What is a Courtesy Notice?

When you get stopped by the officer you receive the actual citation or ticket. Then, after the ticket gets filed with the court and the traffic court enters the information from the traffic ticket in their system is produces what is referred to as a courtesy notice. It is a letter that the court mails out to the address on the ticket and explains your different options on a ticket.

However, it is called a courtesy notice because the court does not have to mail it to you. Unfortunately, we see people on a daily basis explaining to the traffic judge that they did not receive anything in the mail and that is why they missed court. In response the traffic court judge just explains that the person signed the ticket with their promise to appear and that is the only required notice that needs to be given.

That being said, we always recommend clients put the date of the court hearing on their calendar when they get the ticket and a reminder a week or so earlier to see if they have received the courtesy notice yet. That way you never miss your court date while waiting for the notice that may not arrive.