There are many reasons why a driver could get a citation after being pulled over for a traffic stop. It could be due to speeding, texting while driving, or because someone in the car wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. However, this doesn’t mean everyone can afford to pay for their citations. Recently, a traffic attorney revealed that people in this situation have a few options.

Here’s what you can do

Recently, an attorney from the Traffic Law Guys account on Instagram shared a few options for drivers who can’t pay their traffic citations. He first says that most courts will offer drivers a payment plan. He says they will usually charge $20 upfront. Additionally, they won’t charge interest on the payment plan. The attorney also revealed that they allow flexibility in terms of the payment amount. 

Next, this attorney reveals that drivers with traffic citations can do community service to pay off their debt. This is especially the case for people with criminal traffic tickets. However, people should know that the hourly rate for community service is fairly low. In other words, paying off the debt with community service will take a while. Specifically, he says it may pay $10 or $15 an hour. Because of this, the attorney admits most people just pay the fine. 

Of course, drivers with citations should know that laws and guidelines will differ by state. They should check with their local court before assuming they can do either of these things to satisfy a traffic citation from a police officer or smart camera. 

Check out this recent article for more reading on police traffic stops.