Milwaukee County Tickets (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you don't pay a speeding ticket in Wisconsin? ›

If you fail to pay a fine, a warrant may be issued for your arrest, or your driver's license may be suspended for up to one year by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Enter a “not guilty” plea with the court by mail or in person before the arraignment date on your ticket. You won't need to appear in court if you hire an attorney, unless you are subpoenaed for trial. If you choose to represent yourself, be prepared to attend all hearings in person.

If you wish to dispute the citation, you must either appear in court or enter a Not Guilty plea by mail before your court date. You may do so even if you have already paid the deposit or posted a bond. If you cannot pay in full by the court date listed on your citation.

Most convictions on a driving record are eligible to be removed five years after the conviction date.

Points stay on your license for 2 years in Wisconsin. After 2 years, points will fall off your driver's license and will no longer factor into your insurance rates or count toward a license suspension.

There is no guarantee of a traffic ticket reduction in Wisconsin. It is the product of negotiations between the defendant and the prosecutor at the initial court appearance. However, there is a chance of a payment plan, provided the defendant appears in person to sign an official agreement.

Wisconsin Driver Safety Traffic School

You may be able to take our online Wisconsin traffic school course to dismiss a traffic citation. You'll need to request permission from your court to do so; once that's granted, you'll be able to work your way through our online course as you see fit.

You will need to file an appeal with the municipal court. Within 20 days after the judgment you must file the appeal and pay required appeal fees and costs. See Wisconsin Statute 800.14 (external link). You can request that the circuit court take your appeal in one of three ways.

Drivers who successfully complete a Traffic Safety course may elect to have their demerit points reduced by three. The student has 30 days from completion of the course to notify DMV to request the point reduction. Drivers may only have their points reduced once every three years.

What is the best excuse to appeal a speeding ticket? ›

Trial by written declaration

Vehicle Code section 40902 allows a defendant to challenge traffic infraction citations in writing, without having to appear in person at court. Both the defendant and the citing officer provide testimony and evidence in writing, and a judicial officer makes a decision.

The court date cannot be changed. If you want to speak to someone about the citation, you would need to enter a Not Guilty Plea prior to the court date. Without an appearance or a Not Guilty Plea, you will be found guilty and a default judgment would be entered against you. Payment will be due within 60 days.

A judge can typically issue a warrant for the unpaid ticket after the fine's due date if you haven't paid it. The warrant will stay active until you pay the fine or resolve the ticket. If a police officer pulls you over and sees the warrant, they can arrest you, and yes, you can go to jail for not paying a ticket.

If you enter a not guilty plea, you do not need to come to the initial appearance court date. The written not guilty plea will be accepted on the initial appearance date. The case will be scheduled for a pre-trial conference with the prosecuting attorney.