Traffic/Municipal Citations

Types of Citations

Paying a Civil Infraction Ticket Online

It will take up to 3 business days for the ticket to be available in the court’s automated system. The Clerk’s Office may not be able to answer specific questions until the ticket is in the system.

A person to whom a citation is issued shall appear by or at the time specified in the citation and may respond to the allegations in the citation. A defendant shall appear on or before the time specified by mail or in person.

Defendant Options

The defendant has these options when a civil infraction is issued:

1. Admit Responsibility Without Explanation: If you wish to admit responsibility for the civil infraction, you may do so by appearing in person, by representation, or by mail. If by mail, include a check or money order for the amount of the ticket made payable to the 61st District Court.
2. Admit Responsibility With Explanation: If by mail, please write a letter to the magistrate and submit it to the 61st District Court by mail or drop off in person at the Kent County Courthouse, 180 Ottawa Ave., NW, Grand Rapids, MI 48503.
3. Deny Responsibility: Before the due date, you may request an informal hearing with the magistrate or a formal hearing with a judge.

You may not appear by making a telephone call to the court, but you may contact us by phone to obtain a court date.

If you fail to respond to a citation by the due date or fail to appear for a scheduled hearing, the court may enter a default judgment with a determination of responsibility for the civil infraction and impose the appropriate sanctions.

The court does not assess points to your driving record. Under Michigan law, the Secretary of State is responsible for assessing points. When you are found responsible for a civil infraction, the court must notify the Secretary of State of the entry of judgment. The court may not reduce or eliminate the number of points assessed by the Secretary of State. For inquiries on your license, please contact the Secretary of State.

Admission of Responsibility without Explanation

A defendant may admit responsibility to the citation by the due date and must make an appearance by mail, in person, or by representation. Admissions of responsibility are not accepted by telephone.

To avoid late charges, the court must receive your admission of responsibility by the due date listed on your ticket. You do not need to call the court to confirm receipt. If the due date on your ticket appears incorrect or unclear, contact the court as soon as possible.

You may "admit responsibility" to your ticket in the following ways:

• In Person: A defendant may appear in court to admit responsibility anytime during the course of a normal business day. Court hours are Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 pm. Bring the citation with you. The clerk will ask you to sign the back of your ticket admitting responsibility and issue a receipt for your payment.
• By Mail: Appearance by mail is made when the defendant returns the citation to the court with a signed admission of responsibility (please read instructions on your ticket). If payment is not enclosed, the court will enter the judgment and assess the appropriate fines and costs. The timeliness of a mail appearance is determined by the postmark date of the defendant's letter. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope if you make a payment and would like your receipt mailed back to you.
• By Representation: Appearance by representation is made when a defendant authorizes another person to come before the court and admit responsibility or make payment on the defendant's behalf. It is requested that your representative bring with them your signed admission of responsibility ticket with your signature on the back.

Admission of Responsibility with Explanation

A defendant's admission of responsibility with explanation consists of the following:

• An admission of responsibility for the offense charged; and
• An explanation of the circumstances surrounding the offense.

A defendant's appearance to make admission with explanation may take place in one of the following ways:

• In Person: Defendants may come in and submit a letter for the magistrate to review. Once the letter is reviewed, the court will mail back a judgment of the magistrate's decision. If you are found responsible, the court will give you some time to pay the fines and costs. Defendants must sign under "admit responsibility with explanation".
• By Mail: Appearance by mail is made when the defendant returns the citation to the court with A SIGNED ADMISSION OF RESPONSIBILITY. Mail the signed citation along with your letter of explanation to the court by the due date on the citation. If payment of applicable fines and costs is not enclosed, the court will notify you by mail of the amount due and the payment deadline. The timeliness of a mail appearance is determined by the postmark date of the defendant's letter.

If the defendant admits responsibility with an explanation, the court generally cannot set aside that admission and later find the defendant not responsible (see informal or formal hearing). If the court finds the defendant responsible with explanation, it may reduce civil fines and costs based on extenuating circumstances. The court cannot reduce or eliminate points assessed by the Secretary of State.

In some situations, the court may schedule a hearing. This can happen when the written explanation is not a true admission of responsibility and instead states that the cited offense did not occur.

The defendant's appearance (by mail or in person) must occur within the time specified. Failure to make a timely appearance will result in the entry of a default judgment against the defendant. Noncompliance with the judgment will result in eventual suspension of the defendant's license, as well as other possible sanctions.

Defendant Denies Responsibility

To deny responsibility is to contest the case. The defendant must appear to offer a defense at an Informal or Formal hearing. Denials of responsibility/requests for hearings must be received within 10 days from the date your citation was issued. Request for Informal or Formal hearings may be made by contacting the court by phone for a court date, or in person.

Hearings for Contested Civil Infractions

There are two types of hearings for contested civil infraction cases:

Civil Infraction Informal Hearing

A hearing conducted by a district court magistrate involving the police officer, the defendant, and any witness. An informal hearing is held without a prosecutor or defense attorney. The magistrate shall conduct the informal hearing in an informal manner. The outcome of the hearing may be appealed to a formal hearing. An appeal following an informal hearing must be requested in writing within 7 days after the decision.

Civil Infraction Formal Hearing

A hearing conducted by a district court judge involving the police officer, the defendant, and all witnesses. Defendants may be represented by an attorney, and a prosecutor is present. The decision may be appealed to the Circuit Court. A defendant who appeals must post with the District Court, at the time the appeal is taken, a bond equal to the fine and costs imposed. If the fine and costs have been paid, a bond is not required.