Tickets

Civil Traffic (Speeding, Insurance, Registration, Red Light)

If the charge filed against you is a criminal traffic violation or a misdemeanor, you MUST appear in Court on the date and time specified on the traffic citation or complaint.

Civil traffic cases can be resolved prior to the appearance date on your complaint by one of the three following ways:

Complete a Defensive Driving Class

Eligibility

  • Please visit eCourt to confirm your complaint has been filed before registering for class.
  • An offender may attend once every 12 months from the date of the last violation. 
  • Your ticket did not involve an accident with a fatality or serious injury.
  • If you hold a commercial driver license you MAY be eligible if you meet the above criteria, and the vehicle was not being used for commercial purposes.

If there is more than one civil traffic charge on the complaint, and you are eligible, the Defensive Driving Program option is available for only one of the eligible civil traffic charges.

If you complete the program

  • The charge for which you attended will be dismissed.
  • No points will be placed on your driving record.
  • You do not have to appear in court on this charge.
  • You must resolve all other charges.

How to Register

You need to contact an agency approved by the Arizona Supreme Court for Defensive Driving Classes. To obtain a list of these agencies, call the Arizona Supreme Court at 1-888-334-5565 or visit azdrive.com.

When you contact the agency to register, make sure to have your copy of the complaint (the ticket), as you may need to provide some of the information contained in your complaint.

Class must be completed seven days prior to your scheduled court appearance date. You may request an extension of your scheduled court date to attend Defensive Driving Class using eCourt, over the phone, or in person.

What to take to class

Bring your driver license, your copy of the complaint, and a money order. The school will not accept cash or personal checks.

If you have been to court to request a continuance from your original court date, you must bring the continuance form to class. You cannot take the class without this form.

Pay the Fine

If you are charged with a violation listed on the sanction schedule(PDF, 108KB) AND you do not want a hearing, you may pay for the ticket by mail, in person at the court, by telephone when paying by credit card or online by credit card. To determine the amount due identify each of the violation codes on the ticket, then locate those codes on the sanction schedule. The total amount of all of these charges combined is the amount due.

Mail

Checks and money orders made out to Mesa Municipal Court are accepted for payment by mail. Do NOT mail cash. A charge of $25.00 will be imposed on all checks which are returned for insufficient funds.

Include the complaint number located in the upper left corner of the traffic ticket on any correspondence or payments made to the court. It is helpful to the court when payments are made using the envelope provided.

Mail to:
Mesa Municipal Court
250 E. 1st Ave.
Mesa, AZ 85210

If you fail to appear or pay the sanction on or before your court appearance date, a default judgment will be issued against you. (The amount of the judgment includes the total amount of the sanction, plus $90.00.) Failure to pay on time may also result in suspension of your driver license.

Phone

Please wait 10 working days from the day the ticket was received to provide enough time for your traffic ticket to be filed.

If you are charged with a violation listed on the sanction schedule AND you do not want a hearing, you may pay for the ticket by telephone with MasterCard, VISA, Discover, Novus or American Express call 480-644-2255 and your payment will be processed by an automated system. The automated phone system is NOT available for payments between 9:00 pm and 1:00 am.

In-Person

Cash, checks, money orders, MasterCard, VISA, Discover, Novus or American Express are accepted Monday - Thursday at the between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm.

Checks and money orders may also be deposited in the 24-hour drop box on the southeast side of the court building entrance. Do not deposit cash.

Online

eCourt Payment Portal

Request a Hearing

A hearing can be requested by mail or in person at the court.

  • Complete the Civil Traffic Hearing Request form included with the ticket or download and print a copy(PDF, 343KB).
  • Mail this form in the envelope provided, at least seven days prior to your court date.
  • You will be notified by mail of your new hearing date. If you do not receive notice of the new hearing date within 10 days, call 480-644-2255 for information.
  • If you choose to mail in the amount of your sanction(s), the deposit will be posted as a bond and held until the time of your scheduled hearing.

If you fail to appear at the hearing, a default judgment will be entered against you. If you have chosen to mail in your deposit, it will be forfeited to satisfy the judgment and Department of Motor Vehicles will be notified. If you do not include a deposit and fail to appear at the hearing, a default judgment will be entered against you and an additional $90.00 will be added to the amount of judgment.

On the day of your hearing, you must be prepared to pay any sanction which may be imposed. Review the sanction schedule prior to your court hearing.

Additional Hearing Information

  • You may be represented by an attorney or you may present your own case at your hearing. If you choose to be represented by an attorney, you must notify the court in writing at least 10 days prior to the hearing date and be ready to proceed on the hearing date. You cannot be represented by someone who is not an attorney.
  • A hearing is similar to a trial. The State's witnesses will testify first. After each witness has testified, you will have an opportunity to ask the witness questions. After the State's witnesses have testified, you may present your case. You may call other witnesses who know something about the incident to testify for you. You may testify on your own behalf. In addition, you may present other evidence such as documents, photographs, etc. The Commissioner or Judge may also question you, the police officer, and other witnesses.
  • If you are found not responsible for the offense(s) you may leave the Court, there is nothing more which must be done. Any deposits previously posted will be refunded by mail.
  • If you are found responsible, the Commissioner will indicate what your penalty will be. This penalty may be different from the amount listed on the sanction schedule. If the Commissioner's sentence includes a sanction (fine), payment in full is expected on the day of sentencing. Payment may be made by cash, check, money order or credit card. If you meet certain financial requirements, you may be allowed some time to pay. However, a time payment fee of $20.00 required by State Statute will be added to the amount that you owe.

 

*For a violation of ARS 28-645A3A or 28-647.1 (Red Light), if you plead or are found responsible you will be required by MVD to attend Traffic Survival School.  Anyone under the age of 18 will be required to attend for any moving or red light violation. If you are eligible and complete a Defensive Driving class, you will not be required to attend the MVD Traffic Survival School. Review the coupon received in the mail and follow instructions.


C.A.P.P. Children Are Priceless Passengers

A.R.S. 28-907A - Child Restraint Law
The C.A.P.P. Program addresses issues of child occupant protection through enforcement, education and public awareness activities.

The C.A.P.P. Program offers child safety seat classes at various locations throughout the state. Classes are taught by police, fire, health/social services, public organizations and school districts.

Students will have the opportunity to obtain a new child safety seat during the class. Students attending the class who have received a citation for 28-907A (failure to equip vehicle with child seat), must bring the seat to class for an inspection and check for recall.

A certificate of class completion will be provided to each student. The certificate of completion can be taken to Mesa Municipal Court for suspension of your sanction.

Classes are two hours in length and offered in both English and Spanish. A class fee of $35.00 is required.

Pre-registration is required. Daycare is not provided and children are not permitted at the classes.

Class locations and schedules

Misdemeanor (Dog at Large, Driving Under the Influence, Shoplifting, Assault)

If you are charged with either a misdemeanor or petty offense, (both of which are criminal) you must appear at the Court on the date and time listed on your complaint or summons. Failure to appear at any court appearance may result in a warrant for arrest being issued for you.

The first appearance will be the arraignment. The arraignment is the time for you to enter into one of the following pleas: 

  • Guilty
  • No Contest
  • Not Guilty 

When a plea of not guilty is entered, the second court appearance is a pre-trial. This is an opportunity for you to meet with the prosecutors to get discovery (view and order copies of police reports, witness statements, etc.) and to do plea negotiations if you wish.

The third court appearance is a trial. Cases eligible for a jury trial are: 

  • Driving Under the Influence
  • Shoplifting and theft
  • Other charges may be Jury eligible

Victims have a right to be present and heard at all stages of the proceedings.

Parking (Handicap, Red Curb, Prohibited/Restricted)

Mesa City Code 10-3-25 sets forth the liability and enforcement of parking violations.

The code provides:

  • an action involving unlawful parking may be served upon
  • the owner or operator of the vehicle by attaching a copy of the parking notice to the vehicle.

The code requires:

The person to respond to the notice within seven calendar days from the day the notice was issued by:

  1. Paying the sanction amount
  2. Requesting a hearing
  3. Appearing in person at court to explain the circumstances of the violation

The code prescribes the minimum sanction amount for each violation.

  • If the person has not responded and the sanction has not been paid within seven calendar days from the day the notice was issued, the sanction increases by twice the minimum sanction amount.
  • If the person has not made a timely response and the sanction is not paid within thirty days from the day the notice was issued, the sanction increases by four times the minimum sanction amount.
  • The $20.00 time payment fee required by State Statute is added to the sanction amount when the fine is not paid within the prescribed time.

Related Information

Photo Enforcement

 

Violation Photos
To view photos of a traffic complaint issued through the Mesa Police Department's photo-safety program. You must have the notice number and PIN number to view the photos.

 

Jurisdiction

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