Tickets, Dismissal & Your State’s Rules
How do you get a speeding ticket dismissed?
Not with a courtroom trick — with your state’s own rules. In some states, finishing a state-sanctioned defensive driving course legally dismisses an eligible citation. In others, the course keeps the ticket off your record. It just doesn’t technically dismiss it. And in a few, no course does either — we’ll tell you that too. Where you got the ticket decides everything.
Seven states, seven honest answers — each checked against that state’s own law.
Serving 116,000+ drivers since 2014
Your state, your mechanism
How does a ticket get dismissed, or kept off your record, in each state?
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Arizona True dismissal
- Ticket issued An eligible moving violation
- Your deadline when you respond to the citation
- The course 4 hours, online Arizona Defensive Driving Course
- What finishing it does Citation dismissed Once every 12 months.
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Texas True dismissal
- Ticket issued An eligible moving violation
- Your deadline when you respond to the ticket, with the court's OK
- The course 6 hours, online Texas Driving Safety Course
- What finishing it does Citation dismissed With the court's permission, granted before you start.
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Florida Record protection
- Ticket issued An eligible moving violation
- Your deadline when you respond to the ticket
- The course 4 hours, online Florida Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) Course
- What finishing it does Points never post Once per 12 months, 8 in a lifetime.
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Michigan Record protection
- Ticket issued An eligible moving violation
- Your deadline within 60 days of the Secretary of State's eligibility letter
- The course 4 hours, online Michigan Basic Driver Improvement Course (BDIC)
- What finishing it does Points never post Once per lifetime.
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Missouri Record protection
- Ticket issued An eligible moving violation
- Your deadline when the court orders it
- The course 8 hours, online Missouri Driver Improvement Program (DIP)
- What finishing it does Points never post The court decides, once every 36 months.
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Idaho Record protection
- Ticket issued An eligible moving violation
- Your deadline before a suspension letter, once every 3 years
- The course 6 hours, online Idaho Defensive Driving Course
- What finishing it does 3 points come off Once every 3 years.
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Pennsylvania The honest no
- Ticket issued An eligible moving violation
- Your deadline any time — it's an insurer program, not a court one
- The course 4 hours, online Pennsylvania Defensive Driving Course
- What finishing it does No dismissal, no point removal Insurer programs only — call yours first
Two of the seven dismiss an eligible citation. Four keep the points off the record instead. One offers neither, and says so. What your ticket was for matters as much as where you got it — school zones, work zones and school buses are carved out by name in some states and by speed in others. Every mechanism is checked against that state’s own law, and each state page runs on the same sourced facts.
True in every state
Which three rules stay the same in every state?
Act early
Every course path has a deadline. Paying the ticket first usually closes the door.
Eligibility first
Violation type, program frequency, and CDL status gate every state’s option.
No guarantees
Courts control the outcome. No course can promise one, so we show you your state’s real rule instead.
Dismissal questions, answered
Ticket dismissal FAQ
How do I get a speeding ticket dismissed?
That depends on your state. Ticket dismissal is state law, not a trick. In Arizona, you finish a court-diversion defensive driving course, and the court dismisses an eligible ticket. In Texas, a judge grants permission first — then the course dismisses the ticket. Florida's course keeps the points off your record. Michigan and Missouri protect your record without technically dismissing anything. And Pennsylvania offers no course-based dismissal at all. Find your state below to see how its rules really work.
Is ticket dismissal ever guaranteed?
No. Anyone who guarantees it is promising something the court decides. Even the true-dismissal states have rules on who qualifies. Violation type, how recently you used the program, and CDL (commercial license) status all matter. And courts control the outcome. What we can promise: your state's real rules, before you pay anyone.
Does a dismissed ticket stay off my driving record?
In the true-dismissal states, yes. Take Arizona. An eligible citation cleared through the diversion program never reaches the driving record at all — for non-CDL drivers. In record-protection states, the ticket may still appear. The points and insurer disclosure are blocked instead. Each state page spells out exactly what lands on the record.
How do I get a school zone ticket dismissed?
Start with your state. A school zone is where several states narrow the option. Arizona: more than 35 mph near a school crossing is criminal speeding. That is a class 3 misdemeanor, a crime rather than a civil ticket. The court can allow the class only if the presiding judge agrees. A ticket for the 15 mph school-crossing limit is a normal civil violation. So is one for not stopping for someone in the crosswalk. Both are on the Supreme Court's eligible list. Texas: the course is open unless you were clocked 25 mph or more over the limit. A speed of 95 mph or more also rules it out. Florida: you can still elect traffic school unless the ticket says 30 mph or more over. The school-zone fine itself is doubled. Michigan: the Basic Driver Improvement Course cannot cover school-zone or work-zone speeding. It also cannot cover failing to stop for a school bus, or careless driving. MCL 257.320d(3)(d) rules them out. Your court decides the rest.
How do I get a stop sign or failure-to-yield ticket dismissed?
The same way you would a speeding ticket in your state. These are ordinary violations, not the exception. Arizona: stop and yield signs (A.R.S. 28-855) are on the eligible list. So is right-of-way at intersections (28-771, 28-772). For a listed civil violation, the court must allow the class when you elect it. Texas: the driving safety course covers rules-of-the-road tickets, stop signs and right-of-way included. The 25-mph-over speed cutoff does not apply to them. You still need a Texas license or permit, and proof of insurance. Active-duty military families are the one exception to the license rule. Florida: the election is open to non-criminal moving violations. Michigan: the line is points. A ticket with 4 or more points is out. A stop-sign or signal violation carries 3, so points alone do not rule it out. Two moving violations from the same stop do. Then your state decides the rest.
Can I just fight the ticket in court instead?
You always have the right to fight a ticket. Sometimes that's the better play — above all where no course option exists. But know the trade-offs. In Arizona, choosing court means giving up the diversion class; it's one or the other. And fighting anywhere means betting on an outcome. A course, where your state offers one, is the path you can count on.
How do lawyers get traffic tickets dismissed?
Lawyers contest or negotiate the charge. The outcome belongs to the court or the prosecutor, not to a step you finish. A lawyer can test the evidence and argue for a reduction or dismissal. Sometimes a lawyer can appear for you. A course works the other way. Say your state offers one and your ticket qualifies. Then finishing it triggers a result the law already spells out. Arizona is the plainest case. Finish the class for an eligible ticket and the court “shall dismiss” it (A.R.S. 28-3394). The two are not rivals. In Texas, your lawyer can make the course request for you. For a serious charge, a lawyer is the right call and a course is not. That means DUI, reckless driving, or anything with an injury. Arizona's criminal speeding is the one exception, and only if the presiding judge allows it.
What does a defensive driving course cost?
Ours run from $19.95 (Idaho) and $19.95 (Missouri) up to $39.95 (Arizona) and $39.95 (Michigan). Always flat — the price on the page matches checkout to the penny. Some states add their own government fees on top. Arizona's state fee, surcharge, and court diversion fee are the same at every school.
My state isn't listed. Can you still help?
Our courses are state-specific. A course only helps where the state's own rules recognize it. So we only sell where we can tell you exactly what you're getting. If your state isn't here, start with the court itself — ask about diversion or deferral options. For anything serious, a local attorney is the better call.
Do CDL holders have any course-based options?
Very few, by federal design. CDL means commercial driver's license. A federal rule (49 CFR 384.226) bars states from hiding or deferring a CDL holder's conviction. It applies in any vehicle, even a personal car. Arizona lets CDL holders take the class for a ticket in a personal vehicle. But the finished class still shows on the driving record. Michigan and Missouri exclude CDL holders entirely. If you drive commercially, read your state's rules closely before paying for anything.
What about red-light camera or photo-radar tickets?
It depends on the state, and on what the mail actually is. In Arizona a photo-enforcement ticket can qualify like any other. But the first mailing is a notice of violation, not a ticket, and you can't enroll on a notice. Once it becomes a citation, it is checked against Arizona's eligible list. Check your state's page. When in doubt, email support@highwaytrafficschool.com and a real person will look at your ticket with you. Or text or call 1-888-406-1726, Mon–Sat, 7am–7pm PT.
Your state has an answer. Go get it.
Seven states, each with its real mechanism spelled out. Every course is priced flat, and checkout matches the page to the penny.
Find your state ↑