Pleas

If you plead guilty or nolo contendere in court, your fine could be up to $1,000, and you could be required to serve up to 12 months for state law violations or six months for local ordinance violations in jail or on probation. If you are sentenced to probation, you may also be required to pay a monthly probation supervision fee.

Pleading Guilty to a Traffic Offense

If you plead guilty to a traffic offense, points may be assessed on your license. A guilty plea to a moving violation will be reported to the Department of Driver Services (DDS) as required by law, and the guilty plea will appear on your driving record.

Pleading Nolo Contendere to a Traffic Offense

You may plead nolo contendere (no contest) to a traffic offense, but only if you have not entered a nolo contendere plea to another traffic offense in the last five years. The judge has discretion whether to accept a nolo contendere plea.

A nolo contendere plea to a moving violation will be reported to Department of Driver Services (DDS) as required by law, and the nolo contendere plea will appear on your driving record. The difference between a nolo plea and a guilty plea is that a nolo plea does not result in points against your license.

However, since you are allowed only one nolo plea every five years, if you plead nolo to this citation and you have another nolo on your record from the last five years, DDS will consider this nolo contendere plea a guilty plea and points may be assessed against your license. Remember: if you enter a nolo contendere plea, you can not plead nolo again to any traffic violation for the next five years.