Understanding Your Citation

Court Dates and Arraignment Information

Your court date, also known as your arraignment date, is listed at the bottom of the front page of your citation. By this date, you are required to either:

• Appear in court, or
• Pay your fine if the offense is eligible for payment without appearance

If the violation is not a mandatory court appearance offense , you may pay the fine instead of appearing in court.

Paying the fine is considered a guilty plea and will be recorded by the court. Traffic-related offenses may also be reported to the Georgia Department of Driver Services.

Citations are typically processed and available for online payment within 7–10 calendar days after the violation date.

Online payments must be submitted at least 24 hours before the scheduled court date.

In-person payments must be made by 5:00 p.m. on the scheduled court date.

Failure to pay the fine or appear in court may result in a Failure to Appear warrant being issued.

Learn about accepted payment methods and applicable credit or debit card surcharges .

Pleading Not Guilty

If you choose to plead not guilty, you may request either:

• A jury trial in Fulton County State Court, or
• A non-jury bench trial before a judge in Sandy Springs Municipal Court

Trials are not held on arraignment day. A future court date will be scheduled so witnesses, including the issuing officer, may be subpoenaed to testify.