Getting a ticket is bad news. It's a massive waste of time and money, one that we kick ourselves over, as we could have easily avoided the problem by driving a little slower, parking a little more legally, or paying closer attention before accidentally blasting through that red light. Don’t compound that waste by spending your entire day at the courthouse, waiting in a line full of sweaty miserable people, to fork over your hard-earned cash to a grumpy municipal employee — just pay the darn ticket online or fight it.
Of course, there is the big downside to paying your ticket online: by paying you are admitting guilt and waiving your right to contest the ticket. For most moving violations, admitting guilt will have far-reaching consequences for your driver’s license and your insurance rates. If you have considered these consequences and have decided to concede defeat and pay the fine, doing so online is certainly the most convenient of your many payment options.
Seattle Municipal Court Provides Four Ways to Pay
Paying online through the city’s website is obviously the most convenient. You’ll need your citation or case number and a Visa or Mastercard. The city charges a $3.60 “convenience fee.”
Other options to pay include:
- Paying over the phone by calling (206) 233-7000. Like online payments, you’ll need your citation or case number, a Visa or Mastercard, and the willingness to pay $3.60 for convenience.
- Mail a personal check, cashier's check or money order, along with the case or citation number, to:
Seattle Municipal Court
PO BOX C-34109
Seattle, WA 98124-1109
Obviously, the goal is avoid burning a day by paying in person. However, if you do not have your citation or case number, these locations may be your only options:
If you need further help or have questions about the ticket process, the city maintains a help line at (206) 684-5600.
Whether your ticket blew away, your dog ate it, or you just spilled coffee on it and threw it away, you may not have your citation number handy when you go to pay the darn thing. If you read the above payment options, you’ll notice that you need the ticket number to pay online, over the phone, through the mail, or even at the drop box — omit the citation number when paying through the mail or drop box and the court will have no idea whose ticket is being paid.
Finding your ticket number online isn’t particularly hard, though finding the right website is a bit tricky due to the court’s odd user interface. You start on the Municipal Court Portal website and proceed as follows:
- For vehicle infractions, such as a parking ticket, busted taillight, or out of date registration, look on the left side of the page and click the “Vehicle Search” option – search by license plate number to find all tickets related to that car.
- For infractions committed by a person, such as speeding or other moving violations, you will need to search by the individual driver – pick the “Defendant Search” option and enter your first name, last name, and date of birth.
- If you have requested a hearing for either type of violation, try the above “Defendant Search” option.
I Can’t Pay My Ticket; What Are My Options?
It’s a common reaction to stressful events to simply shut down and avoid them. Many people, faced with an expense they cannot afford – and especially one that they think is unfair – will simply ignore the bill and hope it goes away. Not likely, in the case of parking, moving violation, or other vehicle tickets. If you fail to pay or make arrangements for payments, the court may:
- Send your ticket to collections, harming your credit score.
- Place a hold on your vehicle registration for overdue parking tickets. (Meaning you cannot renew your and receive new tabs until you take care of the tickets – and driving with expired registration means more tickets.)
- Boot, tow and impound your vehicle, if you have four or more overdue parking tickets. (The towing, impound, and storage fees for your vehicle are typically far more than the tickets.)
- Suspend your driver’s license for unpaid traffic tickets. Driving with a suspended license is a crime.
You’ll also lose your right to contest the ticket and late fees will be added to your tab. If you can’t pay your ticket, and do not wish to fight it, your best bet is to ask the court for a payment plan. According to the courts website, payment plans are available with payments as low as $50 per month ($25 per month if you are low income) plus a $10 one time administrative fee. You can apply for a payment plan online via the court’s website.
Why fight when paying is so convenient?
That is a great question. Cities know that if they make fines too large, and payment too difficult, people will decide that it is worth it to fight. Conversely, if they make tickets cheap enough, and make it easy to pay, it will dissuade many folks with busy schedules from fighting back.
So, let’s set cost aside here for a moment. Why fight back? If your ticket was a moving violation, the consequences go far beyond that fine that is so easy to pay. Yes, though the few hours of your time that you might spend fighting back may be worth more than a couple hundred dollars (especially if you are a highly paid athlete, doctor, or attorney) a speeding, red light, and other moving violation ticket will go on your license for the next seven years. This means increased insurance rates and if you get into trouble frequently enough, a driver’s license suspension.
On the other hand, if you hire an attorney to handle the ticket for you, it can be as simple as a few taps in an app, plus a photo of the ticket, and you will be connected with an attorney that will handle everything from there, no precious time wasted and no conceding defeat to the city and insurance rate adjusters. In fact, given how poorly the city’s website is designed, it may even be faster to hire an attorney then it is to capitulate and pay that unfair ticket. Give us a shot today through our website or by downloading our app for iOS.
This information on this site is provided solely for informational purposes. It is not legal advice. Off The Record is not a law firm, does not provide legal services, and is not a lawyer referral service. The attorney listings on the site are paid attorney advertisements. Off the Record has not evaluated this content for accuracy, completeness, or changes in law. No representation is made here about your specific rights. Off The Record is not a substitute for an attorney or a law firm. Legal advice can only be provided by a licensed lawyer.
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