A Class C infraction in Indiana is a noncriminal violation, almost always a routine traffic offense like speeding or failing to signal, that carries a fine instead of jail time. For a first-time offender on a moving violation, the judgment is capped at $35.50 plus court costs. The real damage usually shows up later: points on your driving record, higher insurance premiums, and a license suspension if you ignore the ticket.
Civil, Not Criminal
Infractions in Indiana are civil matters. You aren’t arrested, you aren’t charged with a crime, and a conviction doesn’t give you a criminal record. Because the case is civil, the state only has to prove the violation by a preponderance of the evidence rather than beyond a reasonable doubt.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 34-28-5-1 – Prosecution in Name of State Class C sits at the lower end of the infraction scale. The penalty can bump up to a Class A infraction if the violation causes bodily injury to another person.2Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-21-8-49 – Violations Class C Infraction
What It Costs
The statutory maximum fine for any Class C infraction is $500, but most drivers pay far less. For moving violations, Indiana uses a tiered structure that keys off two things: whether you admit the violation and how many moving-violation convictions you’ve had in the same county over the past five years.
Admit the violation or plead no contest on or before your court date and the judgment cannot exceed $35.50 plus court costs. That same $35.50 cap applies if you contest and lose, as long as you have no prior moving-violation convictions in that county within the last five years. One prior conviction in the county raises the ceiling to $250.50 plus court costs. Two or more priors push it to the full $500 plus court costs.3Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 34-28-5-4 – Judgment for Infraction or Ordinance Violation
Court costs are added on top and vary by county, so your total will always exceed the judgment itself. Non-moving Class C infractions, like certain equipment violations, don’t benefit from the tiered caps and can be fined up to the full $500.3Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 34-28-5-4 – Judgment for Infraction or Ordinance Violation
Common Class C Violations
Nearly every violation of Indiana’s vehicle operation chapter is a Class C infraction. The ones you’ll see most often:
- Speeding over the posted limit.4Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-21-5-2 – Maximum Speed Limits Violation
- Driving too fast for conditions, even if you’re under the posted limit.5Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-21-5-1 – General Restrictions Violation
- Failing to signal a turn, lane change, slow, or stop.6Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-21-8-24 – Slowing Down Turning From a Direct Course
- Failing to yield when entering a through highway.7Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-21-8-31 – Entrance to Through Highways Stopping Yield of Right-of-Way
- Failing to dim your high beams for oncoming or leading vehicles.8Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-21-7-5 – Use of Multiple-Beam Road Lighting Equipment
Points on Your Record
The Indiana BMV assigns points to moving-violation convictions, and the points stay active for two years from the conviction date.9Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Driver Record Points Common point values for Class C violations:
- Speeding 1–15 mph over: 2 points
- Speeding 16–25 mph over: 4 points
- Speeding 26+ mph over: 6 points
- Failure to use headlights: 2 points
- No brake or signal lights: 2 points
- Unsafe lane movement: 4 points
- Disregarding a stop or yield sign: 4 points
- Failure to yield to an emergency vehicle: 6 points
- Following too closely: 6 points
Indiana doesn’t suspend a license based on hitting a point total, but patterns of violations still matter. A driver with 10 or more traffic violations in a 10-year span, including at least one serious offense, can be classified as a habitual traffic violator and face a five-year suspension.11Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Common Traffic Violations
What Happens If You Ignore the Ticket
This is where a small ticket turns into a big problem. Skip your court date or fail to pay by the deadline and the court can issue a warrant for your arrest. If the warrant isn’t executed within 30 days, the court notifies the BMV, which suspends your driving privileges until you appear or the case is resolved.12Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-30-3-8 – Failure to Appear or Answer Issuance of Warrant
For unpaid judgments on moving violations, the court can suspend your driving privileges for up to three years, lasting until you pay or the three years run out.12Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-30-3-8 – Failure to Appear or Answer Issuance of Warrant Driving on that suspended license is a separate, more serious offense that carries 8 points. A $35.50 ticket can escalate into a suspension and criminal charges quickly.
Your Options
You have three practical choices once you’ve been cited.
Pay it. Admitting the violation on or before your court date caps the judgment at $35.50 plus court costs. You accept the points and the conviction appears on your record.
Contest it. Notify the court by the date on your citation and the court will set a hearing. The state has to prove the violation by a preponderance of the evidence, and you can present evidence, call witnesses, and cross-examine the officer. A lawyer isn’t required, though representation can help if you have priors that would move you into a higher fine tier. If you win, you owe nothing and no points attach. If you lose and have no prior moving-violation convictions in that county in the last five years, the fine ceiling is still the same $35.50 plus court costs, so the financial risk of contesting is low for first-time offenders.3Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 34-28-5-4 – Judgment for Infraction or Ordinance Violation
Ask about deferral. Some Indiana counties offer deferral programs. Under a typical one, the prosecutor agrees to defer prosecution; if you stay violation-free for a set period (often six months), pay a program fee, and meet any other conditions, the charge is dismissed and no points attach. Common disqualifiers include holding a commercial driver’s license, participating in a deferral program elsewhere, having habitual traffic violator status, or being cited for certain serious violations like passing a school bus or failing to yield to an emergency vehicle. Some programs require a defensive driving course for higher-speed violations. Not every county runs a program, so check with the prosecutor’s office in the county where you were cited.
If You Have an Out-of-State License
Indiana belongs to the Driver License Compact, under which most states share traffic violation information. If you hold a license from another compact state and receive a Class C infraction in Indiana, the violation is reported to your home state, which then decides whether to assess points under its own system. The conviction follows you either way.