You must appear at the court wthin twenty (20) days from the date you were issued your citation. 

PLEASE NOTE: A PHONE CALL DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AS AN APPEARANCE.

Option #1 – Plead No Contest or Guilty and pay the fine.
In Person – You may appear at the Princeton Municipal Court between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Fine payment extensions may be granted at the time of appearance, if you appear within twenty (20) days from the date you were issued the citation.

Option #2 – Plead Not Guilty and request a trial.
If you wish to plead not guilty, you and/or your attorney must appear in person at the Municipal Court with twenty (20) days from the date you were issued the citation Court hearings cannot be scheduled by telephone.

• In Person – Appear in person to set a court date for a plea hearing. After you have entered a plea to the judge, a pre-trial hearing date will be set.
• By Mail – You may also enter a plea of not guilty by mail. To do so, you must write a letter to the Court and include the following documents with your letter:
  1. Copy of Driver’s License
  2. Copy of the Citation

Your plea by mail can not be processed without these documents. Once received, the Court will set a pre-trial hearing date and notify you by mail.

PLEASE NOTE: If you plead not guilty, go to trial, and are found guilty, the Deferred Disposition and Driving Safety Course options are no longer available.

Option #3 – Request the Driving Safety Course (DSC) or Motorcycle Operator Training Course in person or by mail.
You may be eligible to have the citation dismissed by taking a Driving Safety Course (or a Motorcycle Operator Training Course if you were operating a motorcycle at the time you received the citation.) To protect this right, you must appear in person or provide written notice to the Municipal Court on or before the fifteen days after you recieve your citation.

Option #4 – Request Deferred Disposition (Probation) in person.
You must appear during regular business hours (M-F, 8am-5pm) on or before the twenty (20) days after you recieve your citation and set a court date to enter a plea and request this option from the judge.

Consequences of Ignoring a Citation

Failure to complete one of the four options listed within twenty (20)  days from the date of the citation can immediately result in the following actions taken against the offender:

1. An arrest warrant may be issued, at which time the fine amount can automatically be assessed the maximum allowed by law PLUS court costs and fees. If an arrest warrant is issued, the defendant will be subject to arrest at home, place of business, or wherever he/she may be found.
2. A request may be submitted to the Texas Department of Public Safety for the denial of driver license renewal.

Inability to pay a fine is not an excuse for failure to respond. Fine payment extensions may be granted in person at the time of appearance.

Special Instruction for Juveniles

Texas State Law requires that juveniles (age 10-16) must appear in person with a parent or legal guardian for a court hearing, regardless of the offense. For tobacco and/or alcohol offenses, any defendant under the age of 18 must appear with a parent or legal guardian. A court appearance is also required to request Driving Safety Course or Deferred Disposition.