Municipal Court Payment Options

Answering the Citation

1. Review the copy of the citation. This document contains information on how to resolve your citation.
2. Wait at least 5 business days before contacting the court. This waiting period is necessary to ensure that the court has received the citation from the police department and the citation is entered into our system.
3. You must appear within 30 days after the citation was issued. You may make an appearance either in person or in writing. Telephone calls do not satisfy this requirement. If you fail to make your appearance as required, a warrant for your arrest will be issued.
4. Enter a Plea. Only the person whose name appears on the citation (other than a licensed attorney) can enter a plea.

Authorized Pleas are:

• Not Guilty- When you enter this plea, you are stating to the court that you believe you are innocent of the charge and you wish to have your case placed on the pre-trial docket.
• Guilty- Entering this plea means that you are admitting to the offense as charged. You will be required to pay the applicable fine plus all court costs.
• Nolo Contendere or No Contest -This plea means that you are not contesting the offense. You are not admitting that you committed the offense nor are you denying it. However, you understand that you will still be responsible for paying the applicable fine and costs of the said violation.

Method of Payments

• Cash
• Check or Money Order
• Credit Card

Physical Address
211 S. Cooper St., Bldg. A 
Arlington, TX 76010
Directions to the Court

To plea no contest and pay by mail, fill out and sign the back of the citation and mail the original or copy of the citation with the fine amount to the Arlington Municipal Court within 30 days of the issue date of the citation.

Payment may be made payable to the City of Arlington and will be accepted in the form of check, cashier's check or money order. Payment plans are not available by mail.

All juvenile defendants who are under the age of 17 at the time of receiving the citation must appear in open Court before the Judge.

Mailing Address

City of Arlington Municipal Court
P.O. Box 90403, Mail Stop 63-0100
Arlington, Texas 76004-3403

Notice

By paying your citation by mail, you will be entering a Nolo Contendere plea and waiving your rights to a jury trial. Your violation will be recorded as a conviction and reported to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

If you are eligible and you choose to participate in the option of Deferred Disposition or Driving Safety Course and you do not comply with any or all of the requirements of the Deferred Disposition or Driving Safety Course, your violation will be recorded as a conviction and reported to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Waiver of Defendant's Rights

I understand I have the right:

• To plead not guilty and require the state to prove my guilt beyond a reasonable doubt
• To request a trial before a judge or jury
• To hire an attorney
• To subpoena witnesses
• To have my trial transcribed by a court reporter

I hereby knowingly and voluntarily waive all my rights to a trial

All partial payments and dismissal fees require prior court approval. The option to pay a citation online is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Payments online will be processed by the court within 24 hours during normal business days or within 72 hours when payment is made online over the weekend or on holidays. A processing fee will be added to the total citation amount.

Payments may be made by Master Card, Discover, American Express or Visa. Both credit and debit are accepted. You will be required to provide the following to look up your citation:

• Citation number, docket number, or payment group number
• First and last name of the defendant
• Citation payment amount

Notice

By paying your citation online, you will be entering a Nolo Contendere plea and waiving your rights to a jury trial. Your violation will be recorded as a conviction and reported to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Waiver of Defendant's Rights

I understand I have the right:

• To plead not guilty and require the state to prove my guilt beyond a reasonable doubt
• To request a trial before a judge or jury
• To hire an attorney
• To subpoena witnesses
• To have my trial transcribed by a court reporter

I hereby knowingly and voluntarily waive all my rights to a trial

All juvenile defendants who are under the age of 17 at the time of receiving the citation must appear in open Court before the Judge.

The City of Arlington makes no guarantees, promises, or warranties regarding the accuracy of information provided on this site.

There is no guarantee that this online payment service will show all of your unpaid tickets. Use of this service to submit payment constitutes acknowledgement that the City of Arlington and the processor of electronic payments assume no responsibility for data entered by the service users. I hereby understand that in accordance with Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Art. 27.14( c ), case payment will result in a waiver of jury trial and a finding of guilty, which may be reported to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

I agree and would like to make a partial payment online

The option to pay a citation online is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Payments online will be processed by the court within 24 hours during normal business days or within 72 hours when payment is made online over the weekend or on holidays.

Payments may be made by Master Card, Discover, American Express or Visa. Both credit and debit are accepted. You will be required to provide one of the following to look up your citation:

• Citation number and date of birth,
• Driver's license number and date of birth, or
• Vehicle License Plate Number and Registration State

When making a payment online if you do not see an option to keep your citation from being reported on your driving record, continuing with the online payment will constitute a conviction and will be reported on your record. Please contact the court, appear in person or by mail to find out if more options are available before continuing.

Notice

By paying your citation online, you will be entering a Nolo Contendere plea and waiving your rights to a jury trial. Your violation will be recorded as a conviction and reported to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

If you are eligible and you choose to participate in the option of Deferred Disposition or Driving Safety Course and you do not comply with any or all of the requirements of the Deferred Disposition or Driving Safety Course, your violation will be recorded as a conviction and reported to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Waiver of Defendant's Rights

I understand I have the right:

• To plead not guilty and require the state to prove my guilt beyond a reasonable doubt
• To request a trial before a judge or jury
• To hire an attorney
• To subpoena witnesses
• To have my trial transcribed by a court reporter

I hereby knowingly and voluntarily waive all my rights to a trial

All juvenile defendants who are under the age of 17 at the time of receiving the citation must appear in open Court before the Judge.

The City of Arlington makes no guarantees, promises, or warranties regarding the accuracy of information provided on this site.

There is no guarantee that this online payment service will show all of your unpaid tickets. Use of this service to submit payment constitutes acknowledgement that the City of Arlington and the processor of electronic payments assume no responsibility for data entered by the service users. I hereby understand that in accordance with Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Art. 27.14( c ), case payment will result in a waiver of jury trial and a finding of guilty, which may be reported to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

I agree and would like to pay in full online

Your Options

Contest

You have the right to a hearing within 30 days of the citation being issued. To request a hearing, you must appear in person at the Arlington Municipal Court. Administrative hearings are held every Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Failure to timely appear as required at any hearing is considered an admission of liability for the violation and will result in the assessment of applicable penalties, fees, and costs.

Ordinance Enforcement

Failure to pay any penalties, fees, and costs after being found liable for the violation may be enforced by any or all of the following actions:

• Impounding the unlawfully parked vehicle if there have been three or more vehicle parking or stopping offenses in a calendar year;
• Placing a device on the unlawfully parked vehicle that prohibits movement of the vehicle;
• Imposing an additional fine if the original penalty is not paid timely;
• Denying issuance of or revoking a parking or operating permit;
• Filing an action or civil suit, brought in the name of the City, to collect the penalties, fees, and costs in a court of competent jurisdiction in Tarrant County;
• Obtaining an injunction to prohibit specific conduct that violates the ordinance or administrative order or to require specific conduct necessary for compliance with the ordinance or administrative order;
• Referring the penalties, fees, and costs to a private attorney or collection agency for collection;
• Filing a judgment lien against your property in the amount of penalties, fees and costs.

Listing of Civil Fines(PDF, 83KB)

Payment Option

The option to pay a citation online is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Payments online will be processed by the court within 24 hours during normal business days or within 72 hours when payment is made online over the weekend or on holidays.

Payments may be made by Master Card, Discover, American Express or Visa. Both credit and debit are accepted. You will be required to provide one of the following to look up your citation:

• Citation number and date of birth,
• Driver's license number and date of birth, or
• Vehicle License Plate Number and Registration State

Notice

By paying your citation online, you will be admitting liability for the violation.

The City of Arlington makes no guarantees, promises, or warranties regarding the accuracy of information provided on this site.

There is no guarantee that this online payment service will show all of your unpaid tickets. Use of this service to submit payment constitutes acknowledgement that the City of Arlington and the processor of electronic payments assume no responsibility for data entered by the service users. I hereby understand that in accordance with Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Art. 27.14( c ), case payment will result in a waiver of jury trial and a finding of guilty, which may be reported to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Terms and Conditions

I agree to the Terms and Conditions

When entering a plea of guilty or no contest, you may request an initial 30-day extension to pay the total fine(s) and costs owed. The judgments for each case will be mailed to you at the address on file to show the balance owed for each offense and the payment due date. If you are unable to pay in full by that due date, you may contact the court at courtno-reply@arlingtontx.gov to request additional time to pay, a payment plan, or an indigency application for alternate options to resolve the balance(s) owed.

If you have signed up for a driving safety course for a moving violation or been granted deferred disposition for your violation, any request for an extension to pay the required deferral fee or to present proof of compliance for any condition ordered by the judge must be made in person, by mail, or by email to courtno-reply@arlingtontx.gov. A judge will review your request, and a reply will be sent via mail or email to the address on file.

Please keep the Court updated on your address, phone number and/or email address at all times until your case is resolved to ensure responses are timely received. To ensure that the proper cases are paid, reviewed by the judge, etc., you must provide the citation number(s), your full name, date of birth, and the amount paid. If your cases are on a payment plan, please include the payment group number.

Payments may be made in person, by mail, by phone or online with a check, money order, credit or debit card. In person, you may also pay with Apple Pay.

Request Extension to Pay

Deferred Disposition means that the judge withholds entering a judgment in the case pending your compliance with certain requirements as set by the judge. A person is eligible to receive a deferral once in a 12-month period. If you request deferred disposition at the court, you will receive your deferral order at that time. If you request deferred online or by mail, the Court will send you an order that includes the fees, costs, other requirements, and the due date by mail.

Requirements to Request Deferred Disposition

• The court must receive your request online, by mail or in person no later than your 30-day appearance date.
• Enter your plea of "no contest" and submit a copy of your drivers' license or identification card for verification.
• You must pay the special expense fee which is equal to the fine and pay the court cost. The fine amount can be found under the court information / fine listings section listed on the web page or you contact the court. Deferred disposition does not begin until the costs and fee are paid. Failure to pay the amount owed by the time required violates the deferral order and can result in a conviction. If convicted, a warrant may be issued for your arrest without further notice or hearing.
  
  Fine Listing for Speeding Offenses.pdf(PDF, 75KB)
  Fine Listing for Non-Speeding Offenses.pdf(PDF, 238KB)

Terms and Procedures

Once the court has received the above, your request will be reviewed and forwarded to the Judge to determine eligibility for the program.

• You must not receive another similar violation within the City of Arlington during the deferral period which is 90 days from the date of approval
• If you are under 25 years of age at the time of the citation, you must also take a driver's safety course (DSC) during your deferral period and submit proof of completion to the court before the due date if you have been charged with a traffic violation. Persons under age 18 and holding a provisional driver's license on the date of the citation must complete the DSC course and retake the driving portion of the DPS driver's examination. The DPS letter must be submitted to the Court by the end of the deferral period.
• If you received a citation for failure to maintain financial responsibility (i.e., no insurance), you will be required to submit proof of insurance that covers you for at least the minimum liability requirements provided by state law. This proof must be submitted when you make your payment, or your request will be denied. You must keep your insurance for the entire deferral period without any lapses.

Non-Eligibility

You are not eligible for Deferred Disposition if:

• You do not have a valid driver's license or Financial Responsibility (which is a term of the Deferred Disposition, if not a term of the Deferred Disposition you may be eligible and can proceed)
• You have a commercial driver's license (CDL) even if the violation occurred while you were driving a private vehicle
• You received your citation in a construction zone when workers were present; or
• You have been approved for Deferred Disposition in the City of Arlington within the last 12 months; or
• You were speeding 31 miles per hour or more over the speed limit; or
• You were speeding 16 miles per hour or more over the speed limit in a school zone; or
• You were speeding 91 miles per hour or more
• You received a citation for not having current liability insurance and you were involved in an accident

If you are not eligible for Deferred Disposition you are to enter your plea in person or by mail. If you enter your plea by mail you must sign the back of your citation or write a letter including your plea and request. You may also do a walk-in to speak with a judge to discuss any options available to avoid a conviction for this offense and keep it from being included on your driving or criminal record.

You will be notified by mail only if your request is denied.

Failure to Comply with Terms of Agreement

If you do not submit proof of compliance with all the terms of deferral or you receive a similar violation during your deferral period, you will be set for a "show cause" hearing. You must appear and tell the judge why you violated your deferral agreement and show proof of compliance with any missing conditions before or during the hearing.

Failure to comply with your deferral order will result in a judgment and the conviction will be reported on your driving record. A warrant of arrest may be issued for any balance owed.

Not eligible for Deferred Disposition?

Go to the Request Driving Safety Course tab to see if you are eligible for Defensive Driving.

Request Deferred Disposition

Taking a Driving Safety Course (DSC) is an option that will keep your citation from being reported as a conviction on your driving record and will be dismissed if all terms required are successfully met. If any requirements are not met and you cannot provide a satisfactory reason why at a hearing before a judge, you will be found guilty, and a conviction will be reported to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Not all violations are approved for a Driving Safety Course. 

Requirements to Request a Driving Safety Course

• The court must receive your request and plea of "Guilty" or "No Contest" online, by mail or in person to take the course no later than your 30-day appearance date.
• You must pay the court costs and an administrative fee. Presently, the administrative fee and court costs total $144.00. An additional fee of $25.00 for a total of $169.00 is imposed if your citation occurred in a school zone.
• You must present a copy of a valid Texas driver's license or be on active military duty.
• You must present current proof of insurance showing your name listed as a covered driver.
• You must not have taken a class for another ticket received in Texas that is not yet reflected on your driving record, nor have completed a class within the 12 months prior to the date of your citation.

If you have any questions, please contact our Action Center 817-459-6777.

Terms and Procedure

If eligible, and the above has been received, you will be required to submit to the court within 90 days:

• The uniform certificate from an approved Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) driving safety course www.tdlr.texas.gov
• A certified copy of your driving record(Type #3A on the DPS order form) from the Texas Department of Public Safety. A copy of your Driving Record must be requested from the Texas Department of Public Safety and costs $12.00.
  
  • This Driving Record request form can be downloaded, printed and mailed to the DPS by clicking here. Also, an online request can be made at dps.texas.gov.
• A signed affidavit that will be mailed to you along with the date you are required to submit the proof.

Note: The Arlington Municipal Court is now accepting e-filed drivers safety completion certificates. Course providers who are approved for e-filing will show e-filing options on their website. Some courses also offer the option to e-file your driving record. If you choose not to use the e-filing option, you will need to provide your course completion form and your driving record to the court in person or thru the mail. If you experience any issues with e-filing, please contact the course provider for assistance.

Non-Eligibility

You are not eligible to take a Driving Safety Course if:

• Offense is not defined as a moving violation; or
• An offense committed in a construction or maintenance work zone while workers present
• You have a commercial driver's license (CDL) even if the violation occurred while you were driving a private vehicle; or
• Commercial vehicle serious traffic offenses
• You do not have a valid Texas driver's license, or Active military duty/Active military family
• You do not have current vehicle liability insurance
• You were speeding 25 miles per hour or more over the speed limit; or
• You were speeding 95 miles per hour or more 
• You received your citation as a result of Passing a School Bus; or
• You received your citation as a result of Hit and Run offense (Occupied Vehicles)
• You received your citation as a result of Fail to ID/ Render Aid; or
• You have been approved for a Driving Safety Class in the State of Texas within the last 12 months

If you are not eligible for a Driving Safety Course, you are to enter your plea in person or by mail. If you enter your plea by mail, you must use the back of the citation or write a letter including your plea and request. You may also do a walk-in to speak with a judge to discuss any options available to avoid a conviction for this offense and keep it from being included on your driving or criminal record.

You will be notified by mail only if your request is denied.

Failure to Comply With Terms of Agreement

If you have not completed the requirements by 90 days, you will be set for a "show cause" hearing. You must complete the requirements prior to this hearing or you must appear and tell the judge the reason you failed to provide proof by court date. No extensions will be approved. The Show Cause Hearing serves as an extension. You may submit your proof to the Court before the show cause hearing.

If you do not complete these requirements, a judge will enter a conviction that will be reported on your driving record, and you will have to pay the remainder of your fine or request community service. Failure to resolve your balance may result in a warrant for your arrest.

Not eligible for Defensive Driving?

Go to the Request Deferred Disposition tab to see if you are eligible for the Deferred Disposition option.

Request Defensive Driving

Dismissal of Certain Traffic Citations

The Court may dismiss certain citations if you submit proof of compliance. Some dismissals request require an administrative reimbursement fee. This fee is due at the time of the request. Failure to timely pay the required fee when requesting a compliance dismissal may result in a conviction and you may need to satisfy the entire balance of the fine.

A violation involving a dealer tag is not eligible for a compliance dismissal.

An equipment violation for a commercial motor vehicle is not eligible for a compliance dismissal.

Your request must generally be made within twenty working days of receiving the citation, but not within the first 5 calendar days of issuance. If you were issued a citation for operating a vessel (i.e., a boat) with expired certificate of number, the deadline for compliance is 10 working days after the date of offense. This amount of time is required for the citation to be processed and filed with the court. You may make your request in the following ways.

1. In person at the Court Clerk's office
2. By mail to: City of Arlington Municipal Court, P.O. Box 90403, MS 63-0100 Arlington, TX 76004-3403
3. Online

If your request is denied, you will be scheduled for a pretrial docket. Failure to appear at this docket may result in a warrant for your arrest.

You may request a dismissal of your citation with a $20.00 fee due at the time of request if you are charged with the following offenses:

1. Driving with Expired Registration. A citation for expired registration may be dismissed if proof of renewal is presented to the court which shows renewal within 20 working days of issuance of the citation and proof of payment for the late registration penalty fee. Please Note that the City Ordinance violation for Parking with Expired Registration or Expired Motor Vehicle Inspection does not have an option to be dismissed with a fee of $20.00. The fine for this violation is $33.00.
2. Driving with Expired Driver's License. A citation for an expired driver's license may be dismissed if proof of renewal is presented to the court within 20 working days of issuance of the citation. The required proof is the receipt/temporary driver's license copy provided by DPS.
3. Fail to Report Change of Address or Name. A citation for fail to report change of address or name may be dismissed if proof of renewal is presented to the court within 20 working days of issuance of the citation. The required proof is the receipt from DPS.
4. Expired Disabled Parking Placard. A citation for expired disabled parking placard may be dismissed if proof of renewal is presented to the court within 20 working days of issuance of the citation. The required proof must contain a copy of the renewed placard.

You may request a dismissal of your citation with a $10.00 fee if you are charged with the following offenses:

1. Operate Motor Vehicle without License Plates or with One Plate. A citation for operating a motor vehicle without both license plates can be dismissed if proof of compliance is provided to the Court within 20 working days of the issuance of the citation. The required proof must contain a photo of both license plates attached to the vehicle. There must be a photo from the license plate properly attached on the front of the vehicle and a photo of a license plate properly attached on the back of the vehicle. A photo of a license displayed on the dashboard will not suffice.
2. Operate Vehicle with Defective Required Equipment (or in Unsafe Condition). An equipment violation may be dismissed if proof that the equipment is corrected, repaired, or removed is presented to the Court within 20 working days of issuance of the citation. The required proof must contain photos and/or receipts. Window tint removal and light bulb replacement will require photos. Make sure the correction is clearly visible in any photo presented or the request will be denied. Note: This compliance dismissal option is not available for commercial motor vehicles.
3. Fail to Display Valid Driver's License. A citation for a no valid driver's license or a fail to display a driver's license may be dismissed if the defendant submits a copy of a valid Texas driver's license to the Court. If the driver's license is verified to be valid for the date and time that the citation was issued, the Court may dismiss the case. The required proof must contain a copy of the driver's license.
4. Display Altered, Unclean, or Obscured License Plates. An altered, obscured, or unclean license plate citation may be dismissed if proof that the equipment is corrected, repaired, or removed is presented to the Court within 20 working days of issuance of the citation. The required proof must contain a photo of the license plate. Make sure the correction is clearly visible in any photo presented or the request will be denied.
5. Violate Driver's License Restriction or Endorsement. There are very limited circumstances where a case can be dismissed if a driver's license restriction is removed within 20 working days. The required proof must include the receipt from DPS and copy of the temporary driver's license with the restriction removed. Pursuant of Texas Transportation Code Section 521-221(d), driver's license restrictions violations can only be dismissed if the restriction was placed in error or the restriction was removed after medical treatment.
6. Registration Insignia (i.e. Sticker) Violations. A violation for operating a vehicle without a displaying a valid registration insignia or displaying a registration insignia for a different registration period (e.g., the registration was renewed, but the sticker was not replaced) if proof is provided to the Court before the first court appearance. The required proof shall contain a copy of the registration renewal receipt showing that the vehicle registration was current when the citation was issued. The proof shall also contain a photo showing the corrected registration insignia has been attached to the windshield in compliance with state law.
7. Operate Vessel with Expired Certificate of Number. A citation for operating a vessel with an expired certificate of number may be dismissed if the defendant provides to the Court within 10 working days after the date of the offense. The required proof shall contain receipt showing the certificate renewal.

INSURANCE VIOLATIONS. The offense No Valid Proof of Vehicle Liability Insurance also qualifies for dismissal at no charge if the following conditions are met:

1. Proof submitted that you were covered by a valid policy of vehicle liability insurance on the date and time of the offense
2. The information provided must contain the following information listed below and will be verified by the Court.
3. Should the proof provide to be invalid you will be sent a court date to appear before the Judge and give your reason(s) why the coverage was not valid.

Required information:

1. The name, address and telephone number of the insurer.
2. The name and address of the named insured.
3. The policy number.
4. The effective and expiration dates of the policy.
5. The make and model of the covered vehicle.
6. A statement that the policy meets the minimum amounts of vehicle liability insurance required by the Texas Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act.