the bottom of your citation, then either mail in the signed off citation or bring it in to court, so your citation may be dismissed. You must comply within 14 days of your citation, in order for your citation to be dismissed.

Interpreter Request

If English is not your primary language and you are unable to understand or communicate in English, the court will appoint an interpreter for you for all court hearings. You must request a court interpreter at least 3 days before the hearing, or the hearing may have to be postponed. To request a court interpreter, you may call the court at (801)535-6300, you may also email the court at: traffic@slcgov.com so that an interpreter may be scheduled to appear at your court hearing.

Online Traffic School Information

If you have been ordered by a Judge to take online traffic school, you can click here to register.

Legal Resources

Utah State Bar list of Legal Clinics

Modest Means Lawyer Referral Program

Utah.FreeLegalAnswers.org

ADA Accommodation

ADA Notice: If you are a party to a case, a witness or potential juror and you need special arrangements (including communication aids and services) during an upcoming proceeding, please call the Salt Lake City Justice Court at (801)535-6300, or fax the court at (801)535-6302 at least three business days before the proceeding.

NOTE: ALL FEES PAID ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.