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The Michigan Guide to Dealing with Traffic Tickets

by Jim Thompson | Last Updated: September 7, 2023

No matter if you’ve been driving for six months or 60 years, getting tickets is a fact of life. Now you’ve found yourself with one. Whether this is your first citation or you’ve had a few, what you do next is what matters.

After receiving a Michigan traffic ticket, you are faced with some choices. Do you just pay it and put it behind you? Do you fight it? Do you hire an attorney? Do you “throw yourself on the mercy of the court” and hope they can help? Or, do you just ignore it and hope it goes away?  Once you know your options step by step, you can pick the one that works best for you.

Let’s take a look at how you might attack the problem of getting a ticket. Of course, you should start by weighing your options but, after that, what’s next?

(I’m going to save you a little suspense here. That last step, the “safety course” one? That one is almost always your best choice, but who knows? One of the others might work just as well.)

You Got a Ticket. Now What?

Drivers react differently to getting tickets. Some get angry or indignant. Some are gracious, accepting the citation as an invitation to learn better for next time. Others view the infraction karmic-ly, figuring that even if they didn’t deserve the ticket this time, they probably got away with it (or worse) a dozen times in the past.

It’s not important if you experienced one of these reactions or something completely different. What is important is what you choose to do next. All you know is that you want to deal with this inconvenience with as little effort and expense as possible.

You could choose the zero effort and expense route and do nothing. I tried that once. It did not go well.

I Ignored a Ticket and it Was Fine, Until it Got Awkward (and Expensive)

You could just pay the darn thing and chalk the fine up to hard-earned experience. This option is fairly low on the effort scale but fairly high on the expense side. And it won’t just be expensive now; it’ll be expensive later when your insurance renews.

You may feel that your ticket represented an attack on your driving superiority, and now you’re out for justice. What will it take to beat your ticket with an attorney?

Hire a Lawyer and Fight, Fight, Fight

Maybe you’ve seen billboards with pictures of smiling (or sometimes scowling) attorneys promising to join in your traffic-related crusade. Is this your best answer in terms of time and expense?

The internet is crawling with attorneys ready to go to war for you over your traffic ticket. Don’t believe me? Google “fight ticket with Michigan attorney” and see how many results you get.

Most of these sites will boast of a 90%+ success rate, and many will make promises like

“Full refund if we are unable to keep the ticket off your record!”

Some of these will claim they’ll pay for your ticket as well.

These sites will also offer statistics encouraging you to employ them by implying you’d be stupid not to.

“One in four tickets is issued in error, yet only 5% of drivers contest their traffic tickets.”

Do you want to be in the 95% of suckers who don’t?

If you’re the type who likes to drive fast all the time, this may be an option. Many law firms have monthly memberships that will allow you to have…

“Unlimited back-and-forth with traffic lawyers. Chat with certified lawyers until you’re satisfied. About any legal issue—from big to small, and everything in between.”

The fight-it-with-a-lawyer option works like this:

Factoring in the time spent shopping for a lawyer, this option is fairly moderate on the effort scale. But, depending on what the firm charges, it may remain pretty high on the expense chart. At least your insurance won’t go up if the attorney manages to keep the ticket off your record.

But Your Honor, You Have to Understand…

You could skip hiring an attorney and head to the courthouse yourself and request one of three things:

A mitigation hearing is one where you request leniency because the fine represents an excessive financial burden. If you are successful, the court may reduce your fine, put you on a monthly payment plan, or allow you to work off your debt with community service.

A contested hearing is one you attend with the purpose of getting the conviction overturned.

Requesting permission to take a driver safety course is exactly what it sounds like.

For most minor violations, traffic courts in Michigan may allow you to dismiss your ticket by completing a driver improvement course.

These decisions are made on a case by case basis, depending on the nature of your violation and your previous driving history. The court’s considerations include things like:

If the answer to these questions is no, you’re generally good to go.

If the court does grant permission, you will be given information as to how the process works, including:

IMPORTANT NOTE: Just like playing “Mother May I” when you were a kid, DO NOT start a driver improvement course before receiving permission. You’ll wind up paying for a second one and starting all over. Also, while most courts will accept an online course, you’ll want to make very sure your court will.

Taking Your Michigan Driver Improvement Course

All driver safety courses follow the same basic curriculum. Your course will touch on topics such as:

At the end of the course, you will be required to pass a test over the presented material to be awarded a completion certificate. This certificate of completion can then be submitted to your court, keeping the conviction and associated points off of your driving record.

Michigan drivers who complete driver improvement may be eligible for one of the following benefits:

You can find driver improvement courses taught both live in classrooms and online.  Online is often the more convenient option because it can be worked on wherever and whenever the student has the time.

Most courts in Michigan will dismiss tickets with driver improvement if you meet their qualifications.  Each court is individual in its requirements, but generally, you will need to meet the following criteria:

If you meet these requirements, you may be eligible for ticket dismissal. In some cases, depending on the severity of your violation and previous driving history, you may be required to take driver improvement as a part of your sentencing.

In either case, you will receive procedural instructions from your court about which course you must take, the date the course must be completed, and any additional fines, fees, or documents you may need to submit.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE: Depending on individual circumstances, some drivers may not be approved for ticket dismissal with a driver safety class, but it never hurts to ask!

If Your Court Says Yes

Michigan Approved Driver Improvement

Michigan driver improvement can be completed online or in a classroom. The most important point here is that the course must be approved by the Michigan Office of the Secretary of State (MI SOS).

For most busy folks, an online driver improvement course makes the most sense. Taking your course this way allows you to complete it all at once or a piece at a time, whenever you have the time. Online driver improvement is fast becoming the first choice for many Michigan drivers. Start your search with some of Michigan’s top online providers.

Best Michigan SOS Approved Driver Improvement Schools

A Final Word

Ticket dismissal is not the only reason to take driver improvement. Find out how taking a course can keep you safer and put money in your pocket.

What’s Good About Driver Safety Classes?

More Questions? We Have More Answers!

If this is your first time taking a Michigan driver improvement course, or it’s been a minute since your last one, here is some more useful information just in case.

How long is the Michigan basic driver improvement course?

The time varies, but whether you take your course online or in person, it must include a minimum of four hours of instruction. It is up to individual course providers how much more than four hours they put into their courses. If your schedule is tight, be sure to consider these variations as you are choosing your course.

How do you get points off your license in Michigan?

To prevent points from being added to your driving record, a driver may be able to complete a BDIC after receiving a ticket. The court will usually extend permission for this as long as the driver:

That last one is important. In Michigan, the opportunity to dismiss a ticket with a driver improvement course is only granted once in a lifetime. Use your mulligan wisely.

How much does a Michigan basic driver improvement course cost?

The course sponsor sets the price of a course and, by law, can range up to $100 dollars. The state uses the term “sponsor” to describe any entity that provides a course that has been approved by Michigan’s Secretary of State.

Despite the law providing that a provider can charge “up to $100 dollars for a course,” most do not. In fact, most courses fall into the $30 to $40 dollar range.

Since the cost of a course can vary from sponsor to sponsor, it is well worth it to shop around a little while choosing a provider.

What if I don’t complete my BDIC before the court-appointed date?

Failure to complete your course in time will result in the addition of your violation and any associated points to your driving record. In Michigan, there are no extensions or exceptions. The only way you can be offered this kindness again is to run out and get yourself another ticket.

What tickets can be dismissed with a basic driver improvement course?

Michigan allows drivers to use a BDIC to dismiss tickets with a value of three points or less. Examples of two-point violations include:

Examples of three-point violations include: