What Are Arkansas Traffic Court Records?

Arkansas traffic court records are generated during legal proceedings arising from motor vehicle code violations, state traffic laws, and local ordinance violations. This includes case files, evidence reports, and other records. Records related to the processing of moving and non-moving violations also fall under this category.

Arkansas Traffic Ticket Lookup

Traffic citations issued in Arkansas are adjudicated through the local district court identified on the citation. The Arkansas Judiciary provides an online system, e-Traffic/ CourtConnect, which permits individuals to search for citations by entering a citation number or driver's license information with a date of birth. Through this portal, fines may be reviewed and paid electronically. Where online access is unavailable or unsuitable, inquiries and payments may be directed by mail to the court clerk or in person at the relevant district court office. Certain courts may also provide opportunities to contest a citation or enroll in an approved defensive driving program to reduce penalties, subject to statutory and judicial discretion.

Are Arkansas Traffic Court Records Public Records?

Records generated from traffic courts are categorized as public except when restricted by a court or the law. Records created from the proceedings of "courts of public record" in Arkansas are classified as public information under the public access to information law. They are subject to access by members of the general public.

Getting a Traffic Ticket in Arkansas

An Arkansas traffic ticket, otherwise known as a Uniform Traffic Ticket and Complaint, is a notice issued by a law enforcement officer to a motorist or road user for Arkansas traffic infractions and violations of the state's motor vehicle code, statutes, and ordinances. It is a representation of the officer's observations of the alleged incident. The officer may complete the ticket before it is issued to the offender. The ticket may indicate the date, time, and location where the ticket was issued. The ticket may contain the offender's full name, address, and other relevant biographical data. The offender's driver's license information may also be listed on the ticket, along with the vehicle's description involved in the violation. The officer may list the offense (including section and statute number) the offender is being accused of and indicate if a court appearance is required, with the date, time, and location for the appearance. The offender may sign before receiving a copy of the ticket as an assurance of responding to the ticket or appearing in court. The officer may also sign and indicate his ID and agency on the ticket.

Traffic violations in Arkansas can either be civil infractions or misdemeanors. And in certain extreme cases, such as felony overspeeding in Arkansas, an offense may be prosecuted under more severe criminal statutes. Civil infractions can result in fines and demerit points upon conviction. Misdemeanors come with penalties and demerits upon conviction and the possibility of jail time. Fines, surcharges, and court fees vary by violation and district court. If the fine amount is not noted on the ticket, contact the listed court for details or check on the court's website and search the database by full name, driver's license number, date of birth, or case type. Under the Case event schedule of the results, an event notice indicating Plea & Arraignment means a court appearance is not required. In contrast, a notice for mandatory court necessitates a mandatory court appearance. A mandatory court appearance is required if the citation has three or more moving violations or four or more violations listed on it.

Arkansas employs a points-based system to monitor drivers' records. If an offender is convicted of a traffic violation, points may accrue on the offender's record based on the type of violation. If a driver accumulates 10–13 points, the driver may receive a warning letter from the Arkansas Driver Services Division. Accumulating 14–17 points may result in a 3-month suspension, and collecting 18–23 points may result in a 6-month suspension. In contrast, 24+ points may result in a 12-month suspension. Convictions for moving traffic violations may be reported to the Arkansas Driver Services and may show up on your driving record.

Traffic violations are classified as either moving or non-moving violations. Non-moving offenses are violations of motor vehicle equipment or documentation. They are committed due to damaged vehicle equipment or by a vehicle that is not in motion, i.e., stationary or parked. Moving violations are committed by vehicles in motion. There are non-moving violations that can be committed by vehicles in motion, such as a failure to wear a seatbelt; however, these kinds of breaches are not reported to the Arkansas Driver's Services Division and thus may not accrue on your driving record, nor lead to a license suspension.

What to Do When You Get a Traffic Ticket in Arkansas?

Upon receiving a traffic citation in Arkansas, you must respond to the ticket by the date indicated. You can decide to either:

• Plead Guilty & pay the traffic ticket
• Plead Not-Guilty & contest the ticket.

Paying the ticket may be considered a Guilty or No-Contest plea. If the offense does not require a mandatory court appearance, the ticket can be paid online, by mail, or in person:

• Online: Tickets can be paid using the Arkansas e-Traffic program website or the court website to which the case was assigned. This can be accessed from the Arkansas State District Courts website. Not all courts offer this option, so verification should be made to ensure the court assigned to your case does. This option requires a major credit card and the citation number and may incur a transaction fee.
• Mail: Payment by mail may require mailing a copy of the citation or simply providing sufficient information, including the driver's license number, citation number, case number, full name, current address, and a daytime phone number, where the court can ask questions. The mail should be sent to the District Court where the case was assigned.
• In-Person: Payments can be made at the Office of the Court's Clerk of the District Court, where the case was assigned. Cashier's checks and money orders should be made payable to the appropriate District Courts. Some courts utilize drop boxes for out-of-hours payments.

If the ticket was not issued for a major offense, the judge may allow the completion of a defensive driving course to offset the ticket. The defendant may need to be eligible for this option, and if so, the court may provide information on approved schools, time limits, and any additional costs.

Contesting a Traffic Ticket in Arkansas

Contesting the ticket may be seen as a Not-guilty plea and a choice to exercise your right to trial. There might be slight variations in the process, depending on the court the case was assigned to. Some counties enable the Court's Clerk to set a trial date when a response is made and a Not-Guilty plea is entered before the court date. If this is not possible, then the offender should appear on the scheduled court date for arraignment, after which a trial date may be set. The defendant may be expected to defend him/herself, though it is advisable to retain the services of an attorney by this point.

Arkansas Driving Record Check

Driving records in Arkansas are administered by the Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Driver Services. An individual may obtain their own record through the state's official online service, MyDMV, which issues an electronic link permitting the record to be downloaded and printed. Records may also be requested directly through the Driver Services office. Fees vary according to the type of record requested and the delivery method, but generally range between $8.50 and $13 for uncertified or limited records, while certified or commercial driver's license (CDL) records may carry slightly higher fees. These records provide an official account of violations, license status, suspensions, and related administrative actions maintained by the state.

Obtaining Another Person's Driving Record

Arkansas law strictly regulates access to third parties' driving records. Pursuant to Arkansas Code § 27-50-906, disclosure is limited to specific circumstances, including use by courts, law enforcement agencies, employers for employment-related purposes with proper authorization, and insurance carriers in connection with underwriting or claims investigations. In nearly all other instances, the driver's written and notarized consent must accompany the request before a record will be released. Unauthorized disclosure of such information violates state and federal privacy laws and may lead to civil or criminal liability.

Free DMV Driving Records in Arkansas

The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration does not provide driving records free of charge to individual requesters. Standard requests are subject to the established fee schedule. Limited exceptions exist for government agencies, law enforcement bodies, and specific public entities that may obtain no-cost records under the state's D980 Driving Records Program. Outside of Arkansas, individuals may request their personal file from the National Driver Register (NDR) without charge. The NDR record, however, is not a substitute for a state driving record, as it only reflects whether a driver has been reported by a state for license suspension, revocation, or serious traffic convictions, rather than providing a detailed driving history.

What to Expect in an Arkansas Traffic Court

The defendant may call witnesses at the trial, enter evidence, and question the law enforcement representative. Upon trial completion, a verdict may be rendered by the judge. If the judge renders a guilty verdict, the defendant has been convicted of the charges and may be liable for the fines and have demerit points added to their driving record. Additional charges and costs may accrue as a result of the trial. If the judge renders a Not Guilty verdict, the charges may be dismissed, no fines or demerit points are accruable to the defendant, and they may be freed. There might still be court costs accruable as a result of the trial.

Failure to respond to an Arkansas traffic citation by the scheduled date indicated on the ticket may result in added repercussions, including a license suspension and an arrest warrant being issued against the defaulter.

How Do I Find Arkansas Traffic Court Records?

Traffic court records can be obtained from the Clerk's office of the court where the case in question was heard. Requests can be made online using the court's website or in person by visiting the court's office and filing the request physically.

Additionally, publicly available records are accessible from some third-party websites. These websites offer the benefit of not being limited by geographical record availability and can often serve as a starting point when researching specific or multiple records. To find a record using the search engines on these sites, interested parties may be required to provide:

• The name of someone involved, provided it is not a juvenile
• The assumed location of the record in question, such as a city, county, or state name

Third-party sites are not government-sponsored websites; record availability may differ from official channels.

What Information is Required to Obtain Arkansas Traffic Court Records?

The most pertinent information required to obtain an Arkansas traffic court record is the full name on the record and the case number for the record. The person requesting the record may also need to provide a state-approved and valid form of identification to receive the record. Court costs may be applicable when requesting court records, especially if the requester requires copies of the record.

Are all Traffic Violations Handled the Same Way in Arkansas?

Traffic violations in Arkansas may be handled the same way, irrespective of the nature of the violation. Fines and penalties may vary, depending on the nature of the violation. Still, the processes involved in responding to and handling a citation for a traffic violation may remain the same in some cases and be based on the nature of the response. For example, Guilty responses may follow the same processes, and Not Guilty pleas may follow the same processes.

Can Arkansas Traffic Records be Sealed or Expunged?

In Arkansas, defendants may apply for misdemeanor expungement to seal records, whether the outcome was a guilty verdict, a not guilty verdict, or a dropped charge. Most misdemeanors are eligible for expungement on completion of the sentence. This includes after release from jail, the end of probation, or full payment of the fines, charges, or restitution owed. A petition for expungement can be filed once this has elapsed. If the petition is denied, 90 days should pass before another petition can be re-filed.

A DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) charge should have elapsed by 5 years before a petition for expungement can be filed. If the petition is denied, 1 year should elapse before the petition can be re-filed.

A misdemeanor traffic offense is ineligible for expungement if a Commercial Driver's License was involved in the incident, or if, when filing for expungement, a similar charge was pending for the same violation being petitioned for. A petitioner cannot file for expungement if they have an open case against them.

How Does One End Up in an Arkansas Traffic Court?

One may end up in Arkansas traffic court when a ticket is issued for a traffic violation by a law enforcement officer, and the cited offense requires a mandatory court appearance to respond. One may also end up in traffic court if one wishes to plead Not Guilty and contest the charges by trial in court.

Which Courts in Arkansas Have Jurisdiction to Hear Traffic Violation Matters?

Traffic violations and related matters are heard in the District Court in Arkansas. District courts exercise territorial jurisdiction within judicial districts. Full-time judges serve them and have subject matter jurisdiction over traffic violations, misdemeanors, and violations of state law and local ordinances, where the amount in controversy is not above $25,000.

How to Prepare for Traffic Court in Arkansas

To prepare for traffic court in Arkansas, begin by familiarizing yourself with the state's traffic statutes. Arkansas has unique rules regarding driver's license points and license suspensions for accumulating specific numbers of points within a specified time frame. Additionally, in some Arkansas counties, traffic court proceedings may include opportunities for mediation or alternative dispute resolution to resolve the case without a formal trial.