If you would like to establish or re-establish a payment plan by pleading Guilty Or have been found guilty by a Judge you must appear before a Traffic Court Motion Court Judge between the hours 9:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M. Monday through Friday.

If your license is suspended, you must contact the Department of Transportation to request a letter listing all the requirements for restoration of your license. Click here for additional information. You may contact the Department of Transportation, toll free within Pennsylvania, at 1-800-932-4600. Outside of Pennsylvania, at 1-717-412-5300.

Upon receipt of the letter, you must appear personally at Traffic Court with a copy of the letter and the information identified in the letter as well as payment for outstanding fees, fines and costs. No information can be released by the Traffic Court over the telephone or through this Website.

(a) All continuance requests shall be in writing on a court-approved form; reference the citation number and the defendant's driver license number; identify the date, time, and, if applicable, the courtroom it is listed for; and specifically state the reasons for the request.

Documentation substantiating the request for the continuance (i.e. proof of necessary hospitalization, pre-paid vacation, military service, etc.) must be submitted.

(b) Timing of request. All requests for continuance must be received by the Philadelphia Traffic Court at least 48 hours before the date set for the trial or hearing. A later request shall only be granted if the defendant or defendant's attorney of record establishes that the cause for the continuance request did not previously exist, or that the defendant was not aware of the grounds for the request, or the interests of justice require it.

(c) Address Where Continuance Requests are to Be Mailed or Delivered. All requests for continuances are to be mailed or delivered to the Philadelphia Traffic Court, 800 Spring Garden, Post Office Box 56301, Philadelphia, PA 19130-6301. All requests for continuances shall be assigned to the Administrative Judge or his/her designee who shall rule on the request, in writing, and shall state the reasons for the granting or denial of the continuance.

(d) Requests For Continuance on the Trial Date. All requests for continuances on the day of the summary trial or hearing shall be in writing, on the court-approved form, and shall be presented to the presiding judge. All such requests shall be denied unless the defendant or the defendant's attorney of record establishes that the cause for the continuance request did not previously exist, or that the defendant was not aware of the grounds for the request, or the interests of justice require it. The presiding judge shall rule on the request, in writing, and shall state the reasons for the granting or denial of the continuance.

Please Note: Unless you receive confirmation that the trial has been continued, the request is deemed denied and the trial will proceed as scheduled. In the event you fail to appear, the trial will proceed in your absence, and you will be notified of the outcome.

Form 02-66 Continuance Request

(a) Entry of Appearance. (1) Counsel for defendant shall file with the Attorney Filing Unit an entry of appearance identifying the citations for which counsel has been retained. The entry of appearance shall include the attorney's office address, electronic mail address, phone number, and the Supreme Court attorney identification number. An entry of appearance seeking to limit representation to a specific hearing shall not be accepted. (2) When counsel is appointed pursuant to Pa.R.Crim. P. 1035, Appointment of Counsel, the filing of the appointment order shall enter the appearance of appointed counsel. (3) Counsel shall not be provided any defendant information unless an Entry of Appearance is filed with the Attorney Filing Unit.(4) An attorney who has been retained by a defendant and entered an appearance as provided in this rule shall continue such representation in the Traffic Court until granted leave to withdraw by the court pursuant to paragraph (b). An attorney who has been appointed by the court pursuant to Pa.R.Crim. P. 1035 shall continue representation as provided in Local Rule 1035.

Form 02-64 APPEARANCE

(b) Withdrawal of Appearance. Counsel for a defendant may not withdraw his or her appearance except by leave of court. The request shall be in writing or may be made orally in open court in the presence of the defendant. The Court may grant the request to withdraw when new counsel enters an appearance, when new counsel is appointed to represent the defendant, or when the defendant intelligently waives the right to counsel.

Form 02-63 Withdrawal of Counsel

Certain citations can be administratively canceled (or withdrawn) by the Police if proof of documentation is presented personally at the Police Liaison Unit of the Traffic Court within the time limits set forth below. (This information is printed on the reverse side of the Defendant's copy of the citation).

CITATIONS ALLEGING VIOLATION OF THE FOLLOWING STATUTES WILL BE CANCELED IF THE REQUIRED PROOF IS PRESENTED WITHIN FIVE (5) DAYS OF ISSUANCE OF THE CITATION:

§ 1301 - Registration and certification of title required;
§ 1311 - Registration card to be signed and exhibited on demand; and
§§ 1786 - Required proof of Financial Responsibility.
§ 6308 - Police Investigation (registration or insurance)

CITATIONS ALLEGING VIOLATION OF THE FOLLOWING STATUTES WILL BE CANCELED IF THE REQUIRED PROOF IS PRESENTED WITHIN FIFTEEN (15) DAYS OF ISSUANCE OF THE CITATION:

§ 1501 - Drivers required to be licensed;
§ 1511 - Carrying and exhibiting driver's license on demand; and
§ 1606(a) - Requirement for commercial driver's license.
§ 6308 - Police Investigation (license)

To request cancellation, you must appear personally at Police Liaison Unit of the Traffic Court, 800 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123 between the hours of 8:30 A.M. and 2:30 P.M., Monday through Friday.

Please Note: After the time periods set forth above, the citations CANNOT be administratively canceled (or withdrawn). You must then plead guilty and pay the fine or if you plan to contest the citation, you must plead not guilty.

1. WHERE TO FILE:
ALL Notices of Appeal and Petitions to Appeal Nunc Pro Tunc must be filed at:

The Philadelphia Traffic Court:
800 Spring Garden Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123

2. APPEAL HOURS - Appeals may be filed between the hours of 8:30 A.M. and 7:30 P.M., Monday through Friday.

3. APPEAL PERIOD - A citation must be appealed within thirty (30) days from the date that a Defendant plead guilty or was convicted by a Traffic Court judge. A Petition To Appeal Nunc Pro Tunc must be filed to appeal a citation more than thirty (30) days after the entry of a guilty plea or conviction. If a Petition To Appeal Nunc Pro Tunc is granted, a Notice of Appeal from Summary Conviction (Traffic) Nunc Pro Tunc must be filed.

4. APPEAL FORMS - Forms are available at the Philadelphia Traffic Court and may be downloaded here:

• NOTICE OF APPEAL FROM SUMMARY CONVICTION (Traffic)
• NOTICE OF APPEAL FROM SUMMARY CONVICTION (Traffic) - NUNC PRO TUNC
• PETITION TO APPEAL NUNC PRO TUNC

Assistance with completion of the forms will be provided at the Traffic Court, and it is thus preferable that a Defendant come to the Traffic Court to complete and file the forms (although the appeal forms can be mailed).

5. FILING FEE - The filing fee to file a Notice of Appeal is $35, and the filing fee to file a Petition To Appeal Nunc Pro Tunc is $12.50. Filing fees may be paid by Credit Card, Cash, Check or Money Order (made payable to "Philadelphia Traffic Court"). The filing fee will not be waived, and must be paid at the time the Notice of Appeal, Petition To Appeal Nunc Pro Tunc are filed. An Appellant who alleges that he/she is indigent and financially unable to pay the filing fee will be permitted to file the appeal without the payment of fees if a Petition to Proceed In Forma Pauperis listing Appellant's income and assets is filed contemporaneously with the appeal. The Petition to Proceed In Forma Pauperis will be assigned to the Judge hearing the appeal who, upon determining that Appellant is not indigent, may order Appellant to pay the filing fee before hearing the merits of the appeal.
NOTE: The applicable filing fees are imposed for each Notice of Appeal or Petition To Appeal Nunc Pro Tunc filed (regardless of the number of citations listed on each form); however, only those citations issued during the same stop may be listed on the same form. A separate Notice of Appeal, Petition To Appeal Nunc Pro Tunc must be completed for citations issued at different stops.
NOTE: The Owner of a motor vehicle impounded pursuant to Sections 6309, 6309.1 and 6309.2 of the Motor Vehicle Code, while the motor vehicle was being driven by someone other than the owner, may appeal the Traffic Court denial of the owner's request to return the motor vehicle by filing a Notice of Appeal and paying a filing fee of $25.

6. COURT HEARING - A hearing date will be scheduled at the time of filing of the Notice of Appeal, Petition To Appeal Nunc Pro Tunc. NO OTHER NOTICE OF THE HEARING DATE WILL BE GIVEN. If an Appellant fails to appear on the hearing date, the appeal will be dismissed by the Court of Common Pleas AND WILL NOT BE RELISTED.

7. IMPORTANT INFORMATION Appeal Options for Untimely Appeals An Appellant who seeks to file an appeal more than thirty (30) days after a guilty plea or conviction must file a Petition To Appeal Nunc Pro Tunc, and must allege and prove that: (1) the delay in filing the appeal was caused by extraordinary circumstances involving fraud or wrongful or negligent act of a court official; and (2) Appellant acted promptly in filing the Appeal after learning of the existence of the fraud or wrongful or negligent act of a court official.

Payment Plan - An Appellant must continue making their scheduled payments after the filing of a Notice of Appeal UNLESS ALL citations which are part of the Payment Plan have been timely appealed. An Appellant must continue to make scheduled payments after the filing of a Petition to Appeal Nunc Pro Tunc. The Payment Plan may be modified after the Petition is disposed by the Court of Common Pleas.

A citation can only be appealed once. If an appeal has been dismissed or denied by the Court of Common Pleas, you cannot appeal the citation again.

A Notice of Disposition will be sent to the Appellant at the address listed on the petition or Notice of Appeal no later than thirty (30) days after the Appeal Hearing. A DL-21 will be sent to PennDOT within ten (10) days of the disposition date. Upon receipt of the DL-21 it may take PennDOT (or other Department of Transportation if Appellant is licensed by a state other than Pennsylvania) thirty (30) days or more to update the Appellant's "operator history." Accordingly, please do not contact the Traffic Court or Court of Common Pleas to inquire about the status of the update of your operator history for approximately 45 days after you have received the Notice of Disposition. You may contact PennDOT directly at (800) 932-4600.

Unless Appealed as provided above, Traffic Court adjudications are final, and are not subject to reconsideration. If the fines assessed are not timely paid, further proceedings can ensue to collect the outstanding fines, including suspension of your driving privileges and issuance of a warrant for your arrest.

If your vehicle has been impounded, you must appear before a Judge to show proof of compliance, pay all outstanding fines and costs, and receive a Certificate of Release.

In addition to the Certificate of Release, you must show the Impoundment Officer proof of a valid license, registration, and insurance or financial responsibility to obtain the release of the impounded vehicle.

Please report to the Traffic Court's Boot & Tow Window in the Customer Service area. You will need to bring your driver's license or photo ID, the Live Stop Towing report, citations (if issued any) and registration. You will be processed to the assigned Judge.

To inquire about the status of a family member who was incarcerated by a Traffic Court Judge or who is currently being detained in our holding room, please call our Information Officer at 215 686-1687.
If appropriate, you may be referred to the Enforcement Unit.

1. Within TEN (10) days of the issuance of a Traffic Court Citation the Defendant must:

a. PLEAD NOT GUILTY by notifying the Philadelphia Traffic Court in writing, signing the appropriate plea on the Citation, and by forwarding for collateral an amount equal to the Total Due as indicated on the reverse side, plus $8.00 if the offense charged is under the Vehicle Code; or if the Total Due is not specified, by forwarding the sum of $50.00 as collateral for Defendant's appearance at trial; or

b. PLEAD NOT GUILTY by appearing before a Philadelphia Traffic Court Judge and posting such collateral for Defendant's appearance as the judge will require; or

c. Appear before a Philadelphia Traffic Court Judge to enter a plea if the Defendant cannot afford to pay the Total Due as specified on the traffic summons, or the $50.00 collateral.

d. PLEAD GUILTY by notifying Philadelphia Traffic Court in writing, signing the appropriate plea on the Citation, and by forwarding an amount equal to the Total Due as specified on the citation.

e. PLEAD GUILTY by appearing before a Philadelphia Traffic Court Judge if the Total Due is not specified.

2. If the Defendant fails to respond to the Citation as specified above within TEN (10) days, an administrative fee of $25.00 will be imposed.

3. If the Defendant fails to appear for trial, the trial may be held in the Defendant's absence.

4. If the defendant is found guilty by a Philadelphia Traffic Court Judge, or pleads guilty, and wishes to appeal, the defendant has Thirty (30) days to file an appeal for a trial. All appeals can be filed at the Philadelphia Traffic Court

5. All checks or money orders must be made payable to the Philadelphia Traffic Court.

6. If the Defendant has been charged with a summary offense under the Vehicle Code, failure to respond within the time specified above will result in the suspension of the Defendant's driver's license and the issuance of a warrant for Defendant's arrest.

7. If the Defendant is disabled and requires assistance to attend court, contact Philadelphia Traffic Court at (215) 686-1667.

If a Defendant intends to respond by mail:

1. The lower portion of the citation must be signed, detached and completed on the appropriate plea line (a. or b.).

2. If Defendant pleads NOT GUILTY, a check or money order for collateral must be enclosed in the amount reported as Total Due as indicated on the reverse side, plus $8.00 costs. If the Total Due is not specified, the check or money order for collateral must be in the amount of $50.00. Defendant will be notified by mail of the trial date.

3. If Defendant pleads GUILTY, a check or money order in the amount reported as Total Due in item 28 as specified on the citation must be enclosed. Failure to remit the full amount may result in the issuance of a warrant for Defendant's arrest.

4. Defendant's check or money order must be made payable to: Philadelphia Traffic Court.

5. Place lower portion of citation along with a check or money order and mail to:
Philadelphia Traffic Court
800 Spring Garden Street, PO Box 56301,
Philadelphia, PA 19130-6301.

• E.M.S. $10.00 for Emergency Medical Services.
• M.C.A.R.E. $30.00 to $150.00 for Catastrophic Loss Benefits Continuation Fund.
• J.C.P./A.T.J. $10.00 Judicial Computer Project/Access To Justice
• Surcharge $10.00 Surcharge required by Section 6506(a)(8)

Impoundment Court operates between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M., Monday through Friday.

Motion Court operates between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M., Monday through Friday.

DA Court is held on Fridays at Philadelphia Traffic Court. Defendants who have been arrested for warrants issued by Traffic Court or could be subject to incarceration are scheduled to appear for trial prosecuted by the District Attorney of Philadelphia. The defendant has the right to an attorney or to represent himself. A public defender may be assigned to a defendant as long as they meet the proper requirements in this special court proceeding. Defendants in this court procedure are subject to further incarceration and fines as directed by the presiding judge.

Vehicle Overweight Court operates two times each month. Citations issued to drivers receiving violation citations under Chapter 49 of the Vehicle code will be scheduled to appear for trial in Overweight Court. These violations are directed primarily to truck drivers and trucking companies. Fines and penalties are based on the severity of the violation as described by the issuing officer.