A fix-it ticket, or correctable violation, is issued to motorists for driving an automobile with a mechanical failure, unsafe features or a missing front license plate. In order to receive a ticket for mechanical failure, the automobile must deemed unsafe for the roadway. The reasons for receiving this type of traffic ticket vary, depending upon the city, state or country that the vehicle owner is driving in.
Some features that will cause a vehicle to be deemed unsafe for the roadway include, but aren't limited to, faulty or broken headlights, faulty or broken tail lights, faulty brake lights, non-working blinkers, cracked windshields, and dark window tinting. Mechanical failures may include non-functioning horns, bald tires, and a faulty exhaust system. In many areas of the United States, a driver will receive a fix-it ticket if his or her vehicle doesn't have a license plate on the front, due to the use of red light violation cameras.
When someone is issued this type of ticket from a police officer, "Yes" will be checked next to the box labeled "Correctable Violation." If the problem is fixed within the designated amount of time, the driver will not receive any punishment. Drivers who fail to fix the violation, however, must pay a fine, and points will be added to his or her driving record. He or she will likely receive another ticket for the same violation, which will be immediately added to the driver's record.
It is typically very easy to fix a fix-it ticket. First, the driver must note the date for his or her court appearance, which is located on the bottom of the ticket. This is the date that the violation must be corrected by and the signed ticket received by the court.
The driver must fix the violation that is stated on the ticket. It is best to do this immediately, as it may take days or weeks to get the problem corrected, especially if the driver must wait for a license plate in the mail. After it is corrected, the owner should take his or her vehicle to the nearest sheriff or police station to get the violation signed off by an authorized officer.
The owner of the car should then call the number to the courthouse listed on the ticket to determine any administrative fine that he or she must send in with the signed ticket. He or she should make a copy of the check or money order, as well as the ticket, for his or her records. In case the ticket is lost in the mail, it is best to have proof that the violation was addressed on time.
The corrected violation should be mailed to the court address listed on the ticket. If it is close to the due date, it is best for the driver to take it to the court house personally. The traffic court does not take into account when the envelope was postmarked.