Paying Traffic Tickets with Credit Cards
It used to be if you were pulled over for speeding or another traffic issue, the police officer would decide whether or not to issue you a traffic ticket based on your look of innocence. Now, sitting on the passenger seat of many police officers nationwide is a laptop computer, connected to traffic ticket records. The cop can see in seconds whether or not you’ve never had a ticket or if this is your 4th ticket in the last four months.
When the police officer decides your guilty and in need of a traffic ticket - he or she can print it from the printer in the car. The data is electronically sent to the sherriff’s office, the court clerk, and the state at the push of a button.
While you used to have to appear in court or mail in a check to pay for your ticket fine, now you can make a phone call to the court clerk and give out your credit card number over the phone. Currently, most county clerk’s are charging a 3.2% fee on the credit card payment, but there is talk about switching to a flat rate processing fee.
It’s believed that fines will be paid faster now that credit cards are being accepted at more government offices.
If your police department isn’t currently operating in this “high tech” manner, it won’t be long before they’re driving around with this equipment.Â
