I Just Want to Pay the Ticket

In order to pay a ticket, you must first calculate the amount due. The tables below will help you but there are a few things you must know first.

Types of Traffic Violations

There are two “types” of traffic violations - “moving” and “non-moving”. If you were cited for a “non-moving” violation, the violation may be “nullifiable.” If it is, you can avoid paying the original fine by simply correcting the violation and mailing proof of the correction along with a nullification and administrative fee to the Traffic Violation Bureau. For example, if you were cited for having an expired vehicle registration, you can renew your registration and mail the ticket, a copy of the certificate of registration and the appropriate fees to the Traffic Violation Bureau. A list of nullifiable offenses is provided below.

Insurance Violations

If you were cited for not having proof of insurance in the vehicle, please consult our Insurance Violations page for important information regarding your options for responding. Failure to comply with Tennessee’s Financial Responsibility Laws has serious consequences.

Calculating Fine and Fee Amounts

The amount of the fine often depends on how many citations you have received for the same type of offense. If you have received a citation for one of the “moving” violations in the table below, you need to know if this is your first, second or third (or more) moving violation. Similarly, if you have received a citation for one of the “non-moving” violations in the tables below, you need to know if this is your first, second or third (or more) non-moving violation. Using this information, you can determine the proper fine amount. In most cases, these prior offenses must have occurred within the previous twelve (12) months.

As mentioned earlier, if your traffic citation contains one or more of the “nullifiable” offenses listed in the “NON-MOVING VIOLATIONS - NULLIFIABLE” table below, you can avoid paying the fine listed by correcting the violation(s) and submitting proof of correction and a $12.00 fee FOR EACH VIOLATION in addition to the citation’s $42.00 administrative fee.

NOTE: If you hold a commercial driver’s license issued in any state, you are not eligible to attend Defensive Driving classes per 49 C.F.R. §384.226 and T.C.A. §55-10-301(c). 49 C.F.R. §384.226 also does not allow for the nullification of moving or non-moving traffic violations. This applies regardless of the type of vehicle being operated at the time of the violation. Refer to the Fine Amount columns on the Moving and Non-Moving Violations tables for the corresponding fine for your violation(s).

* If you were cited for an Expired Registration (Violation Code "I", T.C.A. 55-4-104) on or after May 23, 2007, no fine or nullification fee is due for that violation only. If the only violation marked on your citation is Violation Code "I" for an Expired Registration, no money is due and no further action is required. This applies ONLY to the Violation Code "I". If you were cited for any additional violations on the same citation, you must satisfy those violations and pay the administrative fee prior to your compliance date.

If the ONLY violation marked on your citation is one of the violations listed in the table below, you are not required to pay the $42.00 administrative fee. When determining whether you owe for a 1st, 2nd or subsequent offense, you must take into account ALL previous instances of that same offense, regardless of how long ago you were cited.

Once you have determined the amount due for each violation, calculate the total due for the citation as follows:

1. Add the fines for each of your violations calculated from the tables above. Do NOT add the fine amount for a “nullifiable” offense if you have corrected the violation and are sending proof of the correction;
2. Add $12.00 for each “nullifiable” offense for which you are sending proof of correction. If you are unable to send proof of correction, the fine listed for that violation must be paid;
3. Add $42.00 for administrative fees. (NOTE: This fee is not due if your ONLY offense is a violation of the seat belt law, the child restraint law or the HOV lane restriction law.)

Once you have calculated the total amount due, you may pay your fines and fees, other than nullification or traffic school fees, online or send the following items to the Traffic Violation Bureau’s mailing address, listed on our “Contact Us” page. The following items must be received by the Traffic Violation Bureau no later than your Compliance Date:

1. A copy of the traffic citation;
2. Proof that you have corrected any violation(s) that you want nullified (NOTE: If you were cited for failure to have proof of insurance, please refer to the “Insurance Violations” page if you wish to avoid having your driver’s license suspended);
3. A check or money order for the total amount due, payable to the Traffic Violation Bureau. To ensure proper credit, please write your citation number(s) on the check or money order.

Payments received after your Compliance Date will be applied to your citation but you will be responsible for the additional fees incurred as a result of your late payment.

If you would like to see some examples of payment calculations, click on the item below that best describes your situation:

1. I just want to pay my ticket.
2. All of my offenses are “nullifiable” and I corrected them.
3. My ticket has moving and both nullifiable and non-nullifiable non-moving violations. I fixed all of my nullifiable violations.
4. My ticket has moving and both nullifiable and non-nullifiable non-moving violations. I only fixed some of my nullifiable violations.
5. I only got a seat belt ticket.

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