Criminal/Traffic

There are several options you may exercise to handle your case. No one can enter a plea on your behalf other than your attorney.

• Enter a plea of No Contest or Guilty and pay the fine due in full or request a payment plan. Note: the violation will appear as a conviction on your driving record.
• Enter a plea of No Contest or Guilty and request a Driver Safety Course or deferral. If eligible and you comply with the DSC or deferral terms, the case will be dismissed and will not appear on your driving record.
• Enter a plea of Not Guilty and request a trial. Note: your case will be scheduled for a pre-trial conference with an Assistant County Attorney before proceeding to trial. Please indicate if you would like a trial before a judge; waiving jury trial; or a jury trial.
• Motions

Note: If you were cited for one of the following violations you case will be automatically scheduled for an appearance with the Assistant County Attorney. The appearance notice will be mailed to the address listed on your citation. Contact the court if you do not receive an appearance notice on or before the appearance date listed on your citations.

• Any Theft related violation
• Minor in Possession of Alcohol
• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
• Public Intoxication
• Minor DUI
• Tobacco Offenses
• Simple Assault

16 Years Old or Younger?
The court will notify your parents or legal guardian by mail to appear in person with you. Do not pay the fine or contact the court about your citation unless you, your parent or legal guardian do not receive a notice to appear.

Ways to Handle a Ticket:
Please wait for at least 5 business days before contacting the court about your citation. This gives the officer time to file the citation at the court. You must appear or answer on or before the appearance date listed on the citation.

Consequences of Not Handling Tickets on Time
Failure to appear or to comply with any judicial order may result in the following:

• A warrant for your arrest which includes a $50.00 warrant fee.
• A $15.00 Time Payment Fee (if total balance is not submitted within 30 days)
• Denial of driver’s license renewal which includes an additional $10.00 fee.
• The case may be sent to a collections agency and the balance due will increase by 30%

JP1 accepts cash (in person; exact change only); checks, money orders, and the following credit cards (3% convenience fee if paid in person; 2.75% if paid online): MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express.

A $2.00 administrative fee is added to all criminal fines with the exception of dismissal fees.

In Person

Payments are accepted at Justice of the Peace Precinct One located at 4717 Heflin Lane, Suite 107 during business hours.

By Mail

Non-cash payments may be sent to: JP1, 4717 Heflin Lane, Suite 107, Austin, Texas 78721. Make payment payable to: Travis JP1. Please include your driver’s license, case or citation number with your payment. .

By Telephone

Call the court at 512-854-7700 during business hours to submit payment via credit card. A 3% convenience fee will be applied. Full payment is due unless the case(s) are on a scheduled payment plan. Partial payments are not accepted unless you have already set up a payment plan with the Collections Office.

Online

A 2.75 convenience fee added to the total balance.

Payment Plan –You must enter a no contest or guilty plea and contact the court to request a payment plan.

UNABLE TO PAY? You may be able to make payments, perform community service, or request a waiver for court costs, fines, and fees, if eligible. Contact the court for information.

Certain charges may be eligible for dismissal with proof of correction and payment of the administrative fee; if applicable on or before the appearance date listed on your citation. See the Compliance Dismissals chart which lists the eligible violations and associated fees.

You may be eligible to have one charge dismissed and avoid a conviction on your driving record by successfully completing a driving safety course (DSC) if you request DSC on or before your appearance date. You may not be in the process of taking DSC and have not completed a class to dismiss a case in the past 12 months preceding the offense date. By complying with the DSC terms, your case will be dismissed and will not appear on your driving record. You will lose the right to complete DSC in lieu of paying the fine if, on or before your appearance date, you do not provide the court with notice of your request to take the course.

You are not eligible to complete DSC if you do not appear by the appearance date on your citation, have a commercial driver’s license, and was speeding more than 25 miles over the speed limit, cited for passing a school bus, leaving the scene of a collision or cited in a work zone with workers present.

Submit a DSC request to the court with the following documents and payment if you have a valid non-commercial Texas driver’s license and liability insurance and you were not cited for driving more than 25 miles or more over the speed limit, passing a school bus or leaving the scene of a collision:

• Copy of current liability insurance and non-commercial Texas driver’s license
• Signed and notarized DSC affidavit (DSC affidavit form)
• $137.10 DSC fee which includes court costs and a $10.00 non-refundable administrative fee.

You will 90 days from the date the affidavit is notarized to complete DSC and submit a copy of the course certificate along with a copy of your driving record (version 3 or 3A) from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). The cost of the driving record is $10.00. You may obtain your driving record via mail at: Texas Department of Public Safety, P.O. Box 149246, Austin, Texas 78714-9246 or online at: https://txapps.texas.gov/tolapp/txldrcdr/TXDPSLicenseeManager . It is not necessary to wait for your driving record before attending a class.

Failure to submit the completion certificate and driving record on or before the due date will result in a hearing before the judge to explain why you did not comply with DSC terms. If your case is not dismissed a conviction will appear on your driving record, you may be subject to a fine and a warrant for your arrest will issue if you fail to pay the fine or any additional fees.

You will lose this right if, on or before your appearance date, you do not provide the court with notice of your request to take the course.

UNABLE TO PAY? You may be able to make payments, perform community service, or request a waiver for court costs, fines, and fees, if eligible. Contact the court for information.

Persons who do not appear by the appearance date listed on the citation or who have taken a Driver Safety Course to have a ticket dismissed within the last 12 months may be eligible for Deferred Disposition. Deferred Disposition is a probationary program that gives customers another option to avoid a conviction on their driving record. You must comply with the deferral terms to have the case dismissed.

Requirements:

Call the court for the deferral fee amount. The deferral fee will include court costs, fine and all applicable administrative fees. Complete the deferral form and submit the form and a copy of your non-commercial driver’s license to the court.

You are not eligible to complete DSC if you do not appear by the appearance date on your citation, have a commercial driver’s license, and was speeding more than 25 miles over the speed limit, cited for passing a school bus, leaving the scene of a collision or cited in a work zone with workers present.

You will have 90 days from the date the deferral form is signed to complete DSC if you have not taken the class within the 12 months preceding the ticket date. If you have taken a DSC within the 12 months preceding the ticket date, the DSC class is not required. You may not receive any citations during the deferral period in Travis County or the City of Austin.

Failure to comply with the deferral terms will result in a hearing before the judge to explain why you did not comply with the deferral terms. If your case is not dismissed a conviction will appear on your driving record, you may be subject to a fine and a warrant for your arrest will issue if you fail to pay the fine or any additional fees.

UNABLE TO PAY? You may be able to make payments, perform community service, or request a waiver for court costs, fines, and fees, if eligible. Contact the court for information.

Persons receiving a citation for No Insurance (Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility) or No Driver’s License may request a deferral to avoid a conviction on their driving record.

No Insurance

Your case may be dismissed if you obtain liability insurance and maintain it for six consecutive months without a lapse in policy as long as you adhere to the following deferral terms:

Call the court for the deferral fee amount. The deferral fee will include court costs, fine and all applicable administrative fees. Complete the deferral form and submit the form and a copy of your non-commercial driver’s license to the court.

You will have 180 days from the date the deferral form is signed to submit a letter from your insurance company stating you maintained insurance during the deferral period without a lapse in policy.

You may not receive any citations for No Insurance during the deferral period in Travis County or the City of Austin.

Failure to comply with the deferral terms will result in a hearing before the judge to explain why you did not comply with the deferral terms. If your case is not dismissed a conviction will appear on your driving record, you may be subject to a fine and a warrant for your arrest will issue if you fail to pay the fine or any additional fees.

UNABLE TO PAY? You may be able to make payments, perform community service, or request a waiver for court costs, fines, and fees, if eligible. Contact the court for information.

No Driver’s License

Your case may be dismissed if you do not receive any citations for No Driver’s License during the deferral period.

Call the court for the deferral fee amount. The deferral fee will include court costs, fine and all applicable administrative fees. Complete the deferral form and submit the form and a copy of your non-commercial driver’s license to the court.

The deferral period is 90 days from the date the deferral form is signed. You may not receive any citations for No Driver’s License during the deferral period in Travis County or the City of Austin.

Failure to comply with the deferral terms will result in a hearing before the judge to explain why you did not comply with the deferral terms. If your case is not dismissed a conviction will appear on your driving record, you may be subject to a fine and a warrant for your arrest will issue if you fail to pay the fine or any additional fees.

UNABLE TO PAY? You may be able to make payments, perform community service, or request a waiver for court costs, fines, and fees, if eligible. Contact the court for information.