FAQ

1. HOW DO YOU REMOVE THE POINTS FOR MY TICKET?

Whenever an individual receives the citation from a police officer, that individual has the absolute right to challenge the citation—no matter what the citation is for. When you hire us, our lawyers file their appearances on your case and request a formal hearing at the court. Unless you are charged with a misdemeanor, you do not need to attend that hearing (although you can if you want to). At that hearing, our attorneys challenge the evidence against you by using their training and many times the prosecutor offers a deal wherein your points are either eliminated or reduced. There are exceptions to that rule.

2. DOES YOUR FIRM HANDLE OTHER TYPES OF CASES?

No. At this time, our firm is dedicated to traffic related offenses and does not handle different types of matters; however, exceptions may apply. Please contact Traffic Court Buddy for more information.

3. IS YOUR FEE FLAT? DO I HAVE ANY OTHER FEES?

While most individuals will be able to take advantage of our $299 flat fee, some cases may require additional fees depending on the location of the court, the individuals driving record, and in the event we have to take your case to trial. Trials are completely separate and rare and are discussed on a case by case basis. Also, our fee does not include any fines which may be assessed by the court.

4. WILL THE TICKET AFFECT MY INSURANCE?

To understand whether a traffic ticket will impact your insurance rates in Michigan, you must first understand the difference between moving violations and nonmoving violations. Both types of violations are civil tickets; however, the most common moving violations are speeding tickets. Speeding tickets are not the only type of moving violations that exist in Michigan, even though they may be the most common. Another common ticket that is issued is a seatbelt violation, which is generally a nonmoving violation. The difference between a nonmoving and moving violation are indicated and controlled by the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code. There is a list available, via the internet, that coordinates each individual traffic infraction by driving code. This list also identifies whether the ticket is a moving violation or nonmoving violation.

In reality, the term moving violation is more a term of art. It is used in the legal realm to differentiate between those ticket infractions that abstract or are sent over to the Michigan Secretary of State, and thus those infractions that are placed on an individual’s driving record. Moving violations are placed on the driver’s record regardless of the amount of points that are attributable to that particular infraction. You read the statement correctly; traffic tickets can be zero points, but still be placed on the driver’s record.

On the other hand, nonmoving violations are not placed on the record.  So in the end, if there is nothing placed on the individual’s record, there will be no influence on their insurance. As one can see, there is an important difference between moving violations and nonmoving violations and why counsel is always important before admitting responsibility to any traffic ticket.

Here at Traffic Court Buddy, we will contest your moving violations. We have successfully been able to achieve favorable results by accepting plea deals which convert a moving violation to Impeding Traffic. In Michigan, Impeding Traffic is a non-moving violation and as such, does not add any points to the offender’s Michigan driving record, is not reported to the Michigan Secretary of State, and has no influence on your insurance rates.

5. HOW DO I GET A COPY OF MY DRIVER’S RECORD?

The Michigan Department of State maintains all driving records and handles record requests. A Michigan driving record shows any convictions for moving violations and points received, accidents for which you received a violation conviction, suspension or revocation of your driver’s license, drunk driving violations, and tickets for civil infractions.

You can order for a copy of your driving record in person, by mail, by fax or by phone.

In Person: visit any Secretary of State branch office or the Secondary Complex in Lansing, Michigan. You will have to provide your driver’s license and the applicable fee.

By Mail: complete a Michigan Department of State – Requesting Your Own Record form (FormBDVR-154). You will also have to remit the applicable fee.

Then mail the request to:

Michigan Department of State
Record Lookup Unit
7064 Crowner Drive
Lansing, MI 48918-1502

Requests by mail may take up to 8 weeks to process.

NOTE: If you choose to mail your request, do NOT also fax the request form. You will be charged twice.

By Fax: complete a Michigan Department of State – Requesting Your Own Record form (FormBDVR-154). Then fax the request to (517) 322-1181.

Requests by fax take up to 8 weeks to process.

NOTE: If you choose to fax your request, do NOT also mail the request form. You will be charged twice.

By Phone: driving record requests are available by phone only if you are requesting for your own record and you will receive it at the address on file with the Michigan Department of State. To order by phone, call the Michigan DOS Record Lookup Unit at (517) 322-1624.

Visit The Michigan Department of State for more information.

6. HOW CAN I JUST PAY MY TICKET?

While we normally would not recommend that you pay your ticket without first contesting it in court, we understand there are circumstances where paying your fine is the most logical next step. To learn more about why you should not just pay your ticket without first contesting it in court, even if the violation does not carry any points, please read “WILL THE TICKET AFFECT MY INSURANCE.”

To pay your traffic ticket, you must first know which of one the 104 Michigan district courts is handling your matter. You can find the court information listed on your ticket under “Court Address & Phone Number.”

Once you determine which court is handling your ticket, call or visit the court’s website to find more information about your payment options. Most courts accept all major credit cards online. We recommend calling the court before you pay your ticket online to determine your fine amount. Most courts charge a nominal fee to use a credit card. You can also pay your fine in person.

To visit a court’s website, simply click on the district court’s corresponding link from the dropdown menu below. By selecting a court from the dropdown menu, you will be directed to the court’s webpage.

By clicking "Visit Court Site", you will be visiting a site that is not controlled by Traffic Court Buddy.