To ensure the safety of Alabama’s roadways, the Alabama Highway Patrol (AHP) presents itself as a vital force of the Alabama Department of Public Safety. Formed in 1936, the AHP has a long and proud history of serving the state and is ultimately responsible for carrying out a variety of duties. These include traffic enforcement, accident investigations, and special operations.
Traffic enforcement largely consists of highway patrolling, enforcing speed limits, and issuing citations to violators, while accident investigations include responding to traffic accidents and preparing reports. Special operations for the AHP include support during emergencies, natural disasters, and sometimes even crowd control. The organization also focuses on maintaining rural roads, since they constitute a significant portion of Alabama’s highway system, so that the safety of motorists traveling on these roads can be ensured and the total number of accidents can be lessened.
Having said that, if you have recently been reprimanded by the AHP for speeding or breaking any other road law, for which you are penalized with a traffic fine or citation, then our in-depth guide should be able to help you pay those dues right away.
Steps to Pay Traffic Fine Online
Traffic fines payable to the Alabama Highway Patrol must be paid through the Alabama court system. The ideal way to pay your traffic fines online is by utilizing the ‘AlaPay’ payment system, which directly transacts with the Alabama Judicial System. To start the payment process, follow the below-mentioned steps judiciously.
- Begin your journey by first heading over to the official website.
- On the landing, under ‘Traffic Ticket’, you will have the option to pay your citation by ticket number or by case number.
- Select your preferred mode of payment (either by ticket or case number), and you will be redirected to a new website.
- On the new website, you will be asked to first enter your ticket number along with your date of birth. Once done, click on ‘Next’.
- On the next screen, you will be able to view your citation and then confirm it.
- Upon confirmation, you will have to agree to the ‘Usage Agreement’ and then finally proceed to pay the requisite fine online using your credit card.
After successful payment, simply take a printout of the payment confirmation page for future reference, and you will be good to go.
Other Ways to Pay
In addition to paying your traffic fine online via ‘AlaPay’, you can also use the Alabama Traffic Court’s Telephone Interactive Voice Response System, which is an automated system allowing citation receivers to pay their traffic fines before or after their court dates.
All you have to do is call the following number – 1-877-252-7294 – and then carry out the required processes to complete the transaction over the phone. Additionally, you can also call the Alabama Traffic Service Center at 866-954-9399 or email traffic@alacourt.gov for any queries related to tickets or fines.
Different Types of Offenses or Penalties
The Alabama Highway Patrol enforces traffic laws and enacts penalties for violations based on the type of offense caused by the user. Violations are primarily categorized into traffic and other offenses, where traffic violations include speeding, moving violations, and equipment violations.
Speeding is a common offense, and the penalties will vary depending on the exceeded limits. These will include fines and infraction points on your license, and you may even get your driver’s license suspended. On the other hand, moving violations include disobeying traffic signals, improper lane changes, following too closely, and driving under the influence (alcoholics or narcotics). Penalties in this case range from fines and points to arrest, license suspension, and jail time. Lastly, equipment violations include the use of faulty equipment while driving, such as malfunctioning headlights, taillights, turn signals, or worn tires. Situations such as the ones mentioned beforehand will lead to citations, and you will be required to fix the issue before continuing your journey.
Other offenses include seat belt violations where you are driving without a seat belt, having an open container of alcohol in the passenger area of your vehicle, and driving without a license or an expired one or without the proper class of license for the vehicle you are driving. Citations will also be provided for running a red light or a stop sign, improper lane change or tailgating (following too closely on the back of another vehicle), and reckless driving.
The Alabama Highway Patrol has also implemented an infraction point tier system, where based on the points you receive for your traffic violations, your suspension period will be determined. For example, accumulating 12-14 points in a 2-year period will get you a 60-day suspension, while accumulating more than 24 points will get you a 365-day suspension. However, once a traffic conviction is two years old, it loses its point count but remains on a driver’s record.
