Traffic Court Process

After receiving a traffic ticket, you must contact the Court to either pay the ticket or set an appointment with the Traffic Referee within 14 days of the date of your ticket. If you fail to do so, a delinquent fee will be assessed and a warrant for your arrest will be issued.

If you wish to contest the ticket or enter into a Plea in Abeyance Agreement, or if you cannot pay the fine all at once, you must meet with the Traffic Referee at the Courthouse. If you are unable to resolve the case with the Traffic Referee, the Referee will schedule an appointment for you to meet with the City Prosecutor to further discuss your case (a Pre-trial Conference). Do not call the City Attorney’s Office to discuss your case with the City Prosecutor. Appear at the Pre-trial Conference and you will have ample time to meet with the Prosecutor to talk about your case. If you are still unable to resolve the case, the case will be set for a Trial.

The Traffic Referee takes walk-ins on Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and Wednesdays from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

You may pay your ticket with a credit card by phone by calling the Court’s Automated Line at (801) 447-3886.

If you enter into and successfully complete the Plea in Abeyance program, the traffic case against you will be dismissed and therefore, the traffic violation will not be entered on your driving record as a conviction. If you fail to successfully complete the program, you will be convicted, the conviction will be entered on your driving record, and you may also be required to pay the full fine.

To qualify:

1. The moving violation you were cited for cannot involve an accident or a collision.
2. You must have no moving violations on your driving record within the past 18 months, and you must not have more than two moving violations on your driving record in the last three years.
3. You must have a valid Utah driver license, or if you are serving on active duty in the military and have an out-of-state license, you must provide a copy of your driving record to the Traffic Referee when you sign up for the program.

1. Plead guilty or no contest to the moving violation.
2. Pay a non-refundable $75.00 administrative fee to the Court.
3. Pay for and attend Layton City Traffic School at the Layton Police Department within 90 days of entering into the Plea in Abeyance Program. The fee for Traffic School is $50.00.
4. Have no violation of Federal, State, or local laws, including minor traffic violations, for one year from the date you enter in the Plea in Abeyance Program. This includes any violation that is reportable on your driver license record. It does not include minor parking violations.
5. Keep the court informed of any change of address within the one year Plea in Abeyance period.