Traffic Matters
Short answer: a ticket from a Memphis police officer is heard in Memphis City Court, Division 1, 2 or 3. A ticket from a Shelby County deputy or a Tennessee state trooper is heard in Shelby County General Sessions Criminal Court, Division 14, the county traffic court. Both courts sit at 201 Poplar Avenue. Our flat fee for a regular traffic ticket in either court is $200, and in most cases we go to court for you so you never have to take a morning off work. Paying the ticket online is a guilty plea, so read the next few minutes before you do.
Text a photo of the citation to 901-412-2973 or call (901) 324-5000. We will tell you which court it is in, what the fee is, and whether it is honestly worth hiring a lawyer for this one. Some tickets are not, and we will say so. Se habla español.
Which court your ticket is in
The court depends on who wrote the ticket, not where you live and not where you were driving to. The issuing agency is printed on the citation, usually near the top, along with your court date and time.
| Who wrote the ticket | Court | Clerk |
|---|---|---|
| Memphis Police Department | Memphis City Court, Division 1, 2 or 3, at 201 Poplar Avenue. Tickets are written under the Memphis city code and prosecuted by the city prosecutors. | Memphis City Court Clerk, 201 Poplar, Room LL-80. (901) 636-3400, Monday to Friday. |
| Shelby County Sheriff’s Office or Tennessee Highway Patrol | Shelby County General Sessions Criminal Court, Division 14, the traffic and environmental court, at 201 Poplar Avenue. Tickets are written under state law. This includes interstate stops and stops in unincorporated Shelby County. | General Sessions Court Clerk, Criminal Division, 201 Poplar, Suite LL-81. (901) 222-3500, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Germantown, Bartlett, Collierville or Millington police | That city’s own court, not 201 Poplar. See Germantown traffic tickets and Bartlett speeding tickets. | The city court clerk |
Both courts are in the same building, which is why people mix them up. They are separate courts with separate clerks, separate prosecutors and separate payment systems, and a payment sent to the wrong clerk does not close your ticket.
Memphis City Court: Divisions 1, 2 and 3
Memphis City Court hears the tickets Memphis police officers write inside the city: speeding, running a red light or stop sign, following too closely, improper lane changes, failure to yield, and the equipment and paperwork tickets that so often start a stop, like window tint, expired tags, no insurance and seat belts. The court sits in three divisions, and the city prosecutors handle the cases in all three. According to the City of Memphis, court is held Monday through Friday at 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., except certain holidays. Your citation tells you the division, the date and the session.
Three rules from the city matter most:
- Paying is allowed up to the night before court, for most tickets. The city accepts payment as a forfeiture until 11:59 p.m. the night before your court date. Some violations require a court appearance and cannot be paid, and the online system can refuse a payment within four days of the court date.
- If you have not paid, you have to appear. Once the court date arrives, the ticket can only be handled in the courtroom, by you or by your lawyer.
- Missing court costs you the most. In the city’s own words, if you fail to appear and no continuance was requested, “the Court automatically renders the maximum judgment allowed.” An unpaid judgment then leads toward a license suspension.
General Sessions Division 14: the county traffic court
When a Shelby County deputy or a state trooper writes the ticket, it goes to Shelby County General Sessions Criminal Court, Division 14. Division 14 is the county’s traffic and environmental court: its morning traffic dockets handle the speeding, lane, following-too-closely and equipment tickets written on the interstates, on the state highways, and in the parts of the county outside any city. The ticket is a charge under Title 55 of the Tennessee Code rather than the Memphis city code, and most moving violations are Class C misdemeanors, but on a regular ticket the options are much the same as in City Court.
Division 14 is a different courtroom and a different clerk from City Court, even though it is in the same building, and it has its own page with the clerk’s details, the county’s pay-online link and how a Sheriff’s or Highway Patrol ticket is handled. The General Sessions Court Clerk’s Criminal Division in Suite LL-81 takes payments and answers docket questions, and the clerk also has offices at Mullins Station and Southbrook Mall. Your citation shows the date and the docket time. Helpful link: General Sessions Clerk, Criminal Division, including the court-date lookup.
Not every driving charge from a deputy or a trooper belongs on the traffic docket. Reckless driving, driving on a suspended license and DUI are criminal charges, not regular tickets, with different stakes and different fees. If your paperwork says any of those, call before the court date.
What we do with a 201 Poplar ticket
Most people with a ticket want two things: not to lose a day of work, and not to have the ticket follow them onto their driving record and their insurance bill. On a regular ticket in City Court or Division 14, both are usually possible. Here is how it goes, honestly described:
- You send us the citation. A photo by text is fine. We confirm the court, the division and the date, check whether the ticket can be paid or requires an appearance, and quote the fee.
- We appear on the court date. In most routine matters you do not have to come. We enter an appearance for you at 201 Poplar and handle the setting.
- We work toward the outcome that keeps the ticket off your record. In order of preference: a dismissal; an amendment to a non-moving violation that carries no points and no insurance consequence; or, where the prosecutor wants something more, a driver improvement course as part of the resolution. Your record, the speed alleged and whether there was a crash shape which of these is realistic.
- Where the facts support it, we try the case. Radar and lidar readings, pacing, the officer’s position and line of sight, and the reason for the stop are all fair questions in a traffic trial.
- You hear the result the same day. Court costs are paid to the clerk; we tell you the amount and how to pay it.
We have handled thousands of tickets across Shelby County. Part of what you get on the first call is a straight answer about whether this ticket is worth fighting. An adult seat belt ticket, for example, usually is not, and we will tell you that rather than take a fee for it.
Points, insurance and your license
Tennessee assigns points when a moving violation becomes a conviction, and paying the ticket is a conviction. The Department of Safety, not the court, keeps the points schedule. The values that come up most often on Memphis tickets:
| Conviction | Points |
|---|---|
| Speeding 1 to 5 mph over | 1 |
| Speeding 6 to 15 mph over | 3 |
| Speeding 16 to 25 mph over | 4 |
| Speeding 26 to 35 mph over | 5 |
| Speeding 36 to 45 mph over | 6 |
| Speeding 46 mph or more over | 8 |
| Following improperly | 3 |
| Failure to yield right of way | 4 |
| Careless or negligent driving | 4 |
| Texting or handheld device use | 3 |
| Reckless driving | 6 |
Twelve points within twelve months brings a notice of proposed suspension. Two or three tickets in a year can get you there faster than people expect. A ticket written after a crash is its own question: as the City of Memphis notes, the Department of Safety, not the court, decides whether an accident ticket results in points, which is why accident citations need care even when the ticket itself is small. Insurers read the driving record at renewal, usually for three years. Our Memphis traffic ticket page explains points and insurance in more detail, and the speeding ticket page covers speeding specifically.
Paying the ticket online
You can pay most regular tickets yourself, and for some people that is the right choice. Before you do, know what the payment is. Paying a ticket is a guilty plea: the conviction goes on your driving record, the points attach, and it cannot be undone after the fact. If you have other recent tickets, a CDL, or a job that involves driving, call first. If you have decided to pay, these are the official payment pages:
| Your ticket | Pay online | Pay in person or by phone |
|---|---|---|
| Memphis police ticket (Memphis City Court) | City of Memphis ePayments: Pay Traffic Fines. You need the citation number, your driver license number or your last name and date of birth, and a credit card. A convenience fee applies. | Memphis City Court Clerk, 201 Poplar, Room LL-80, (901) 636-3400, and the clerk’s satellite payment offices at the Austin Peay, Ridgeway, Crump, Appling Farms and Raines stations |
| Sheriff or Highway Patrol ticket (General Sessions, Division 14) | General Sessions Clerk: Traffic Tickets or Court Cost Payments | General Sessions Court Clerk, 201 Poplar, Suite LL-81, (901) 222-3500, and the clerk’s offices at 1075 Mullins Station Road and Southbrook Mall, 1254 East Shelby Drive |
Old unpaid Memphis tickets and a suspended license
Unpaid City Court tickets are one of the most common reasons a Memphis driver’s license is suspended, and the suspension often comes as a surprise years later. The City Court Clerk has several ways back, and knowing them can save you money:
- A payment plan before suspension. The clerk’s debt recovery plan is set up to prevent a suspension for unpaid tickets, with a payment every 30 days. It does not lift a suspension that is already in place.
- Drive While You Pay. If your license is suspended for Memphis tickets that are at least four years old and total $200 or more, you may qualify to drive while paying $50 a month on a balance of $500 or less, or $100 a month above that. Eligibility is decided in person at the clerk’s office.
- Amnesty for very old tickets. Each year from July 1 through December 31, the clerk runs an amnesty program for City of Memphis tickets that are ten or more years old.
- Towing. Memphis police may tow a vehicle with three outstanding citations that are at least 20 days past their issue date.
Old court costs from other courts can block reinstatement too, and in some cases they can be waived. See waiving court costs to get your license back and driving on a suspended license. Helpful link: Memphis City Court Clerk.
What a 201 Poplar ticket costs with a lawyer
Our flat fee for a regular, non-commercial traffic ticket in Memphis City Court or General Sessions Division 14 is $200 per ticket, quoted before you decide anything. Court costs and any fine are paid to the clerk and are separate. Several tickets from one stop are quoted together after we see them. Commercial drivers’ tickets are priced differently because federal rules bar the outcomes a regular driver can get; see the CDL ticket fee page. The full schedule, including the suburban courts, is on what a traffic ticket lawyer costs in Memphis.
What to do this week
- Find the agency, court and date on your citation. Memphis police means City Court; a deputy or a trooper means Division 14.
- Do not pay it yet if you have other recent tickets, a CDL, or a job where you drive.
- Do not miss the court date. If the date will not work, have a lawyer handle it before the date, not after.
- Text us a photo of the ticket at 901-412-2973. You get the fee and an honest opinion the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Which court is my Memphis traffic ticket in?
Look at who wrote it. A Memphis Police Department ticket goes to Memphis City Court, Division 1, 2 or 3. A Shelby County Sheriff’s or Tennessee Highway Patrol ticket goes to General Sessions Criminal Court, Division 14. Both are at 201 Poplar. A ticket from Germantown, Bartlett, Collierville or Millington police goes to that city’s court.
Do I have to go to court for a ticket at 201 Poplar?
Usually not, if you hire a lawyer. On a regular ticket we appear for you in City Court or Division 14. If you do not hire a lawyer and do not pay the ticket before the court date, you have to appear yourself.
What happens if I miss my court date in Memphis City Court?
According to the City of Memphis, if you fail to appear and no continuance was requested, the court enters the maximum judgment allowed under the city code. The unpaid judgment then counts toward a license suspension. If you have already missed the date, call; it is usually still fixable.
Can I pay my Memphis traffic ticket online?
Most regular tickets, yes. A Memphis police ticket is paid through the City of Memphis ePayments site; a Sheriff’s or Highway Patrol ticket through the General Sessions Clerk. Paying is a guilty plea that puts the conviction and its points on your driving record, so it is worth a free call first if you have other tickets or drive for a living.
What is General Sessions Division 14?
It is Shelby County’s traffic and environmental court, a division of General Sessions Criminal Court at 201 Poplar. Its traffic dockets hear the tickets written by Shelby County deputies and Tennessee state troopers, including on the interstates. See Shelby County traffic tickets in Division 14.
How much does a lawyer cost for a Memphis City Court ticket?
At Brooks Law Firm, a flat $200 per regular ticket in Memphis City Court or General Sessions Division 14. Court costs are separate and paid to the clerk. Commercial driver tickets are priced separately.
Will a Memphis ticket put points on my license?
A conviction for a moving violation does, whether you pay it or are found guilty, from 1 point for speeding up to 5 over to 8 points for 46 or more over. A dismissal or an amendment to a non-moving violation adds none. Twelve points in twelve months brings a notice of proposed suspension.
Talk to a Memphis traffic ticket lawyer
Brooks Law Firm handles regular traffic tickets in Memphis City Court and General Sessions Division 14 every week, from our office at 2299 Union Avenue in Midtown, a short drive from 201 Poplar. Text a photo of the citation to 901-412-2973 or call (901) 324-5000.
This page is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Court schedules, clerk programs and point values change; confirm your court date and courtroom with the clerk. The outcome of any case depends on its facts.