Fines & Information
How to Pay a Ticket
In order to pay a traffic citation received in St. John the Baptist Parish the following procedures must be used:
To pay a citation by credit card or debit card access the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's office website at www.stjohnsheriff.org.
To pay by mail, please obtain a money order or cashier’s check. NO PERSONAL CHECKS.
Make the money order or cashier’s check payable to the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Enclose a copy of the citation along with your payment. If the citation is not available, you must enclose identifying information such as your name, address, telephone number, location of the citation, date of violation, and court date.
Questions regarding the procedure, call the Sheriff’s Office at (985) 652-9513 or the District Attorney's office at (985) 497-8270.
How to request for 1st Offender Traffic Program
The 40th Judicial District Attorney's Office has a 1st Offender Traffic Program for traffic violations, which allows individuals with good driving records to dispose of their traffic ticket by paying a fine and having the violation amended to a non-moving defective equipment charge.
In order to apply for the 1st Offender Traffic Program you must meet ALL of the following requirements:
1. You must have a clean driving record (no moving violations in past 5 years);
2. Request and payment must be submitted prior to the scheduled court date;
3. Your speed was 20 mph or less than the posted speed limit; and
4. Your speed was not more than 90 mph.
A request for 1st offender status is an admission that you were speeding. If you meet ALL of these requirements, please download the Request Form, attach your speeding ticket, make check payable to the St. John Sheriff’s Office, and mail to P.O. Box 99, Edgard, Louisiana 70049.
REQUEST FOR 1st OFFENDER TRAFFIC PROGRAM
ENBANC ORDER SETTING TRAFFIC FINES AND COURT COSTS IT IS ORDERED that the below schedule of fines, penalties, and costs for traffic violations are hereby adopted by the 40th Judicial District Court, Parish of St. John the Baptist, Louisiana, in accordance with C.Cr.P art. 887(F).(1)., amended by Act 23 of the Louisiana legislature and signed by the Governor on June 8, 2012, effective immediately.
TRAFFIC FINES |
||
| Violation | Fine | With Contempt |
| 1-5 MPH Over the Speed Limit | 184.00 | 349.00 |
| 6-10 MPH Over the Speed Limit | 194.00 | 359.00 |
| 11-14 MPH Over the Speed Limit | 204.00 | 369.00 |
| 15-20 MPH Over the Speed Limit | 214.00 | 379.00 |
| 21-24 MPH Over the Speed Limit but under 90 MPH | 224.00 | 389.00 |
| 25 MPH or more over the Speed Limit but under 90 MPH | 371.00 | 536.00 |
| 90 MPH or More | 454.00 | 619.00 |
| No or expired Driver's License | 169.00 | 334.00 |
| Failure to change address | 169.00 | 334.00 |
| Defective Equipment and no or expired MVI Sticker | 184.00 | 349.00 |
| No Registration | 169.00 | 334.00 |
| No or Expired License Plate | 229.00 | 394.00 |
| Careless Operation of MV | 271.00 | 436.00 |
| Drag Racing | 521.00 | 686.00 |
| Failure to Maintain Control | 229.00 | 394.00 |
| Following Too Close | 229.00 | 394.00 |
| Failure to Yield | 229.00 | 394.00 |
| Driving on Shoulder | 229.00 | 394.00 |
| Improper Lane Usage | 229.00 | 394.00 |
| Disobeying Stop Sign / Red Light | 271.00 | 436.00 |
| Failure to stop at R.R. | 229.00 | 394.00 |
| Improper Backing | 229.00 | 394.00 |
| No Seat Belt | 25.00 | 190.00 |
| No Child Restraint | 50.00 | 215.00 |
| Parking in a Handicapped Zone | 419.00 | 584.00 |
| Parking in a Fire Zone | 229.00 | 394.00 |
| All other Parking Violations | 169.00 | 334.00 |
| Illegal TInt | 184.00 | 349.00 |
| Driving Under Suspension | 229.00 | 394.00 |
| Smoking with a juvenile in vehicle | 229.00 | 394.00 |
| DWI | Must Appear in Court | |
| ROMV | Must Appear in Court | |
| Hit & Run Driving | Must Appear in Court | |
| Wildlife & Fisheries | Must Appear in Court | |
| Loud Music | Must Appear in Court | |
| Open Container | 219.00 | 384.00 |
| Litter Ticket | 219.00 | 384.00 |
| Contempt of Court Fine is $165.00 | ||
| Misdemeanor DWI court costs are set at $314.50. All other Misdemeanor court costs are set at $169.00. Felony court costs are set at $314.50. | ||
DISCLAIMER: A conviction or guilty plea to traffic or criminal violations may adversely affect the driving privileges of individuals possessing a Commercial Driver's License. The District Attorney's Office makes no representations regarding the Office of Motor Vehicle's treatment of commercial driving privileges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: If I have to appear in court for a Proof of Payment, (delayed fine) can I pay it before
my court date to avoid making the appearance?
A: You may pay the delayed fine prior to your court date. Please obtain a money order in the
amount of the delayed fine and send it along with a copy of the paper work you obtained
from the court to:
St. John the Baptist Sheriff's office
PO Box 1600
Laplace, LA 70069-1600
You may also pay in person by going to the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office
located at 1800 West Airline Hwy. in LaPlace, LA or 2393 Hwy. 18 in Edgard, LA. The
forms of payment accepted at the Sheriff’s Office are money order, debit card or credit
card. A credit card payment will be accepted by payment on the Sheriff's Office website,
www.stjohnsheriff.org. Failure to pay your fine before your court date will result in a
warrant for your arrest and an additional fee of $165.00.
Q: Where is my court date located on a traffic citation?
A: Your court date is located just above the signature line on the citation. You must appear
on that date or have paid your fine prior to that date. Failure to do so will result in your
license being suspended and an additional fee of $165.00.
Q: What do you do if you miss a court date for a traffic violation?
A: To pay a violation you must submit the amount of the fine, plus a contempt of court fee in
the amount of $165.00. (Please refer to the schedule of fines for instructions).
To request a new court date, you must post a cash bond in the amount of the citation plus
the contempt of court fee. For help in scheduling a court date, please contact our office at
(985) 497-8270.
Q: What actions should you take if you discover prior to your court date that you cannot
appear on the date specified?
A: To reschedule a future court date you must post a cash bond in the amount of the ticket
(follow the instructions on the Schedule of Fines). This must be done prior to your court
date. After the money is posted, contact our office at (985) 497-8270 to receive your new
court date.
Q: How do you pay a ticket after your driver’s license has been suspended?
A: To find the amount that is due, please refer to the Schedule of Fines or access the St. John
Sheriff’s website at www.stjohnsheriff.org. The contempt of court fee and the outstanding
fine must be paid, NO EXCEPTIONS! Follow the directions for paying a fine. Or, you may
appear at the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office located at 1800 West Airline Hwy.
in LaPlace, LA or 2393 Hwy. 18 in Edgard, LA. When paying in person you may use a debit
card, credit card, or a money order. NO PERSONAL CHECKS.
Q: What do you do if you want to keep a moving violation off of your driving record?
A: If you have a clean driving record you may apply for the 1st Offender Traffic program or you
may utilize an Article 894 plea, you must appear in court. This appearance is mandatory.
The court date is located near the bottom of your citation. In order to qualify for this, you must
have a clean driving record and not have plead under this article in the past five years.