Avoid Appearing In Court

Options to avoid appearing in court on your traffic or other citation:

• Call the Clerk’s Office at 865.215.2376 by the court date provided to you by the Officer at the time your citation is issued.
• Ask the Clerk if your citation can be resolved without appearing in court.
• Ask the Clerk how much it costs to plead guilty and pay your citation in person, over the phone, or by mail.
• Payment is treated as an admission of guilt, which may result in a conviction and/or points on your driving record, and may affect your license and insurance rates.
• Pay the Clerk in full by your court date.
• If you are a Non-CDL holder, provide the Clerk with proof of compliance on certain non-moving violations and only pay court costs to have your citation dismissed.
• Apply to the Clerk for the Driver Improvement Program (DIP) for certain moving violations.  If you qualify, you can attend safe driving school and pay your citation to have your citation dismissed and receive no points on your driver’s license.
• Ask the Clerk if you received a “No Point” Speeding Citation that requires payment of a fine plus litigation taxes only and will not add points to your driver’s license.  
• Speeding, Move over Law and Traffic Control Device Citations are examples of Moving Violations that do not require an appearance in court with payment of your citation before your court date.
• Registration, Insurance, and Equipment Violations are examples of Non-Moving Violations that do not require an appearance in court.  For example, if before your court date you provide the Clerk proof of a valid renewed vehicle registration at the time you pay your court costs, then your citation will be dismissed and you do not have to appear in court.
• If you had valid liability insurance at the time of your citation on the vehicle that you were driving, but you couldn’t find it in your vehicle or just forgot to carry it when you received the citation, then before your court date you can provide valid insurance proof to the Clerk’s office without appearing in court and the Judge will dismiss your citation without costs.  It is up to you to confirm with the Clerk that the Judge accepted your insurance proof and that your case was dismissed.
• Driving on a Suspended or Revoked License and Reckless Driving are examples of Moving Violations that do require an appearance in court.