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Respond to a Citation
Appearance Dates
- Citation (Ticket): You must appear at the City of Victoria Municipal Court or otherwise resolve your citation within 20 business days from the date of offense.
Please note: a phone call is not considered an appearance. A phone call is just for information only. - Complaint Filed: You will be notified by summons via mail of your date and time to appear
Appearance Requirements
- You may choose to hire an attorney to represent you, but you are not required to.
- Picture identification will be required (state-issued ID or Driver’s License is acceptable).
- Attorneys may be required to present their state-issued Bar Card in addition to a picture ID
Appearance for Juveniles
- Juveniles (defendants under the age of 17 at the time of offense) must appear before the Judge in court with a parent or legal guardian. A summons will be sent in the mail with the court date and time. For more information of how to respond if you are a juvenile, you may click this link.
Option #1 Plead "Not Guilty" and Request a Trial
You have a right to a jury trial unless you waive that right and request a trial by a judge. By setting your case for trial, you are giving up your right to require that your case be dismissed through a mandatory Driving Safety Course. If you wish to receive a trial, appear in person at the City of Victoria Municipal Court, submit your request electronically through this form, or print out the Plea of Not Guilty Form (PDF) and submit your request by mail:
City of Victoria Municipal Court
P.O. Box 1758
Victoria, Texas 77902
For more information about pleading Not Guilty, you may click this link for information on contesting a citation.
Option #2 Plead "No Contest" or "Guilty and pay the fine
In-person: You may appear in-person at the City of Victoria Municipal Court during business hours, Monday through Friday. Payment plan options may be granted at the time of appearance. You may also utilize the drop box located at the Municipal Court at 107 W. Juan Linn St. Victoria, Texas 77901. Payment in the form of a cashier's check or money order is accepted for drop box payments. No personal checks are accepted.
By mail: You may mail a cashier's check or money order made payable to the City of Victoria Municipal Court to P.O.Box 1758 Victoria, Texas 77902. No personal checks are accepted.
By phone or online: You may pay your citation online by going to www.covcourt.com or by phone at 361-485-3845.
Please note: By making a voluntary payment through one of the above methods, you are forfeiting your right to request a Driver's Safety Course or Deferred Disposition.
Option #3 Request Driving Safety Course (DSC) or Deferred Disposition, if eligible
Requests for a driving safety course or a deferred disposition may be made in-person, by mail, or online. For information about these options, please review the below links:
Option #4 Request a compliance dismissal
If you request this option, you must present the required proof of remedy and payment of the applicable administrative fee. You may learn more about this option by reviewing this page on compliance dismissals.
Consequences of ignoring a citation
Failure to complete one of the four options listed within 20 business days from the date of the citation can immediately result in the following actions taken against the offender:
An arrest warrant may be issued, at which time the fine amount can automatically be assessed the maximum amount allowed by law in addition to court costs and fees. If an arrest warrant is issued, the defendant will be subject to arrest at home, place of business, or whenever he/she may be found. If you have a warrant out for your arrest, you may find out more information about how to clear a warrant by clicking this link.
A request may be submitted to the Texas Department of Public Safety for the denial of driver's license renewal.
Inability to pay a fine is not an excuse for failure to respond. Payment plan options may be granted at the time of appearance or request. If you are assessed fines and court costs because of a citation and you are unable to pay, you may bring this to the attention of the judge. If you are determined by the court to have insufficient resources or income to pay, the court may provide you other ways to discharge the fine. You may find out more information about the court's amnesty program by clicking this link.