City of Knoxville - City Court Driver License Violation

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DRIVER LICENSE VIOLATION

ANYONE DRIVING IN THE STATE OF TENNESSEE MUST HAVE HIS OR HER VALID DRIVER LICENSE IN HIS/HER POSSESSION TO SHOW A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER ON DEMAND.

If you have been cited to this Court (charged or given a Citation) for not having a valid driver license in your possession, then you have been charged with violating what the State of Tennessee considers to be one of the minor offenses involving a driver license. If your license was really revoked, suspended, expired, or you've never even had a license, then the Officer probably did you a 'favor' by choosing to charge you to City Court instead of sending your Case to the State Court (General Sessions Court).

If the Officer had issued your Citation to Sessions Court, the driver license violation cited to the State Court would be considered a more serious violation. In addition, you would have be arrested at the scene or at least scheduled for 'booking' (to be arrested) at a later date/time. Plus, you would face potential stiffer penalties/costs at the State level.

$96.50 (& NO POINTS) WITH PROOF OF A VALID DRIVER LICENSE

Dismissed on the payment of Court Costs… That is the Judge's standard ruling on this violation. 'Court Costs' on a Moving Violation in this Court equals $96.50.

You may mail a copy of your DL with your payment to the Court by your Court Date; OR

You may show a Clerk at the Court Service Counter your DL when making your payment, on or before your Court Date; OR

You may come to Court to explain your case to the Judge. . (See 'Special Situations'.) Come prepared to pay $96.50 after speaking with the Judge…

Note: To receive the $50 'credit' for showing proof of a valid DL, the DL must be shown to the Court within 5 months from the issue date of the Citation.

$132.75 (+ 3 POINTS) IF PAID-IN-FULL BY THE SCHEDULED COURT DATE (NO DL)

To qualify, payment in full needs to be received by the Court no later than 10 business days of the scheduled Court Date.

No valid license is shown and no 'credit' given.

$146.50 (+ 3 POINTS) IF PAID AFTER THE SCHEDULED COURT DATE (NO DL)

Amount due if the violation is not paid-in-full by the scheduled Court Date.

No valid Driver License is presented to the Court for 'credit' within 5 months of the Citation issue date.

TO SHOW THE COURT YOUR "PROOF OF DRIVER LICENSE"

You may use any of the following options to show the Court your valid Driver License:

Show your DL to a Clerk at a Court Service Counter & pay $96.50.

Show your DL to the Judge in Court & pay $96.50.

Fax a clear photocopy of your DL to 865-215-7440. (Reference your name & Citation#.) Make arrangement to pay $96.50 to City Court either in person or by mail.

Mail a clear photocopy of your DL with your payment of $96.50 (check or Money Order payable to City Court). City Court's mailing address is:

Include any payment that may be due in a mailing to City Court OR during your visit to a Court Service Counter.

If your Citation includes more than one violation, then you need to determine how you intend to resolve the other charges once you resolve Driver License using one of the above options. If you intend to go to Court to speak with the Judge regarding the other violations, you may easily show the Judge your Driver License while you are there. However, if you do not yet have your Driver License, that is no reason to delay seeing the Judge now on the other violations.

SPECIAL SITUATIONS (FOR POSSIBLE "DISMISSAL" AT NO COST...)

Regrettably, there is a lot of misinformation 'out-there', and too many people come to Court expecting this charge of No Driver License to be completely dismissed once a valid license is shown. But that is not what you should expect in this Court, regardless of who told you that would happen. The Municipal Court Judge is the one who makes that decision, and what you are reading is based on how he "rules".

Almost all City Court No DL violations in which a valid license is later shown are "Dismissed on payment of Court Cost". However, there have been special situations that the Judge has considered as 'reasonable cause' for dismissal in the past, and each could be described as follows:

"DL Suspension Reported in error" - Let's assume that when your Citation was issued, the Officer who issued your Citation ran a check on your DL and NCIC (National Crime Information Center) reported your DL as 'suspended'. Therefore, the Officer had little recourse but charge you with 'no valid DL in your possession' (or charge you with one of the more serious State DL violations and arrest you). After receiving the ticket, you check with the Dept. of Safety (or your State DMV) and discover that the earlier report to the Officer was a mistake or error for which you were not responsible… (Maybe the State's computer records had not been updated to reflect a previous reinstatement? Or there might be another reason why the State's computer system was showing your license as suspended when it should've been showing as valid.)

First, you should follow-through with your State to 'un-suspend' your DL. Next, ask whomever you are working with to un-suspend your license to provide you with a written acknowledgement of the error/correction. Ideally you would like to receive a written (or typed) statement or form that clearly indicates there was a mistake earlier regarding your license status for which you were not responsible.

Hint: If no one is willing to provide you with such a statement... it is usually because either they do not agree 'they' are the cause of the suspension, and/or they believe the suspension was justified.

Bring that written statement to City Court from the State (or another Court) that explains and/or acknowledges the suspension error to have the City Court charge dismissed

COMMON SITUATIONS WHICH ARE NOT DISMISSED (PAY $96.50 WITH PROOF OF DL)

The following reasons are frequently offered as justification for total Dismissal, but still receive the Judge's standard response of "Dismissed on the payment of Court Costs" ($96.50 with proof of a valid DL if shown within 5 months of the Citation issue date).

"The Officer said if I came to Court and showed my license, this would be 'thrown-out'…"

"I had my license; I just left it at home. The Officer could check the computer to see that everything was OK…"

"I did not know my DL was suspended…"

"I was certain I had paid all my tickets, if only someone had told me this was not paid…I didn't know my license was suspended!"

"'This is my first ticket, ever…really..."

"I was only driving a short distance down the street and then straight back…"

"I found my license to show the Officer right after he left…"

"The Officer pulled me over right in front of my house, but she would not let me go in my house to get my license!"