To pay a traffic ticket in Louisiana, find the court listed on your citation and submit the fine before the printed deadline using whichever payment method that court accepts. Most courts give you about 15 days from the date the ticket was written, but the exact window varies by jurisdiction. Miss it and the court can add a penalty as large as the original fine.
What You Need From Your Citation
Your ticket has every detail required to resolve it. The issuing authority might be a parish sheriff’s office, a city police department, or the Louisiana State Police. The citation number is the single most important item on the page, because every payment method asks for it. You’ll also see the fine amount, the payment due date, and the address and phone number for the court handling your case.
If any part of the ticket is illegible or confusing, call the court before your due date. Sorting out a misprint after the deadline has passed puts you in a much worse position than sorting it out early.
Payment Methods Louisiana Courts Accept
Louisiana courts offer several ways to pay, but not every court offers all of them. Which channels are available depends on the specific court on your ticket.
- Online. Many parish and city courts have payment portals on their websites. You enter your citation number, verify your name and case details, and pay by credit or debit card.
- By mail. Most courts accept money orders and cashier’s checks but reject personal checks and cash sent through the mail. Make the payment out to the entity named on your citation, write your citation number on it, and mail it to the court address on the ticket with enough time to arrive before the due date.1Municipal and Traffic Court of New Orleans. Tickets, Fines, and Fees
- By phone. Some courts take payments through an automated system or a clerk. You’ll need your citation number and a credit or debit card.
- In person. Visit the court clerk’s office during business hours with your citation. Most courts accept cash, money orders, and credit or debit cards at the window.
If you’re unsure which methods your court supports, call the number on the citation before doing anything else.
Convenience Fees for Online and Phone Payments
Most courts add a processing fee to online and phone payments, and the percentage varies. Lafayette City Court charges a 5% non-refundable processing fee on all online credit card payments.2Lafayette City Court. Traffic Ticket Online Payment Page Denham Springs City Court charges 3%.3City Court of Denham Springs. Traffic Fines To avoid the fee, pay in person or by mail; those channels are usually free.
Save Proof of Payment
Keep proof no matter how you pay. Print or save online confirmation pages, write down phone confirmation numbers, keep money order receipts, and ask for a dated receipt at the window. Processing times vary, so expect several business days before the payment appears in official records. If a question comes up later about whether you paid, that receipt is your only defense.
Paying Is a Guilty Plea
Understand what your payment does before you send it. Paying a Louisiana traffic ticket is a guilty plea. The conviction goes on your driving record, and your insurer can see it when setting premiums. A surcharge from a single conviction can stay on your policy for three to five years.
Louisiana does not use a point system the way many other states do, but the Office of Motor Vehicles tracks moving violation convictions. After your first conviction, the OMV typically sends a warning letter. A second conviction may trigger a mandatory driver improvement program. Three convictions within any 12-month period can result in license suspension.
Ask About a Defensive Driving Course First
Some Louisiana courts let you take a state-approved defensive driving course instead of having the conviction appear on your record. This is not a statewide right, and each court decides whether to offer it. Eligibility generally turns on three things: whether your violation was a minor, non-criminal moving offense; whether you have a valid non-commercial Louisiana license that isn’t currently suspended; and whether you’ve already used this option recently.
Contact your court before the due date on your citation to ask whether a driving course is available for your situation. If the court approves it, you’ll typically need to complete the course within a set timeframe and provide proof of completion. When it works, this is the best outcome short of a full dismissal, because it keeps the conviction off your record and away from your insurer.
If You Can’t Pay the Full Amount by the Deadline
Some courts allow you to request an extension or an alternative arrangement if you can’t afford the full fine by the due date. The 19th Judicial District Court in Baton Rouge, for instance, requires you to come into the office in person to request additional time once your court date has passed.419th Judicial District Court. Paying Ticket Online Court Policies vary from court to court, so call or visit before the deadline rather than after. Courts are far more receptive to someone who shows up early asking for help than someone who resurfaces months later.
What Happens If You Ignore the Ticket
The consequences of ignoring a Louisiana traffic ticket stack up, and each stage makes the next harder to unwind.
The Fine Can Double
If you fail to pay by mail before your hearing date and also fail to appear, the court can impose an extra penalty up to the full amount of the original fine.5Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes 32-57 – Penalties; Alternatives to Citation A $200 ticket can become $400 before any court costs are added. For offenses in Mayor’s Courts, the municipality can also set fines up to $500 by ordinance, plus up to $30 in court costs.6Louisiana Legislative Auditor. Fine for Failure to Appear for Traffic Violation
A Bench Warrant
If you were required to appear in court and didn’t show, the judge can issue a warrant for your arrest.7Lafayette City Court. Criminal/Traffic and Record Division Frequently Asked Questions That warrant stays active, which means you could be taken into custody during a routine traffic stop or any other contact with law enforcement.8Municipal and Traffic Court of New Orleans. Penalties and Next Steps
License Suspension and Reinstatement Fees
If you fail to honor your written promise to appear or pay the fine within 180 days, the OMV can suspend your driver’s license.9Justia. Louisiana Revised Statutes 32-57.1 – Failure to Honor Written Promise to Appear; Penalty; Disposition of Fines Getting your license back isn’t free either. The OMV charges a reinstatement fee of $100 per citation.10Louisiana Department of Public Safety. Office of Motor Vehicles Fee Schedule That fee stacks on top of whatever you still owe on the original ticket and any added penalties.
If You Live in Another State
Louisiana participates in the Nonresident Violator Compact, so ignoring a Louisiana ticket won’t make it disappear just because you live elsewhere. When a Louisiana court issues a citation to an out-of-state driver, the officer generally cannot require you to post bail on the spot. But if you fail to respond, the Louisiana court reports it to your home state’s licensing authority. Your home state then sends you a notice and can suspend your license if you don’t resolve the ticket within 30 days.11Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes 32-1441 – Enactment and Text of the Nonresident Violator Compact The suspension stays in place until you prove compliance or for one year, whichever comes first.
Unresolved suspensions also get flagged in the National Driver Register, which licensing officials in all 50 states search when someone applies for a new license or renews an existing one.12U.S. Department of Transportation. National Driver Register (NDR) Problem Driver Pointer System (PDPS) An old Louisiana ticket you forgot about can block a license renewal years later in your home state.
Extra Steps for CDL Holders
If you hold a commercial driver’s license, paying the ticket isn’t the end of it, even for a ticket you got in your personal vehicle. Federal law requires you to notify your current employer of any non-parking traffic conviction within 30 days of the conviction date. That deadline applies even if you are appealing the conviction.13FMCSA. Must an Operator of a CMV Who Holds a CDL Notify His/Her Current Employer of a Conviction Certain serious violations can also lead to CDL disqualification, so if your ticket is anything more than minor, talk to a lawyer before paying.