Colorado Traffic Tickets

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

A Colorado traffic ticket can usually be handled three ways: pay the penalty assessment at the rate listed on the citation, plead not guilty and request a court date, or in some cases, negotiate a deferred judgment that keeps the conviction off the record. The choice has direct consequences for your driving record, insurance rates, and license points.

Reading the citation

A Colorado uniform summons and complaint shows the alleged violation, the statute cited (a numerical reference like "42-4-1101" for speeding), the proposed penalty assessment fine, the surcharges, the appearance court, and the date the response is due. Two response windows apply:

20 days from the date the ticket was issued to pay the penalty assessment in full at the listed amount.
The court appearance date printed on the ticket, by which you must appear or formally enter a plea if you do not pay the penalty assessment.

Miss both deadlines and the court issues a failure to appear (FTA) entry, which adds a $25 surcharge, suspends the license, and starts a separate collection process.

Option 1: pay the penalty assessment

For most non-criminal traffic infractions, the citation lists a penalty assessment — a flat fine plus surcharges that resolves the case immediately. Paying this amount within 20 days:

Closes the citation.
Adds the violation as a conviction to your Colorado driving record.
Applies the corresponding point assignment.
Counts toward the 12-month point threshold.

Payment can be made online through the citing court's portal, by mail with a check, or in person at the court. The penalty assessment is the simplest option — and the right choice when the points and insurance impact are tolerable.

Option 2: contest in court

If you don't pay the penalty assessment, the case goes to county court (or a municipal court for city-issued tickets). At the court date you can:

Plead guilty with a possible request for the court to reduce the fine or impose a deferred judgment.
Plead not guilty and set a trial date. Trials are bench trials before a judge unless the violation is criminal (most are not).
Request a continuance to gather evidence or hire a traffic attorney.

At trial, the prosecution presents the officer's testimony, any radar/lidar calibration records, and dash-cam or body-cam footage. The defendant can cross-examine, present witnesses, and argue legal defenses (improper jurisdiction, equipment calibration, observation conditions).

Option 3: deferred judgment

Colorado prosecutors regularly offer a deferred judgment on first-offense traffic violations. Under a deferral:

The driver enters a guilty plea but the court withholds judgment.
The deferral runs for a set period (typically 6 months to 1 year).
If the driver stays violation-free during the deferral, the case is dismissed with no conviction and no points.
If the driver picks up another violation during the deferral, the original conviction enters with full points.

Deferred judgments are usually granted for first-offense speeding 1-19 mph over, lane violations, and other minor moving offenses. They are rarely available for high-speed (20+ over), reckless driving, or alcohol-related charges.

Plea bargains and amendments

For more serious tickets, an attorney can sometimes negotiate an amendment to a non-point violation:

Defective vehicle (no points) instead of speeding 10-19 over.
Lane usage (3 points) instead of careless driving (4 points).
Improper turn instead of running a red light.

These amendments reduce point exposure and insurance impact. Cost-benefit usually favors hiring counsel for any 4+ point violation or any citation that could push the cumulative total near the 12-point threshold.

Camera tickets

Colorado allows automated red-light cameras and speed cameras in school and construction zones. Most camera tickets in Colorado are civil penalties with no points and no driving record entry — paying the citation does not affect your driving record. The driver is presumed to be the registered owner unless an affidavit identifying the actual driver is filed. Some city ordinances allow a $40-$100 fine without state-level reporting.

Court costs and surcharges

Beyond the penalty assessment fine, Colorado adds:

State Victim Compensation Fund surcharge.
Court Security surcharge.
Driver's License Reinstatement Fund (varies).
Local court costs ($10-$45).

These typically add 25-50% on top of the base fine.

Failure to pay

Unpaid Colorado tickets eventually trigger a license suspension under § 42-2-127. The suspension is lifted only after the underlying ticket is paid plus a $25 reinstatement fee through the DMV reinstatement process. For complete records, see the driving records page.