Traffic

The Traffic Division accepts pre-hearing and informal hearing requests for civil infraction violations. Defendants may contact the Court at 248-686-5150, Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, to schedule a hearing date.

In the alternative, defendants may:

Admit Responsibility and Pay the Fine

You may admit responsibility for the civil infraction alleged on the citation and pay the ticket by mail, in person*, by telephone, or online. If you admit responsibility, payment must be made within 14 days of the issuance of the ticket. Payment made after 14 days could result in late fees and/or suspension of your driver's license.

To admit responsibility, sign the back of the ticket in the "Admit Responsibility" section, then either:

Admitting Responsibility with an Explanation

You may admit responsibility with an explanation. By doing so, you are admitting responsibility to the charge on the citation and asking for consideration because of special circumstances regarding the violation. Admitting responsibility with an explanation may be done by mail within 14 days of the issuance of the ticket.

Sign the back of the ticket in the "Admit Responsibility with Explanation" section.
Mail the signed copy of the ticket along with your written explanation to:

48th District Court
4280 Telegraph Road
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48302
Attention: Traffic Department

A magistrate will review your explanation and make a determination. The Court will mail you a copy of the magistrate's determination. Upon admitting responsibility or being found responsible, violations are reported to the Secretary of State. A magistrate cannot reduce the charge or reduce the amount of points from the Secretary of State.

Deny Responsibility and Request a Hearing

To deny responsibility of a civil infraction citation, the defendant needs to contact the Court's Traffic Division within 14 calendar days of the issuance of the ticket and schedule a date to appear in court. A postcard notice with the scheduled court date and time will be mailed to you within a few weeks after contacting the court.

If an attorney is retained to represent a defendant, the case will be set for a pre-formal hearing. The majority of civil infraction tickets are scheduled for pre-hearings. If your case is not resolved at a pre-hearing, an informal hearing will be scheduled unless the defendant specifically requests a formal hearing.