Signing and Accepting a Traffic Ticket in New Jersey

If you receive a traffic ticket for a moving violation (such as speeding), the police officer who issues the ticket will ask you to sign it. Signing a ticket does not mean you are admitting you did anything wrong. Signing a ticket merely means that you agree to appear in court on your scheduled court date for your hearing.

If you refuse to sign the ticket, the police officer can arrest you. The reason for this is that by refusing to sign the ticket, you are giving no assurances that you will show up in court for your hearing. Therefore, the police officer has the right to take you into custody to make sure you do not just run away.

If you get a “fix-it” ticket (such as a ticket for a burned-out tail light), it should be on a different color paper than a moving violation ticket. To take care of a “fix-it” ticket, you need to fix the problem for which you were cited, then drive to a police station in that same jurisdiction and have one of the officers verify that you have indeed fixed the problem. That should take care of the violation. You should not be asked to sign a “fix-it” ticket, because there should be no need for you to appear in court.

If you get a moving violation ticket, a New Jersey traffic ticket attorney can help you fight the ticket in court. Call New Jersey traffic attorney Dan Matrafajlo to schedule a free initial consultation.

Email Us