Traffic Matters
Do not pay the ticket yet. In Tennessee, paying a traffic citation is a guilty plea. It goes on your driving record for three years, it cannot be undone, and for most moving violations it adds points toward a license suspension. Read this first, then decide.
What it costs. A routine ticket at 201 Poplar — Memphis City Court or Shelby County General Sessions — is a flat $200 per ticket, and in most cases we appear for you so you do not take a day off work. Suburban municipal courts and out-of-county tickets are quoted separately. CDL tickets are priced by court on the CDL cost page. Full schedule on what a traffic ticket lawyer costs in Memphis.
Call (901) 324-5000, or call or text the criminal line at 901-412-2973. Tell us what the citation says and we will tell you the fee — and whether you actually need us.
Not Every Ticket Needs a Lawyer
Some do. Some do not. A seat belt citation for an adult driver carries no points and a small fine, and we will tell you so. A speeding ticket at 20 over, a citation written after an accident, anything on a commercial license, or a ticket that arrived alongside a criminal charge is a different matter. We have handled thousands of these, and the honest answer at the first phone call is part of what you are paying for — or not paying for.
“Paying a ticket is a conviction. Before a client does that, they should know what that conviction costs them — today and two years from now.”
Which Court Your Ticket Is In
It depends on who wrote it, not where you live. The issuing agency is printed on the citation.
- Memphis Police Department — one of the Memphis City Court divisions at 201 Poplar.
- Shelby County Sheriff’s Office or Tennessee Highway Patrol — Shelby County General Sessions, also at 201 Poplar, including interstate stops and unincorporated areas like Cordova.
- Germantown, Bartlett, Collierville, or Millington police — that city’s own court. Germantown sits Wednesday evenings; Bartlett runs two divisions and sets a date on every ticket; Collierville at 101 Walnut Street; Millington Municipal Court.
- Arlington or Lakeland police / Sheriff — no city court, so General Sessions downtown. See Arlington and Lakeland.
- Fayette, Tipton, Haywood, or Lauderdale County — that county’s General Sessions in Somerville, Covington, Brownsville, or Ripley. Highway 64 through Fayette County and I-40 through Haywood are two of the most actively enforced stretches in the region.
“Mandatory court appearance” on the bottom of a citation means the court expects someone — it does not have to be you. In most routine matters we stand in your place. Full list on courts we serve.
Tickets We Handle
Moving violations. Speeding, running a red light or stop sign, improper passing, improper lane change, following too closely, failure to yield, and failure to move over for a stopped vehicle — a Class B misdemeanor, more serious than most people expect.
Equipment, registration, and paperwork. Window tint, expired or improper tags, driving without insurance, and seat belt citations. These are the ones most often written as the reason for a stop that produced something bigger.
Accident citations. Failure to maintain a proper lookout, failure to exercise due care, and leaving the scene. These are written reflexively at crash scenes and they are contestable — and an accident citation carries a points consequence the others do not, explained below.
Criminal driving offenses. Reckless driving under § 55-10-205, a Class B misdemeanor with jail exposure. Driving on a suspended or revoked license under § 55-50-504. Habitual motor vehicle offender removal. And DUI, which is its own practice area entirely.
Commercial drivers. CDL ticket defense and our plain-language CDL trucker guide. Federal law bars traffic school, deferral, and diversion for CDL holders, and every conviction reports to CDLIS. Read what happens if you just pay a CDL ticket before you do. Ticketed in Germantown? Germantown CDL ticket.
License restoration. Restricted licenses, reinstatement after suspension, and waiving old court costs that are holding a license.
How Tennessee Points Work
The Department of Safety assigns points to moving-violation convictions. Twelve points in any twelve-month period triggers a proposed suspension. Points are assessed on conviction — which includes paying the ticket — and stay on the record for two years for point-counting purposes, with the conviction visible for three.
| Violation | Points |
|---|---|
| Speeding 1–5 over | 1 |
| Speeding 6–15 over | 3 |
| Speeding 16–25 over | 4 |
| Speeding 26–35 over | 5 |
| Speeding 36–45 over | 6 |
| Speeding 46+ over | 8 |
| Following too closely | 3 |
| Failure to yield / improper passing / disregarding a signal | 4 |
| Leaving the scene (property damage) | 5 |
| Reckless driving | 6 |
| Seat belt (adult) | 0 |
The accident exception. For an ordinary ticket, no conviction means no points — a dismissal is never reported. An accident is different. The crash report itself goes to the Department of Safety regardless of what happens in court, and a minor at-fault accident typically produces points from the report alone. Court cannot change that. What court can change is whether a second set of points from the citation gets added on top, which is why accident citations are worth contesting even when the points from the report are already locked in.
What Paying the Ticket Actually Does
- Enters a plea of guilty or nolo contendere. The conviction attaches to your motor vehicle record for three years and cannot be expunged or removed.
- Assesses points toward the twelve-point suspension threshold.
- Becomes visible to your insurer at the next MVR pull, with premium consequences that commonly run three years or more — often exceeding the cost of contesting it many times over.
- Can violate a condition of existing probation, diversion, or a restricted license.
- For a CDL holder, reports to the federal record where nothing can be masked.
- In certain categories, creates immigration consequences.
For a driver with a clean record and a minor citation, some of this is survivable. For a new driver, a commercial driver, someone already on a restricted license, or anyone with points on the board, it is not.
How We Handle a Ticket
- You send us the citation — photo by text is fine.
- We tell you the fee, and whether it is worth it for this ticket.
- We appear on the court date. In most routine matters you do not.
- We work with the prosecutor toward a dismissal, or an amendment to a non-moving violation that carries no points and no insurance consequence.
- Where a ticket cannot be resolved that way and the facts support it, we try the case. Radar and lidar evidence, officer position, and the stop itself are all contestable.
- You get the result the same day.
Related: Bartlett speeding tickets and whether you have to go to court · why CDL holders can’t take driving school · misdemeanor defense · criminal defense overview
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to go to court for a traffic ticket in Memphis?
Someone has to answer the citation — but in most routine matters it can be us rather than you. “Mandatory court appearance” on a ticket means the court expects the case to be addressed, not that you personally must be there. What you cannot do is ignore it; that produces a warrant.
How much does a traffic ticket lawyer cost in Memphis?
A routine ticket at 201 Poplar is a flat $200 per ticket at Brooks Law Firm. Suburban municipal courts and out-of-county tickets are quoted separately, and CDL tickets are priced by court. We will also tell you when a ticket is not worth the fee.
How many points suspend a license in Tennessee?
Twelve points within twelve months triggers a proposed suspension by the Department of Safety. Points are assessed on conviction, including paying the ticket. A dismissed ticket is never reported and carries no points.
How long does a traffic ticket stay on my record in Tennessee?
A conviction stays on your motor vehicle record for three years and cannot be expunged. Insurers see it for that entire period.
Which court is my Memphis ticket in?
It depends on the issuing agency printed on the citation. Memphis Police means Memphis City Court; the Sheriff or Highway Patrol means Shelby County General Sessions; Germantown, Bartlett, Collierville, or Millington police means that city’s court; Arlington and Lakeland go to General Sessions.
Does a ticket after an accident put points on my license even if it’s dismissed?
The crash report is sent to the Department of Safety regardless of the court outcome, and an at-fault accident typically produces points from the report itself. Contesting the citation prevents a second set of points from being added — it does not remove the report points.
Do I need a lawyer for a seat belt or tint ticket?
Often not, and we will say so. The exceptions are when the citation came with a more serious charge from the same stop, or when you hold a commercial license, where minor convictions carry consequences other drivers do not face.
Send Us the Ticket
Text a photo of the citation to 901-412-2973 or call the office at (901) 324-5000. We will tell you the court, the fee, and whether you need us — before you decide anything.