A stop sign ticket under ARS 28-855(B) in Arizona usually runs about $235 once all the mandatory add-ons are included, though the exact total depends on the court handling your case. Expect to pay somewhere between $200 and $260 in most jurisdictions.1Pinal County Justice Courts. Fine Chart
Why the Fine Isn’t a Fixed Number
The statute itself doesn’t set a dollar amount. Each court picks a base fine for the violation, and then Arizona law stacks a series of mandatory surcharges and assessments on top. Courts can’t waive most of them.2Arizona Judicial Branch. Mitigation of Fines, Penalties, Surcharges, Assessments, and Fees
The percentage-based surcharges added to every civil traffic base fine come out to 79 percent of that base: a 68 percent consolidated surcharge, a 10 percent Clean Elections surcharge, and an additional 1 percent Clean Elections surcharge. On top of that, flat-dollar assessments add roughly $50 regardless of the base amount, including a $20 probation assessment, a $13 additional assessment, a $9 victims’ rights fund assessment, a $4 victims’ rights enforcement assessment, and a $4 peace officer training equipment assessment.3Arizona Judicial Branch. 2025 Legislative Session Charge Penalty Schedule Updates
Pinal County Justice Court, for example, lists a total sanction of $235 for an ARS 28-855 stop sign violation.1Pinal County Justice Courts. Fine Chart Some courts also add a court construction fee of around $34.50 on civil traffic cases, pushing the total slightly higher.4City of Mesa. Civil Traffic Sanction Schedule
The Cost You Won’t See on the Ticket
Running a stop sign is a moving violation, not a parking ticket. Moving violations put points on your Arizona driving record through the Motor Vehicle Division. Enough points inside a twelve-month window can require you to attend traffic survival school, and higher totals can lead to license suspension.
The ticket also stays on your record where insurers can see it. Carriers routinely pull driving records at renewal, so a stop sign conviction can raise your premium long after the $235 is paid. For many drivers, the insurance hit over the next few years costs more than the fine itself.
Keeping the Points Off With Defensive Driving School
Arizona’s defensive driving school program lets eligible drivers take a course instead of having the violation go on their record. If the court approves, completing the course dismisses the charge and keeps points off your driving record. A standard stop sign ticket is usually eligible.
A few conditions apply. You can only use this option once every twelve months. The course has its own fee, and in most jurisdictions it does not reduce the underlying fine, so the main benefit is protecting your record rather than saving money up front. You also have to request it and get court approval before your response deadline on the citation.
What Happens If You Ignore the Ticket
Not responding by the date on your citation doesn’t make the ticket disappear. The court enters a default judgment, which means you’re automatically found responsible and owe the full fine. Some courts also add a default fee. Mesa, for instance, tacks on $90.4City of Mesa. Civil Traffic Sanction Schedule
Unpaid civil traffic penalties carry further consequences. Arizona courts can notify the MVD to refuse renewal of your vehicle registration until you pay. The court has 36 months from the date of the violation to begin collection, and if it misses that window the violation must eventually come off your record. Waiting it out is a poor plan, though. Courts that process tickets promptly will flag your registration well before the deadline, and driving on a refused registration opens a separate legal problem on top of the original ticket.