Fargo traffic ticket: how to pay it, and how to keep the points off

Where is the Fargo Municipal Court?

At 207 4th St. N., Fargo, ND 58102, on the second floor of the Fargo Civic Center. The office is open Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except legal holidays. The phone number is 701.241.1316 and the mailing address is PO Box 49, Fargo, ND 58107.

How do I pay a Fargo traffic ticket?

• Online. The court says payments for noncriminal offenses "may be made online at the North Dakota Supreme Court Public Search website."
• By phone. Call the clerk's office at 701.241.1316 with a bank or credit card.
• In person or by mail. Cash, checks, money orders, Visa, Mastercard and Discover are accepted.

How long do I have?

Fourteen days. The court's instructions say the bond or fee must be paid "no later than 14 days after you received this citation." If you choose neither option on the citation, you're deemed to have admitted the violation, and your license may be suspended.

How do I contest the ticket?

Date and sign the request for hearing on your copy of the citation, return it to the court, and post the bond, all within 14 days. The court will notify you of the hearing date. A finding against you can be appealed to the district court.

What if my ticket isn't from Fargo police?

Tickets written in Cass County outside the city court's jurisdiction go to the Cass County Clerk of District Court, 211 S. 9th St., Fargo, 701.451.6924. For a ticket from somewhere else, the court's contact information is on the front of the citation.

Does the court decide my points?

No. NDDOT does. The court reports the violation to NDDOT, and NDDOT enters the points from the state schedule. A stop sign ticket is 2 points. Speeding is 0 to 15 depending on your speed. Points by violation.

How do I keep the points off?

State law lets you elect a driver training course in lieu of points for a violation worth 5 points or fewer. You have to tell the court at the time you post bond, then get your certificate to NDDOT within 30 days.

Fargo's court pages don't explain how to record that election. Call the clerk at 701.241.1316 before you pay and ask.

How the election works.

What if I've already paid?

The points will post. A defensive driving course takes 3 off, once every 12 months. Email the certificate to drs@nd.gov. How the course works.