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⚠ Do Not Pay Your Ticket. Paying a traffic ticket is the same as pleading guilty. It goes on your driving record and your insurance rates will spike, often for years. Send us a photo of it instead:
upload it here or call
(901) 578-1515.
Start Here
Upload Your Ticket. Wendy Calls You With the Number.
Nobody has time for this. That is the entire point.
This is the only firm in Memphis where you can upload a photo of your ticket and get a call back with the fee, the court, and whether you have to appear. No phone tree, no taking off work, no arguing with a prosecutor.
- Upload the ticket. A photo of the front is enough.
- Traffic secretary Wendy calls you back with the details. You never have to appear.
- Attorney Mitch Wood covers the court date. You stay at work.
- Wendy emails you the disposition, usually that same day.
Got it.
We have your ticket. Somebody will call you with the fee for your court and whether you need to appear, usually the same business day. If you need us sooner, call (901) 578-1515.
Rather just talk to somebody? Call (901) 578-1515.
While we cannot guarantee an outcome, because the Rules of Professional Conduct forbid it, virtually every one of the thousands of tickets we have handled has been dismissed. That comes one of three ways: outright, for court costs, or for court costs and a driving school, depending on the speed and which court you are in. All three keep it off your record, and your record is the only part your insurance company ever looks at.
Memphis Traffic Ticket Attorney
A Thousand Tickets a Year. You Never Step Foot in Court.
The firm resolved more than a thousand traffic citations in 2025 and is on pace to pass that again this year. Across his career Attorney Mitch Wood has taken thousands of them to a dismissal. That is in all three Memphis City courts if a Memphis police officer wrote the ticket, in General Sessions at 201 Poplar if a sheriff's deputy or a state trooper wrote it, and in the municipal courts in between.
What you do not do is go downtown. No parking at 201 Poplar, no security line, no standing in the basement next to people there on criminal cases. In almost every case you never step foot in court.
We are in these courtrooms constantly and have a rapport with Memphis City prosecutors and the courts. We know the laws and each court's unique procedures. Call (901) 578-1515 before you pay your ticket or try to handle it yourself.
Your Attorney
Mitchell Wood, Memphis Traffic Ticket Attorney
Attorney Mitch Wood has practiced in Memphis and Shelby County courts for over a decade and is recognized by prosecutors and colleagues throughout Memphis courts as one of the most experienced traffic ticket attorneys in Shelby County. He handles more traffic tickets than nearly any other attorney in the area. He appears in Memphis City courts, Shelby County General Sessions, and every municipal court on a regular basis.
Mitch's background as a serious criminal trial attorney, including capital-certified and first-degree murder cases, means he brings a level of courtroom experience to traffic court that most traffic ticket attorneys simply don't have. He knows the tendencies of the prosecutors and judges in each courtroom, and he knows what it takes to get a ticket dismissed.
Learn more about Attorney Mitchell Wood →
Sound Familiar?
A Story You've Probably Lived
Here's a common scenario: you're driving the speed limit on the interstate, and everyone is zooming past you. You accelerate 10 mph so you don't get run over. Half a mile later you look in your mirror and see blue lights. "Surely, he's not after me," you think. After all, you were just keeping up with traffic.
Sure enough, you pull over to get out of the way, but the officer stops right behind you. He asks for your driver's license and proof of insurance. You hand him your license, but cannot seem to find your most recent insurance card. Before you know it, you've got a ticket for speeding and violation of financial responsibility law. You look at the bottom of the ticket and see where the officer writes: "MANDATORY COURT APPEARANCE."
That 10 mph acceleration has now cost you 15 to 20 minutes on the side of the road. A few weeks from now, it will cost you another few hours going to court. But it doesn't have to. You can call the Memphis traffic ticket attorneys at Balestrini, Barnes, Jaber & Wood, PLLC. We can go to court in your place, and more importantly we can stop the ticket from appearing on your driving record and from increasing your insurance rates.
Why It Matters
What Happens If You Just Pay Your Ticket
If you pay your ticket before court, or are found guilty because you represented yourself, the ticket is reported to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, the agency responsible for managing driver's licenses and records. That agency places the ticket on your motor vehicle record (MVR) and assesses driver improvement points against your license.
- The ticket remains on your MVR for three years and cannot be removed or expunged
- Each moving violation carries a predetermined amount of driver improvement points
- Twelve driver improvement points in a calendar year will suspend your license for one year
- Insurance companies check your MVR regularly. A ticket on your record means higher premiums, often for years
Jurisdiction
Which Court Is Your Ticket In?
Memphis City Courts. If your ticket was issued by a Memphis police officer, your case will be in one of the three Memphis City courts. We appear in all three regularly.
Shelby County General Sessions. If your ticket was issued by a Shelby County sheriff's deputy or by a state trooper, your case will be in General Sessions court at 201 Poplar. We handle hundreds of tickets there every year.
What that costs depends entirely on which court wrote the ticket. Our flat fees, court by court →
Municipal Courts. If you were ticketed in Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, or another municipality, we handle those courts as well. Each has its own procedures and tendencies, and we know them all.
Fayette County & Tipton County. Attorney William Young handles traffic tickets throughout West Tennessee, including Fayette County and Tipton County courts, along with the small municipal courts inside them like Piperton. Highway 64 through Fayette County is one of the most actively enforced stretches of road in the area. Learn more about Fayette County ticket defense →
Common Tickets We Handle
Every Type of Traffic Ticket in Memphis & Shelby County
- Speeding, all speeds and all roads
- Violation of Financial Responsibility Law (no insurance)
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Improper lane change or failure to signal
- Following too closely
- Failure to yield
- Window tint violations
- Seatbelt violations
- Cell phone / distracted driving
- Expired registration or tags
- Equipment violations
- Reckless driving citations. Learn more about reckless driving defense →
- Multiple tickets on one stop
If you have a ticket that isn't on this list, call us anyway. We handle virtually every traffic offense in Memphis and Shelby County. If it can be dismissed, we'll dismiss it.
Commercial Drivers
CDL Holders: A Ticket Is a Much Bigger Problem
If you hold a commercial driver's license, a traffic ticket is not a minor inconvenience. It is a threat to your livelihood. Federal rules mean the resolutions that work on a personal license, including a dismissal with court costs, do not protect a commercial record. That leaves a choice between a conviction and a trial, so CDL citations get tried. Attorney Mitch Wood tries them throughout Shelby County. Before you hire anybody, ask them how many commercial cases they have tried this year. What a CDL ticket costs to fight →
Learn more about CDL ticket defense →
The Full Picture
Traffic Tickets in Memphis and West Tennessee
Every court runs differently, and the fee depends on which one wrote the ticket.
CDL TicketsA CDL ticket is a different case. No deferral, no diversion, and the employer finds out.
Traffic Ticket CostFlat fees by court. Memphis City Court, General Sessions, the suburbs, and the outlying counties.
Fayette CountySomerville, Oakland, Rossville, Gallaway, Moscow, and Piperton. Seven courts, one county.
PipertonA small court on Highway 72 that writes a lot of tickets.
Ripley$500 plus $105 in court costs for a city ticket, and in most cases you never appear.
Bartlett SpeedingBartlett did not negotiate tickets at all until recently. Dismissed, and you never appear.
Common Questions
Memphis Traffic Tickets: What You Need to Know
Can I just send a Memphis traffic lawyer a picture of my ticket?
Yes. BBJW LAW takes Memphis traffic tickets by photo. Upload a picture of the front of your citation at topmemphisattorney.com, or call (901) 578-1515, and the firm calls you back with the fee for your court, whether you have to appear, and what happens next. The photo shows which agency wrote the ticket, and that is what decides which court it lands in. A Memphis police officer sends it to Memphis City Court. A Shelby County deputy or a state trooper sends it to General Sessions at 201 Poplar. A Bartlett, Collierville or Germantown officer keeps it in that city's court.
Do I have to go to court for my traffic ticket in Memphis?
Not if you hire us. We handle the entire process by phone and email. We appear in court on your behalf so you don't have to take off work, pay for downtown parking, or argue with a prosecutor.
What happens if I just pay my Memphis traffic ticket?
Paying your ticket before court is the same as pleading guilty. The ticket is reported to the Tennessee Department of Safety, placed on your motor vehicle record for three years, and driver improvement points are assessed against your license. Twelve points in a calendar year suspends your license for one year. Once paid, it cannot be undone.
How long does a traffic ticket stay on my record in Tennessee?
A ticket that results in a judgment stays on your motor vehicle record for three years and cannot be removed or expunged. During that time, insurance companies can see it and charge you higher premiums, often far exceeding the cost of hiring an attorney to get the ticket dismissed.
Will a traffic ticket raise my insurance rates in Memphis?
Yes. Insurance companies check your motor vehicle record regularly. A ticket on your record typically means higher premiums for years. In most cases, our fee costs you far less than the insurance increase would over the next three to five years.
How much does a traffic ticket attorney cost in Memphis?
Our fees are published by court. A ticket in Memphis City Court Division 1 or 2, or in General Sessions Division 14, is $200. Division 3 is $400. Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Fayette County and Tipton County are $500. CDL tickets run higher because the stakes are higher. See the full fee schedule by court →
Which court will my Memphis traffic ticket be heard in?
It depends on who issued the ticket. A Memphis police officer means one of the three Memphis City courts. A Shelby County sheriff's deputy means Shelby County General Sessions. A ticket issued in Bartlett, Germantown, Collierville, or another municipality means that city's municipal court. A ticket issued in Fayette County or Tipton County means those county courts. We handle all of them.
How many points does it take to suspend my license in Tennessee?
Twelve driver improvement points in a calendar year will suspend your license for one year. Each moving violation carries a predetermined number of points. Hiring an attorney to keep the ticket off your record prevents any points from being assessed at all.
Can you handle tickets from Bartlett, Germantown, and Collierville?
Yes. We handle municipal courts throughout Shelby County including Bartlett, Collierville, and Germantown. Each municipal court has its own procedures and tendencies, and we are familiar with all of them.
Can you handle traffic tickets in Fayette County and Tipton County?
Yes. Attorney William Young handles traffic tickets throughout West Tennessee including Fayette County and Tipton County. Highway 64 through Fayette County is one of the most heavily enforced stretches of road in the region. If you got a ticket out there, call us.
Can you win a traffic ticket trial in Memphis?
Yes. Our attorneys have won many trials in Memphis traffic court. We know the laws, the prosecutors, and each court's unique procedures. In cases where negotiation is not enough, we are prepared to take your case to trial.
What if I already paid my ticket?
Paying your ticket before court is treated as a guilty plea. The judgment is reported to the Tennessee Department of Safety, placed on your record, and points are assessed. Once paid, it cannot be undone. Call us before you pay, not after.
What types of traffic tickets do you handle in Memphis?
We handle virtually every type of traffic ticket in Memphis and Shelby County: speeding, no insurance, red light and stop sign violations, improper lane change, failure to signal, following too closely, failure to yield, window tint, seatbelt, cell phone, expired tags, equipment violations, reckless driving, and multiple tickets on one stop. If it can be dismissed, we'll dismiss it.