Arizona Traffic Tickets

By Javier Marín, Editor·Last reviewed September 2026·How we check this

Most Arizona traffic citations are civil, not criminal — meaning the consequences are a civil sanction (fine and points) rather than a misdemeanor on the criminal record. The driver has three core choices on every civil citation: pay the fine and accept the conviction, take a Defensive Driving School diversion to keep the conviction off the record, or contest the citation in court.

The 30-day response deadline

Every Arizona civil traffic citation lists a "respond by" date, typically 30 days from issuance. Before that date, the driver must do one of the following:

Pay the fine listed on the citation (an admission and a conviction).
Request and complete Defensive Driving School (DDS).
Request a hearing at the issuing court (a contested civil hearing) and appear on the assigned date.

Failure to respond by the deadline triggers a default judgment, an automatic conviction, and a Failure to Appear (FTA) suspension of the driver's license under ARS § 28-1601. The driver loses driving privileges until the underlying citation is resolved and a $10 MVD reinstatement fee is paid — see suspended license.

Defensive Driving School diversion

Defensive Driving School is Arizona's signature diversion option for most civil moving violations. Eligibility requires:

The violation was a civil traffic citation (not criminal).
The violation did not result in a serious injury or fatality.
The driver hasn't completed Defensive Driving School in the previous 12 months.
The driver has not already been ordered to attend Traffic Survival School for a separate matter.
The driver does not hold a CDL (CDL holders are not eligible for DDS for citations received in their commercial vehicle).

The course is 4 hours long, costs about $200 (combining the state fee and provider fee), and can be completed online or in-person. Completion before the citation deadline results in:

The citation is dismissed.
No points are assigned to the driver record under the Arizona point system.
No conviction appears on the certified MVR pulled by insurance carriers.

The 12-month DDS limit means a driver who uses DDS once cannot use it again for any other citation received in the next 12 months — planning matters when multiple citations are pending.

Contested hearings (civil)

Drivers who want to fight a civil citation request a hearing through the issuing justice or municipal court. The hearing is heard by a judicial officer (judge or hearing magistrate) and uses a "preponderance of the evidence" standard — the state must prove the violation more likely than not. The driver may:

Cross-examine the citing officer.
Present witnesses and physical evidence.
Submit photographs, dashcam, or GPS records.
Be represented by an attorney (not required but commonly used for serious civil citations).

If the citation is upheld, the driver may still pay the fine; if dismissed, no points or fines are assessed. Civil hearings cannot result in jail time. Decisions can be appealed to Superior Court within 14 days.

Criminal traffic citations

Some traffic citations are charged as misdemeanors or felonies, not civil violations. These include:

Reckless driving (ARS § 28-693).
Aggressive driving (ARS § 28-695).
Criminal speeding — over 85 mph anywhere or 20+ mph over the posted limit in certain residential zones (ARS § 28-701.02).
Driving on a suspended license (ARS § 28-3473).
Hit-and-run / leaving the scene of an accident (ARS § 28-661 to 28-664).
DUI — covered separately on the Arizona DUI laws page.

Criminal traffic citations are heard in justice or municipal court using the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard. The driver has a constitutional right to court-appointed counsel if jail time is possible. Criminal traffic convictions cannot be diverted through Defensive Driving School — the driver must either plead, fight, or negotiate.

Photo radar and red-light cameras

Arizona used photo enforcement on state highways from 2008 to 2010, but the state-level program was discontinued. Several Arizona cities — including Scottsdale, El Mirage, and Paradise Valley — continue local photo-radar and red-light camera programs under municipal ordinance. Photo citations are mailed to the registered owner. The driver has the option to identify the actual driver if it wasn't them, and most cities now require the citation be served personally on the actual driver before the violation can result in a conviction or default judgment. Photo-radar tickets follow the same DDS-eligibility rules as officer-issued citations.

Paying online

Most Arizona courts accept online payment through their court website or through the state's AZ Court Locator portal. The fee is the citation amount plus court surcharges, typically a small ($3-$5) processing fee. Once paid, the citation is resolved as a conviction with points assigned, unless the driver elected DDS or a contested hearing instead. Drivers should also confirm 25/50/15 Arizona insurance remains active, as insurers can adjust premium at the next renewal based on the new conviction.