Traffic Violation vs. Traffic Crime

Traffic Citations: Directly under the title OREGON UNIFORM CITATION AND COMPLAINT is a series of boxes. The officer will have marked either Crime or Violation.

Traffic Crime

A traffic crime is a misdemeanor offense where you could serve jail time in addition to having to pay a fine. Examples of these offenses include, but are not limited to: Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII), Hit and Run, Reckless Driving.

The arraignment date written on the bottom of the citation is a mandatory appearance.

If you were given a citation for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII) and this is the first time you have been charged with this, or your last DUII was at least 15 years ago, then you may be eligible to participate in a DUII Diversion program. If you believe that you are eligible, you may wish to print and review the SHMC DUII Diversion Packet.

Traffic Violation

A traffic violation is an offense where the only penalty is a fine. Examples of these offenses include, but are not limited to: Speeding, Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device, Driving Uninsured.