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1. What can I do when I get a complaint ticket?

• Pay by mail - Send a check or money order for payment in full to the Centralized Infractions Bureau, P.O. Box 5044, Hartford, CT 06102-5044. Use the self-addressed envelope provided with your ticket. More information about making payments by mail. Make sure ticket # is written on check or money order.

• Enter a plea of "Not Guilty" by telephone or mail - Mail your plea to CIB, P.O. Box 5044, Hartford, CT 06102-5044 or call the Customer Service Unit at (860) 263-2750 Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. Be sure to have your ticket number available when calling to ensure your plea is recorded accurately.

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2. How long do I have to respond to my ticket?

• You must respond by the Answer Date on your ticket - the Answer Date is assigned by the police officer who issued the ticket.
• If you do not pay in full or plead Not Guilty by the Answer Date, your case will be transferred to court.
• If your ticket is for a motor vehicle matter we will notify the Department of Motor Vehicles that you have failed to pay or plead Not Guilty. The DMV will suspend your driver’s license. You will be required to pay a reopening fee of $60.00 to the Clerk of the Court where the ticket was issued, in addition to the original amount due. You may also be required to pay a $125.00 fee to the Department of Motor Vehicles to have your driver’s license reinstated.
• If your ticket is for a non-motor vehicle infraction and you fail to pay in full or plead Not Guilty, your case will be transferred to court, an arrest warrant will be issued, and a bond for your release may be set by the court. This will add the charge of "Failure to Pay or Plead" to your original charge.

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3. How do I pay for my traffic ticket?

• Mail the total amount due by check or money order to CIB at Box 5044, Hartford, CT 06102-5044.
• When remitting payment be sure to include your ticket or the Failure to Respond Notice.
• Use the self-addressed envelope provided with your traffic ticket. If you did not receive your envelope, or lost it, mail your payment in full to the Centralized Infractions Bureau, P.O. Box 5044, Hartford, CT 06102-5044.
• Make checks and money orders payable to "Clerk of Superior Court", and write the ticket number on the check or money order.
• Never mail cash.
• No payment plans are available. Full payment is required on or before the Answer Date (see above).
• No credit card payments are accepted.
• You must pay the total amount due on the ticket or plead Not Guilty - You cannot pay the fine for one charge and plead Not Guilty to other charges.
• Late payments - If your case is transferred to court because you failed to pay or plead Not Guilty by the Answer Date, you will be required to pay the amount due and an additional "reopening fee" of $60.00.
• Payment of an infraction fine or mail-in violation fine will result in a verdict finding of "guilty".

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4. Will I have to go to court?

• Unless you pay the full amount due, you will have to go to court.
• If you plead Not Guilty, you will have to go to court (see "How do I plead Not Guilty?'').

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5. How do I plead Not Guilty?

There are two ways to plead Not Guilty:

1. Mail in the ticket: Follow the instructions on the back of the ticket to enter a Not Guilty plea by mail. Be sure to sign the ticket to indicate your plea. Use the envelope provided to mail in your plea.
2. By telephone: You may enter a plea of Not Guilty by telephone if you are the defendant and the police officer's copy of the ticket (called the "court original") has been received and entered into the computer system at the Centralized Infractions Bureau. Call (860) 263-2750, Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
3. If you lost your ticket, call the Centralized Infractions Bureau (CIB) at (860) 263-2750, Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You will need your name and date of birth.

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6. What happens when I plead Not Guilty?

• When your Not Guilty plea is received, CIB will transfer your case to a Superior Court location for the geographical area where your ticket was issued.
• You may have to go to court.
• If your ticket was issued in certain locations of the state where there are Regional Motor Vehicle courts, you may be able to provide a written response to a prosecutor who may or may not nolle your case. If your case is nolled the charges are dropped. If it is not nolled you will have to appear at the court.
• The local court will send you a notice giving you a court hearing date.
• Questions about court procedure should be directed to the court clerk.
• The court hearing location is based on the town where the ticket was issued.
• The court address and courtroom number will be included on your hearing notice. Geographical Area court phone numbers and locations.

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7. What if I live out of state?

• Your case will be treated the same as if you lived in Connecticut. You will be mailed a notice about the court hearing date. The location of your court hearing will be based on the town where the ticket was issued.
• If you fail to respond to the ticket, your home state will suspend your driver's license.

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8. What happens when I get to court?

• Find out what courtroom your case is in. Check the lists of scheduled cases called "posting dockets". Cases are listed alphabetically with last names first. Cases are grouped by type of case. The lists are usually on a bulletin board or wall in the front lobby of the courthouse.
• Speak to the state's attorney about your case. The state's attorney will present your case to the judge or magistrate.
• When your case is called, stand and go to the front of the courtroom.
• If you do not understand something said by the judge or the state's attorney, or if you have a question, ask the judge.
• If you go to court and you are found guilty, the total amount due will be more than the fine amount set by the judge or magistrate. For example, if you go to court on a charge of failing to obey a stop sign, and the judge finds you guilty, the total amount due will be the original $70.00 fine, plus $44.00 court costs and fees for a total of $114.00 due.
• Be sure to pay the fine at the clerk's office or cashier's office on or before the due date. Personal checks are only accepted when the name and current address is pre-printed on the check and the check writer has a valid picture ID. Check amounts can not exceed $800.00. Checks should be payable to the Clerk, Superior Court.

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9. I lost my ticket. What should I do?

• Call the Centralized Infractions Bureau (CIB) at (860) 263-2750 Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. with your name and date of birth.
• If CIB has received the original ticket from the police and it has been entered into the computer system, CIB can give you instructions about payment or about entering a Not Guilty plea.
• If the ticket is not in the computer system yet, CIB will not be able to assist you until the ticket is received from the law enforcement agency.

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10. How are fine amounts determined?

• The judges of the Superior Court set a schedule of fines for all motor vehicle infractions and violations each year. The schedules are printed in a pocket-size booklet, which is updated every October 1st. The booklet is available to the public in most public libraries, police departments, Department of Motor Vehicle offices, and in all Superior Court Clerk's Offices.

Violations and Infractions Schedule - in PDF Format - Must have Acrobat®  Reader® to view this file. Click on logo to download Reader.

• Only a judge or magistrate has the authority to lower the amount of the fine.
• A speeding fine amount is based on the "charge," or statute.

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11. Will my ticket be reported to the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)?

• Yes, it is reported to the DMV once the ticket is disposed.
• If you live out-of-state, Connecticut DMV may report ticket information to your state's DMV. Contact your state DMV to get more information.
• For more information about the Connecticut DMV, call Driver Services at 860-263-5720 for general information or visit the DMV website at http://www.ct.gov/dmv/.

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12. Will I get "points" on my driver's license?

• If you make your payment in full and your case disposes at the Centralized Infractions Bureau, no points will be assessed by the Department of Motor Vehicles against your driver's license, however it will appear on your driving history.
• Points are only given if there is a conviction (a finding of guilty) or a bond forfeiture, after a court hearing.
• Points are assessed by the Connecticut DMV. For more information about the Connecticut DMV, call Driver Services at 860-263-5720 for general information or visit the DMV website at http://www.ct.gov/dmv/.

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13. Will my insurance company find out about my ticket and raise my insurance premium/rates?

• Insurance companies usually check driver's histories before issuing a new policy. Your driver's history will show if you have paid a fine for a motor vehicle infraction or violation, or if a court has found you guilty of an infraction or violation.
• Decisions about insurance rates and premiums are up to the insurance company.

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14. Will my license be suspended? How do I get my license reinstated?

• The courts do not suspend or reinstate driver's licenses. That is done by the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Contact the DMV at 860-263-5720 for more information about license suspensions or reinstatement. Or visit the DMV website at: http://www.ct.gov/dmv/.
• Convictions on certain charges automatically result in license suspension. See below for for a list of the statutes and charges that will automatically result in license suspension. Remember, paying the amount due is treated like a conviction.
• The amount of time your license and/or registration will be suspended is determined by your current driving record. If you have more questions, please call 860-263-5720 (DMV-Drivers' Services).

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15. Will conviction on a ticket affect my Commercial Driver's License?

• Maybe. Call 860-263-5720 (DMV-Drivers' Services) for more information about disqualification for commercial drivers' licenses.

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