Pay Fines

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO APPEAR IN COURT. You must pay the amount owed OR schedule an appearance within 30 days from the date this citation is filed with the court.
 
IF YOU PAY THE FINE(S), YOU ARE ENTERING A GUILTY PLEA to this offense(s) and voluntarily waive your rights to the following (Minn. Rule of Criminal Procedure 23.03):
1. To a court trial, if the offense is a petty misdemeanor, or a court or jury trial for all other offenses;
2. To be represented by counsel;
3. To be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt;
4. To confront and cross examine all witnesses; and
5. To either remain silent or to testify on your own behalf.

IF YOU CANNOT PAY THE FINE(S), under Minn. Stat. § 169.99 subd. 1, all or part of the cost of your citation may be waived on a showing of indigency or undue hardship on you or your family. You may schedule a court appearance to request a waiver based on your ability to pay by contacting the MN Court Payment Center (CPC).     

IF YOU FAIL TO PAY OR APPEAR IN COURT:

• A warrant may be issued for your arrest.
• Late penalties may be assessed.
• The failure to appear will be considered a guilty plea and waiver of your rights including the right to trial for certain offenses, unless you appear in court within 10 days of the failure to pay or appear and show the failure was due to circumstances beyond your control. (Minn. Stat. § 169.91; 609.491; Minn. Rule of Criminal Procedure 23.04-23.05.)

A guilty plea will result in a conviction.  Conviction will be entered for all offenses charged on the citation, and a fine will be imposed for each offense. If you want to challenge the entry of conviction on more than one offense, you must schedule a court appearance where you will have the opportunity to discuss your citation with a prosecutor, a hearing officer, and/or a judicial officer and may be able to resolve the citation without entry of a conviction on all offenses. If you challenge the citation in court and you are convicted, the court can impose any sanction lawfully available, including up to a $300 fine for a petty misdemeanor offense, and up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine for a misdemeanor offense, and any applicable fees and surcharges.
 
The Department of Public Safety and/or the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) may be notified of your failure to pay or appear, and/or conviction, depending on the offense(s). These agencies may suspend your driver’s license or DNR licenses.
 
IF YOU ARE NOT A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES, a guilty plea may result in deportation, exclusion from admission to the United States, or denial of naturalization as a United States citizen. Minn. Rule of Criminal Procedure 15.02, subd 1(3).

Payment with credit or debit VISA or MasterCard.

This option is only available in English.

Make Payment/View Fine Amount

 

Payment with credit or debit VISA or MasterCard. Staff cannot take your debit or credit card number over the telephone.

(651) 281-3219
(800) 657-3611

Non-English language support is available.

Do not mail cash. Make check or money order payable to "District Court Administration" and mail your payment to:

Minnesota Court Payment Center
P.O. Box 898
Willmar, MN 56201

Include a copy of the citation, citation number, or the case number with your payment.

If you would like to pay your fine in person, you must do so at the district court in the county in which your citation was issued. The county name can be found in the upper-left corner of the citation.

 

If you have a payable citation and need more time to pay, you can set up a payment plan if you meet the eligibility requirements. By establishing a payment plan, you agree to make $50 monthly payments until the total amount of the fines and fees are paid in full.

Eligibility Requirements
You may be eligible for a payment plan on your case if:

• You were given a citation.
• All offense(s) on the citation are payable without a hearing and you are not required to appear for court.
• This is the first time you have asked for a payment plan on the case.
• You have not already appeared for court or before a hearing officer.
• A second late penalty fee has not been added.

If you have questions about the eligibility requirements, contact the MN Court Payment Center.

Setting Up a Payment Plan

• Make sure you have your citation number. If you do not have it, you can look up your citation number.
• Complete the Court Payment Center Payment Plan Application (please read the "Important: Read this Information Before Paying a Citation Without Appearing in Court or Applying for a Payment Plan" section at the top of this page before applying for a payment plan.
• Please allow 2 - 3 business days for processing of applications.

Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) tab for additional information.

 

The Hearing Officer (not a judge) will review the citation(s), defendant’s violation history, court history, driving record and other information relevant to the citation(s) being contested, and will listen to the defendant's explanation of the circumstances. The Hearing Officer will explain the consequences of the violation(s), including fines.  It is not possible to have a trial with evidence at this meeting because a trial can only take place in court with a judge.

The Hearing Officer will explain the guidelines for settling the citation(s) and will determine what options the defendant may have with their case. The defendant may ask questions about the options, but the Hearing Officer cannot give opinions or advice about the defendant’s decision. A plan is then made for the defendant to meet the terms of the agreed upon settlement, and when all of the terms are completed, the citation matter is settled.

• Photo identification. A birth certificate is NOT an acceptable form of identification.
• Proof of insurance documentation for the vehicle, letter from the insurance company, or copy of the insurance policy, if applicable.
• The crash or collision report, if applicable.
• Color, photographic proof and receipts showing equipment violations have been corrected, if applicable.
• Photographic proof of front and back license plates showing violation has been corrected, if applicable.
• The actual disability permit, a photograph is not sufficient, if applicable.
• A juvenile offender (under 18 years at the date and time of the offense) needs to appear with a parent or legal guardian, if applicable.
• Someone other than the owner may meet with the hearing officer to address parking violations, if applicable.

You may cancel your appointment any time before your scheduled time.

You may reschedule, also known as a continuance, by calling the CPC.
 

A Hearing Officer is authorized by the Court to hear citation cases and provide options. If you do not like the options that apply to you, you may ask that the case be set for court, unless you waived your right to a court hearing under Minn. Stat. § 169.91. That statute says that if you fail to appear for a petty misdemeanor, you have waived your right to a trial and plead guilty to the charge. 
 

By Appointment

If you have received a payable citation in Carver County, you may schedule a hearing officer appointment that uses remote technology by calling the CPC.

By Appointment

If you have received a payable citation in Dakota County, you may schedule a hearing officer appointment that uses remote technology by calling the CPC.
 

By Appointment

If you have received a payable citation in Hennepin County, you may schedule a hearing officer appointment that uses remote technology by calling the CPC.

By Appointment

If you have received a payable citation in Ramsey County, you may schedule a hearing officer appointment that uses remote technology by calling the CPC.

By Appointment

If you have received a payable citation in Scott County, you may schedule a hearing officer appointment that uses remote technology by calling the CPC.

By Appointment
If you have received a payable citation in Washington County, you may schedule a hearing officer appointment that uses remote technology by calling the CPC.

By Mail
Defendants living 50 or more miles from the Washington County Government Center are allowed hearings by mail to resolve payable citations. The defendant should mail or fax a letter to the Hearing Officer office and include the following information:
 

• A copy of the citation,
• Legible copy of the driver's license,
• An internet mapping documentation (e.g. MapQuest, Google Maps) confirming defendant's residence is 50+ miles from the Washington County Government Center,
• An explanation of the circumstances surrounding the offense(s).

Mail:
Attn: Hearing Officer Mail
14949 62nd Street North
P.O. Box 3802
Stillwater, MN 55082
Fax: (651) 430-6300
 
The Hearing Officer will review the above and, if approved, will mail a letter outlining options and appropriate court document(s) will be sent to the defendant for signature.  The defendant will then sign, have their signature notarized, and mail the completed document(s) to the Hearing Officer with a check/money order, if required. 

For questions regarding this procedure, call (651) 413-8133.

Case numbers (also known as "court file number") can be located in the top portion of the first page of court documents such as:

• Complaint
• Sentencing Order
• Payment Plan
• Court notices received for court hearings

Minnesota has a statewide standard citation format, with the exception of parking citations issued in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties. The citation number is typically a 12-digit preprinted number and is usually found:

• At the top-left corner of the citation,
• Preprinted along the right side of the citation, and
• The number below the barcode on the citation.

Examples of citations can be found on the Citation Number tab. 

The county where your citation was issued is shown in the “County Name” field on the citation.
 
If you don’t have your citation number, please call the MN Court Payment Center (CPC) and be prepared to provide the license plate number of the vehicle that the citation was issued to and your date of birth.
 

A citation number is the number on the paper document given to a person, or placed on a vehicle in the case of a parking citation, by law enforcement that lists the offense(s) with which the person is charged. 

A case number is the unique number automatically assigned to a citation after law enforcement submits the citation to the courts and the courts open a case in the Minnesota Court Information System (MNCIS). The case number will either include a CR in the actual case number when the offense(s) charged require a court appearance or a VB when the offense charged can be paid instead of appearing. If your case number includes CR, a court appearance is required and you cannot pay before your appearance.
 

The total fine amount is not available until after law enforcement files the citation with the court and it is entered into the Minnesota Court Information System (MNCIS), a process which could take up to seven (7) days. The amount due for your citation may be found by following the instructions called Searching for a Citation.
 

You will need to contact the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to learn the options for transferring title to the buyer's name. You can also read the Car Title Help Topic to learn more about your options.
 
NOTE: You still need to take care of your citation by paying the fine or calling the MN Court Payment Center (CPC) for information about how to contest the citation.

If your citation has “MNCIS Parking” in the name field, that is a placeholder to indicate that a parking ticket has been issued, and is being filed in MNCIS, the court’s case management system. The name of the registered owner of the vehicle will be automatically added to the name field on the MNCIS case after the citation is filed with the court.
 

You may not find your case if it has not yet been filed by law enforcement.  The majority of citations are filed by law enforcement within seven (7) business days after the date of offense.  However, for a variety of reasons it may take law enforcement more than seven (7) business days to file the citation with the courts.  Confirm you have entered your citation or case number correctly.

If it’s been less than seven (7) business days from the date of offense listed on your citation please try again in a few days.  If it’s been more than seven (7) business days, please contact the MN Court Payment Center (CPC) for assistance.

Yes, however, driver's license number is searchable only when using the phone system.
 

No, vehicle plate numbers are not searchable fields in the automated phone or web payment systems.

A defendant may choose to pay a fine instead of appearing in court if all offenses included on the citation are payable offenses and the endangerment box is not checked.
 
 The following are general guidelines about offenses that may be payable:

•  All petty misdemeanor violations of statute and administrative rule are payable, per the Judicial Council policy (petty misdemeanor offenses are payable even if not expressly identified on a Statewide Payables List).
• Misdemeanor violations of the Minnesota Statutes, the Minnesota Rules (Administrative Code), and the Code of Federal Regulations may be designated on Statewide Payables List as payable.
• All petty misdemeanor ordinance violations are payable by Judicial Council policy.  Misdemeanor ordinance violations may be designated as payable within a county by the district court.
• For more information see Statewide Payables List page.

Payment of a fine, including partial payment, constitutes a plea of guilty and waiver of rights that will result in the entry of a conviction on all charges in the case.

Convictions for certain offenses will be sent to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) for entry on your driving record, or to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) , and may result in the loss of your license by those agencies.

Paying the fine for driving after suspension, revocation, cancellation, and disqualification, or for no insurance or no proof of insurance offenses, may result in the loss of your driving privileges.

Contact the MN Driver & Vehicle Services (DVS) at DPS or call (651) 297-3298 to check that your license is valid before you drive.
 
If you have been charged with no proof of insurance or no insurance, review "How do I show Proof of Insurance?"

If you fail to pay, see a hearing officer, or appear in court on a citation, additional financial penalties will be added and the unpaid citation may result in a suspended driver's license by the MN Driver & Vehicle Services (DVS),  or the amount owed being sent to collections. You have 30 days to respond to a citation from the date it was entered into the Minnesota Court Information System (MNCIS). After 30 days, a $5 late penalty is added. After another 30 days, a second penalty of $25 is added. 

If the citation is for a traffic violation, it may result in a suspended driver's license. If the citation is for a Department of Natural Resources (DNR), offense it may affect your ability to obtain a DNR license.
 
NOTE: In Hennepin County, failure to pay five (5) or more traffic or parking citations may result in impoundment of your vehicle until the fines are paid.

Other unpaid citations are sent to collections.

There are multiple reasons your driver’s license may be suspended by the MN Driver & Vehicle Services division of the Department of Public Safety (DPS).  Your driver’s license may be suspended because you did not respond to your payable citation charging traffic or vehicle equipment-related offenses. 

Beginning January 1, 2022, the Legislature amended the statute authorizing suspension of driver’s licenses for failing to appear in court or pay a payable fine.  Before January 1, 2022, suspension of driver’s licenses for failing to appear in court or pay a payable fine applied to all traffic and vehicle equipment-related offenses.  On and after January 1, 2022, suspension of driver’s licenses for failing to appear in court or pay payable fine will only apply to misdemeanor traffic and vehicle equipment-related offenses, except for Driving After Suspension offenses in violation of Minn. Stat. § 171.24, subd.

A DL suspension for failing to appear in court or pay a payable fine will remain in effect until the fine is paid in full or until you appear in court.  You also may be required to pay a reinstatement fee to DPS before your license will be reinstated by DPS.  This reinstatement fee is paid directly to DPS.  It cannot be paid to the MN Court Payment Center, and it is in addition to the fines and fees that are owed to the courts.
 

If you were convicted of a charge in your case and you failed to pay the fine ordered, then your case may be referred to collections. If you were convicted of a game and fish violation the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) also will be notified and you may not be able to obtain a DNR license.

A court appearance is mandatory for:

• All felony offenses.
• All gross misdemeanor offenses.
• All misdemeanor offenses unless designated as payable.
• All misdemeanor violations of ordinances, unless designated as payable within a county by the district court.
• Any otherwise payable offense if the "Endangering Life or Property" box is checked on the citation or the case is charged by complaint or petition.
• The case is charged by complaint.

If you have scheduled a court hearing, also known as an arraignment, but paid your citation, the Minnesota Court Information System (MNCIS) will automatically cancel your court hearing the night after the payment was made. You can check online that the court hearing was cancelled.  Once on the page:

1.  Select Find Citation.

2.  Enter your citation number, and click Search.

3.  Verify the correct citation number is displayed and click on the case number.

4.  In the Other Events and Hearings section, the word "CANCELLED" should be next to the hearing date.

The amount due on the case includes:

• A fine for each offense charged;
• Either one criminal/traffic surcharge or one parking surcharge, depending on the offense(s) charged; and
• A county law library fee in most counties.

 Depending on the offense(s) charged, you also may have to pay:

• An emergency vehicle surcharge;
• A school zone surcharge;
• A speeding surcharge; or
• Wildlife restitution.

If you do not pay or appear in court on time, late penalties also may be added to the case. 

When paying by phone or on the web, you also will pay a convenience fee. 
 

• The Minnesota Judicial Council sets the payable fine amounts for payable offenses that violate state statutes and administrative rules.  If the legislature sets a specific fine amount for an offense, that is the payable fine amount.  For example, the legislature set the fine amount of $25 for a seatbelt violation in Minn. Stat. § 169.686.
• Each District Court sets the payable fine amounts for payable offenses that violate county, city or township ordinances in its county.
• The County Law Library Board in each county sets the law library fees that apply in its county.
• The Legislature sets the amount of the surcharges to be paid.
• The amount of wildlife restitution is set in Minnesota Administrative Rule 6133.

The Court distributes the fines, surcharges, law library fees and wildlife restitution as required by statutes.  The Court does not keep any of this money.

• Fines and surcharges are paid to the state general fund; cities, counties, townships and other subdivisions of government; and/or to special state accounts, as required by statutes. 
• The county law library fees are paid to the counties, as required by statute.
• Wildlife restitution is paid to the Department of Natural Resources, as required by statute.

If you must appear in court for your case, you cannot pay fines and fees instead of appearing in court. You will be able to pay your fines and fees over the phone or web after the court has ordered you to pay.

 

You may check on the total amount due using the Minnesota Court Web Payment System.
 

• Use the Citation or Case link to search for your citation or case.
• For instructions on how to use the MN Court Web Payment System see MN Court Web Payment Help.
• Balance due is available in the Financial Information section of the Citation and Case Information page.

If you cannot pay the fine in full by the appear by date, contact the MN Court Payment Center (CPC) to talk about your options.  Depending on the situation, you may be offered a one-time extension or a payment plan.  You can apply for a Court Payment Center Payment Plan online.

If you make a partial payment (an amount less than the full fine amount) by the appear by date and you are not on a payment plan, you will receive a late penalty notice and be charged the first late penalty.  If you do not pay the full fine amount by the date in the late penalty notice you also will be charged the second late penalty.

NOTE: For information on what happens if you pay a citation, review "What happens if I pay a citation?"

Under Minn. Stat. § 480.15, subd. 10c, any portion of a fine, surcharge, court cost, restitution, or fee that you fail to pay by the due date may be sent for collections, and collection costs may be added to the amount due.

You have the right to ask that it not be sent to collections based on an inability to pay by requesting a hearing or court date no later than the due date.

Unpaid court or citation fines that have been sent for collections to the MN Department of Revenue (DOR) must be paid directly to DOR and cannot be paid to the CPC or at a courthouse.

A convenience fee (sometimes called a transaction fee) is a fee charged for submitting your payment electronically using the phone or web response system. The fee amount will be displayed before you submit your payment. This fee is charged by a third party payment processor, Heartland Payment Systems, and not by the Minnesota Judicial Branch. This fee may change over time. The current amount is displayed on the Minnesota Court Web Payment homepage.

• For the city of Minneapolis, you can report parking meter problems on the City of Minneapolis' website or by calling 311.
• For the city of St. Paul, call (651) 266-9776.
• For University of Minnesota meters on the Minneapolis or St. Paul campus, call (612) 626-7275.
• For the State Capitol Complex in St. Paul, call Capitol Security at (651) 296-6741.
• For problems with parking meters in other Minnesota cities, contact the city or town where the meter is located.

If you received a citation at an electronic parking meter and you have a receipt showing that you paid for the space number listed on the citation, the charge may be dismissed.  Submit payment receipt and a copy of the citation to one of the following:
 

• Hennepin Violations Bureau (On the "About Fines and Fees" tab, choose "FAQ" tab, then scroll to question 'I paid to park at an electronic parking meter and still got a ticket.  What can I do?')
• Ramsey Criminal Traffic Division (On the "Violations Bureau" tab, scroll to the 'Administrative Procedures for Unusual Situations' section and select 'If you have a receipt for parking at a metered parking space')

Please allow two business days for processing.  You may check the status of the citation online or by calling the MN Court Payment Center (CPC).
 

You will need to pay the fine or call the Minnesota Court Payment Center (CPC) to schedule a Hearing Officer appointment to contest the citation.

Case numbers (also known as "court file number') can be located in the top portion of the first page of court documents such as:

• Complaint
• Sentencing Order
• Payment Plan
• Court notices received for court hearings

A case, or a file, number is generated when a case is created in the Minnesota Court Information System (MNCIS) using the citation, complaint or charging document.

The case number can be found on documents from the courts. For example on the notice of hearing, the sentencing order, or the payment plan summary.

The case number consists of a:

• 2-digit number representing the county
• Typically 2 letters representing the type of case; however, there may be 2 additional letters if the county has more than one location
  • CR indicates a mandatory court appearance
  • VB indicates a non-mandatory court appearance case
• 2-digit filing year
• A series of numbers representing the sequence in which the case was created within the calendar year

If you received a citation and are unsure where to find the citation number, the examples below may be helpful. Minnesota has a statewide standard citation format, with the exception of parking citations issued in Hennepin and Ramsey counties. The citation number is usually found at the top left corner of the citation, is typically a 12-digit preprinted number, and may also be preprinted along the right side of the citation. The example provided below is of the current statewide standard citation form.

If you are still unsure about the citation number, please contact the MN Court Payment Center (CPC). 
 

Examples: