Traffic tickets in Pennsylvania: points, fines and traffic school
How Pennsylvania treats a traffic ticket: whether the points stick, whether a course can clear it, what the fine really costs, and which court or agency actually handles it. Prefer your own city? Jump to the 2 Pennsylvania city guides below.
1Do points matter in Pennsylvania?
Paying a Pennsylvania ticket counts as a guilty plea, so the points go on your PennDOT record. PennDOT takes action at 6 points and can suspend your licence at 11, and 3 points come off for every 12 months you drive without a new violation.2Can you keep it off your record?
Pennsylvania has no voluntary course that erases a ticket on your own initiative. The record-saving conversations happen at the Magisterial District Court printed on your citation (or, in Philadelphia, the Municipal Court Traffic Division): ask about a plea to a lesser charge that carries no points, and about PennDOT's Driver Improvement School, which you must attend at 6 points and which removes 2 points on completion.Compare how traffic school works in every state we cover →
3What will it cost?
A fine in Pennsylvania is set by statute or by the court named on your citation — never by the officer who wrote it. Here is where the real number comes from:
Fines and court costs vary by violation. Check the court's current fine schedule, and treat the amount printed on your court notice as the real number.4Who handles your ticket in Pennsylvania?
On a Pennsylvania citation, box 1 is the Magisterial District Court number and box 2 is its address — that court, not the city, takes your plea and your payment. In Philadelphia the traffic division of the Municipal Court handles it, and parking, red-light and speed-camera tickets go to the Philadelphia Parking Authority instead.Check your licence status and driving record with PennDOT - points and Driver Improvement School.
Pick your city in Pennsylvania
Same six questions on every page, in the same order: where to pay, whether to fight it, traffic school, and when a lawyer is worth it.
Common questions
How do points work in Pennsylvania?
Paying a ticket counts as a guilty plea, so the points go on your PennDOT record. PennDOT takes action at 6 points and can suspend at 11, and 3 points come off for every 12 months you drive without a new violation.
Can I avoid points in Pennsylvania?
There is no voluntary course that erases a ticket on your own initiative. The conversation happens at the district court on your citation: ask about a plea to a lesser charge that carries no points, and about PennDOT's Driver Improvement School, which you must attend at 6 points and which removes 2 points on completion.
Which court handles a Pennsylvania ticket?
Box 1 on your citation is the Magisterial District Court number and box 2 is its address. In Philadelphia it is the Municipal Court Traffic Division, and parking, red-light and speed-camera tickets belong to the Philadelphia Parking Authority.
Informational only, not legal advice. Rules, deadlines and fine schedules change — always confirm the detail with the court or agency named on your ticket. Last checked 2026-10-12.