Jefferson Parish Traffic Tickets: What Happens Next

Read the citation itself

Everything you need is on the ticket. Find these four things before you do anything else:

• The court named on the ticket. East Bank citations go to First Parish Court. West Bank citations go to Second Parish Court. A citation from Louisiana State Police may go elsewhere.
• Your appearance date. This is a deadline, not a suggestion.
• The violation charged. Some violations can be resolved administratively. Others, including anything charged alongside a DWI, cannot.
• The citation number. You will need it for every call and every payment.

Understand your options

Pay the citation

Paying resolves the matter and, for most moving violations, is treated as a conviction that may be reported to your insurer and to the Office of Motor Vehicles. Contact the Traffic Department at (504) 731-4682 for current amounts and accepted payment methods.

Contest the citation

You may appear and contest the ticket. In First Parish Court, routine citations are often handled through a traffic hearing process rather than a full trial. A traffic hearing officer reviews the citation, hears from the driver and the issuing officer, and makes a recommendation to the court. It is faster and less formal than a trial, but it is still a legal proceeding and what you say is on the record.

Appear on your court date

If your citation requires a court appearance, go. Bring the citation, your license, proof of insurance and registration, and any documentation relevant to your defense: a repair receipt, an inspection sticker, photographs of the intersection.

Know what happens if you do nothing

Missing your date is the expensive path. Depending on the violation, an unresolved citation can lead to additional fees, an attachment being issued, and a hold on your driver’s license renewal at the Office of Motor Vehicles. A ticket you could have handled for a modest amount becomes a much larger problem months later, usually at the worst possible moment.

If you have already missed a date, call the Traffic Department. Courts deal with this constantly, and addressing it voluntarily is treated differently from being picked up on an attachment.