Getting a traffic ticket in Texas can be confusing for anyone. While police officers are trained to explain the steps for handling your ticket, the shock value of actually receiving it may hinder your ability to later recall the steps the officer relayed outside of your vehicle.

Texas also has many courts at the county and municipal levels that tend to be the source of confusion for many people.

The steps below will help you determine which court you should go to, how to fight your ticket, pay your fine, or request a defensive driving school to have the ticket dismissed.

Upon receiving a Texas traffic ticket, you have several options. You may plead "Not Guilty" in which case a hearing date will be set. You may plead "Guilty" and pay your fine, or you may plead "Nolo Contendere" which means you don't admit guilt but the case will be handled the same as a guilty plea.

In order to have your traffic ticket dismissed, you must request permission from the court by filling out a form. Depending on the court, you will have a certain time limit in which to submit the request.

If you receive a ticket from the Texas Department of Public Safety (Highway Patrol), a county sheriff, or a county constable, your ticket will normally fall under the jurisdiction of the Justice of the Peace Court in the county where you received your ticket.

Large counties may have numerous Justice of the Peace precinct courts and the precinct court handling your ticket will normally depend on the precinct of the law enforcement agency that issued the ticket.

If you receive your ticket from a municipal or city police department, your ticket will be handled by the Municipal Court in that city or town.

Texas allows one ticket in a 12 month period to be dismissed if the driver attends an approved Defensive Driving Course with certain exceptions:

• You must not possess a commercial drivers license (CDL).
• You must admit guilt and sign a statement that you do not contest the ticket.
• If cited for speeding, you must not have been speeding more than 25 mph over the posted speed limit.

You must receive permission from the court to attend the Texas Defensive Driving course in order to have the points dismissed so make sure you contact the court prior to registering for the course. The court having jurisdiction over your ticket may require a fee to take the course and a fee to obtain a copy of your driving record in addition to the cost of the course itself.