You have 30 days to respond to a payable Maryland traffic citation — by paying the fine, requesting a payment plan, requesting a waiver hearing, or requesting a trial. If you don’t respond, the District Court notifies the MVA, which will send you a notice giving you a final 15 days before your license is suspended. Must-appear citations (DUI, driving on a suspended license, and other criminal traffic offenses) don’t follow this 30-day rule — you’ll be given a mandatory court date instead, and missing it can result in a bench warrant. If you’re unsure which type of citation you have, call us before the deadline.

Yes. Maryland speeding tickets carry 1 point (1–9 mph over), 2 points (10–29 mph over), or 5 points (30–39 mph over). Most insurance carriers raise rates 20–40% for 3–5 years after a moving violation. Multiple tickets or higher point totals compound the increase.

PBJ is a Maryland disposition under Md. Code Crim. Proc. § 6-220 where the court enters a guilty finding but holds the judgment in abeyance — no conviction is entered and no MVA points are assessed. Two important caveats:  (1) The underlying charge still appears in the public court database, which insurance carriers routinely check, so PBJ does not always shield you from a rate increase.  (2) PBJ is generally limited to once every 3 years for the same offense type.  PBJ is not guaranteed — it depends on your driving history, the violation, and how well your attorney argues for it.

For payable violations, your attorney appears as attorney of record and you don’t need to show up. For ‘must-appear’ charges (DUI/DWI, driving on a suspended or revoked license, reckless driving), Maryland law requires the defendant to appear, but in many cases we can request a continuance or negotiate a disposition without extended court time. We’ll advise you on your specific situation.

Paying the ticket counts as a guilty plea — points are assessed and it goes on your record. Reversing it after the fact is hard, but not impossible: Maryland Rule 4-331 allows a motion for new trial within 10 days, and the court has limited revisory power under Maryland Rule 4-345. Don’t pay until you’ve spoken with an attorney — and if you already paid recently, call us today: we may still have options.