86th District Court
Serving Grand Traverse, Antrim and Leelanau Counties
PrintTraffic FAQ
Frequently Asked Traffic Division Questions
If I want to pay my civil infraction traffic ticket, what do I do?
Where do I mail my payment?
If I can't pay my traffic ticket in full, can I make partial payments?
If I want to deny responsibility for my civil infraction traffic ticket what do I do?
What is an Informal Hearing?
What is a Formal Hearing?
What is a waivable ticket?
How are points assessed to my driving record?
What if I really had insurance, but could not produce the proof at the time I was stopped by law enforcement?
Q: If I want to pay my civil infraction traffic ticket, what do I do?
Read the information and follow the directions provided on the back of the traffic ticket and on the fines and costs envelope you may have received from the police officer. If your traffic offense is listed on the fines and cost envelope, you may pay the ticket by mail (exceptions will be noted) within 10 calendar days of the date on the ticket. Sign the back of the ticket in the appropriate place, make your personal check, money order, or certified check payable to the 86th District Court and mail the signed ticket and payment to the court address on the front of the ticket. For your convenience, a payment drop box is located in front of the Robert P. Griffin Hall of Justice in Traverse City for payments on a Grand Traverse County ticket.
Credit Card payments may be made 24 hours though this website. Find Court Cases on the left side menu of the home page. Once in the case, you will find the Make Payment icon. You may also find the payment link through the Quicklinks dropdown.
If your offense is not listed on the fines and costs envelope or you have questions, contact the court in the county where the ticket was written. (County is indicated on front of ticket near the middle)
• Grand Traverse County (231) 922-4580
• Antrim County (231) 533-6441
• Leelanau County (231) 256-8250
If you wish to provide the court with an explanation, submit the explanation on or before the appearance date and the court will mail the judgment, along with fines/costs information to the address on the ticket.
Q: Where do I mail my payment?
• Grand Traverse County tickets:
86th District Court, 280 Washington St., Suite 114A, Traverse City MI 49684
• Antrim County tickets:
86th District Court, PO Box 597, Bellaire MI 49615
• Leelanau County tickets:
86th District Court, 8527 E. Government Center Drive, Ste 201, Suttons Bay MI 49682
Q: If I can't pay my traffic ticket in full, can I make partial payments?
Yes, however, partial payments will NOT prevent your license from being suspended if the ticket in not paid in full prior to the suspension deadline. You will receive a suspension warning notice prior to your license actually suspending.
Late fees will automatically be added to your balance after 56 days.
Once your license is suspended, a $45 reinstatement fee is also added. Payments on tickets in suspension must be made with cash or money order.
Q: If I want to deny responsibility for my civil infraction traffic ticket what do I do?
Read the information on the back of the ticket and call the court on or before the appearance date.
Q: What is an Informal Hearing?
An informal hearing consists of the magistrate, the defendant and the police officer who issued the ticket. Attorneys are not allowed to participate in an informal hearing. Both individuals are placed under oath and the magistrate listens to the testimony. The burden of proving the defendant responsible is on the police officer, who is also called the plaintiff.
The plaintiff must prove by a preponderance of the evidence, or that it is more likely than not, that the defendant is responsible for the alleged traffic violation. The defendant is also entitled to testify, including having witnesses testify on his/her behalf. At the conclusion of the hearing, the magistrate will make a determination of responsible or not responsible. If either party is not satisfied with the outcome, the case may be appealed within seven days of the informal hearing to a formal hearing. If the decision is appealed by the defendant, a cash bond must be posted in the amount of the fine. A notice of the formal hearing will be mailed to the defendant within approximately two months.
Q: What is a Formal Hearing?
A formal hearing is held before a District Court Judge. At the formal hearing, the defendant may be represented by an attorney, and the prosecutor will represent the plaintiff's case.
Q: What is a waivable ticket?
• Defective Equipment
If you have an officer sign off your ticket and return it to the court within 10 days of the issued date, the fines and costs will be waived.
Q: Will points be assessed to my driving record?
Yes, the court has no jurisdiction in this area. Points are added by the Secretary of State as required by law. More information regarding points can be obtained online from www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1627_8665_9066-23757--,00.html
Q: What if I really had insurance, but could not produce the proof at the time I was stopped by law enforcement?
You must provide proof to the court that you had valid insurance at the time of the stop and provide the court with a valid certificate of no-fault insurance. If you do this within 10 calendar days of the stop your responsibility will be $25 to the Court. If you fail to provide the court with a valid certificate of no-fault insurance, you may be responsible to pay the Court $180, plus you will owe the State of Michigan $200 for the Driver Responsibility Fee for two years.