Search Clarke County Traffic Court Records
No official online citation portal exists for Clarke County. There is no single website where you type a ticket number and pull up the case. Instead, the search begins with the citation itself. Read the ticket and find the issuing agency and the court named on it. Tickets from the State Highway Patrol and the county Sheriff follow one path. City of Quitman tickets follow another. Once you know the court, a call to the clerk is the quickest way to confirm the case, the fine, and the next court date.
Have a few details ready before you call. The clerk can find a case faster with the citation number in hand. Your full name and date of birth help confirm who you are. The issuing agency and the date of the stop also narrow the search. Some appeals or related criminal filings surface in Mississippi Electronic Courts, the statewide case system, but a routine ticket will not show up there.
| Lookup Channel | Contact | What to Have Ready |
|---|---|---|
| Official online citation search | None located | No official Clarke County ticket portal exists. |
| Justice Court phone lookup | 601-776-5371 | Citation number, name, date of birth, issuing agency. |
| Quitman Municipal Court phone lookup | 601-776-6461 | Citation number and name for City of Quitman tickets. |
| Mississippi Electronic Courts (PAMEC) | Account required | Appeals or related criminal filings only; not routine tickets. |
Note: A clerk cannot waive a fine over the phone, but can confirm the amount due, the next court date, and whether your appearance is required.
Which Courts Handle Clarke County Traffic Cases
Traffic venue in Clarke County is split by who wrote the ticket. Justice Court handles citations from the State Highway Patrol and the Clarke County Sheriff's Department. It also takes public service tickets and gaming, fishing, and marine reserve tickets. Justice Court hears DUI cases and county ordinance violations as well. Quitman Municipal Court is the city court, and it handles citations written inside the City of Quitman. Picking the right court before you call is the single most useful step in the whole process.
A ticket can move up the ladder if the charge grows. Justice Court handles initial appearances and affidavits, so a traffic stop that becomes a felony may start there and then move to Circuit Court. Most tickets, though, stay with the court that first received them. The two offices below cover nearly every Clarke County traffic case.
101 S Archusa Ave
Quitman, MS 39355
601-776-5371
Handles Highway Patrol and Sheriff tickets, public service, gaming, fishing, and marine reserve tickets, DUI, and county ordinance cases.
101 East Church Street
Quitman, MS 39355
601-776-6461 (Clerk Thereasa Haire)
Handles citations written within the City of Quitman.
The City of Quitman keeps its court details on an official page. You can review hours and staff on the Quitman Municipal Court page before you call.
That page confirms the clerk and address for city tickets, which keeps a Quitman citation from being routed to the wrong Clarke County court.
Types of Clarke County Traffic Cases
Traffic cases in Clarke County cover more than speeding. The issuing agency and the type of violation decide which court hears the case. Wildlife, marine, and gaming tickets are part of the Justice Court load, which is broader than many drivers expect. The list below groups the common case types found in county traffic records.
- Moving violations - speeding, careless driving, running a signal, and similar tickets that affect the way a vehicle is driven.
- Equipment and non-moving violations - lights, tags, insurance, and registration issues that do not involve unsafe driving.
- DUI - driving under the influence, which Justice Court hears and which can escalate to a criminal case.
- Wildlife, marine, and gaming tickets - fishing, marine reserve, gaming, and public service citations routed to Justice Court.
- County ordinance violations - local rule breaches that fall under the county's authority.
What Clarke County Traffic Records Show
A traffic court record is the case file the court keeps, not a summary of your license. It records what happened with the ticket from the day it was filed to the day it closed. The fields below describe what a Clarke County traffic case file generally holds. Exact online fields are not confirmed for Clarke County, so the clerk is the source of truth for any single case.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Citation / Case Number | The unique number that tags the ticket and its court file. |
| Issuing Agency | Highway Patrol, county Sheriff, Quitman Police, or another agency. |
| Charge / Statute | The violation cited and the law it falls under. |
| Court Date | The scheduled hearing or appearance date. |
| Plea / Disposition | How the case was resolved, such as guilty, dismissed, or paid. |
| Fine and Costs | The amount owed, including court costs and fees. |
| Warrant / Failure to Appear | Any bench warrant or capias flag tied to a missed date. |
Note: A bench warrant or capias flag means a judge has acted on a missed date, so clearing that status should come before anything else.
Contesting a Clarke County Traffic Ticket
Paying a ticket and fighting a ticket follow different paths, and both start with the court named on the citation. The county does not promise online payment, so do not assume a card will be taken until the clerk confirms it. The steps below walk through both the pay route and the contest route.
- Read the citation. Note whether the issuing agency is the State Highway Patrol, the county Sheriff, Quitman Police, or a wildlife, marine, gaming, or public service agency.
- For a county or state agency ticket, call Clarke County Justice Court before the due date. Confirm the fine, the court date, the payment method, and whether your appearance is required.
- For a City of Quitman ticket, call the Quitman Municipal Court clerk at 601-776-6461.
- For a DUI, county ordinance, or criminal traffic charge, ask whether a court appearance is required. Do not assume online payment is allowed.
- To contest the ticket, ask the clerk how to enter a not-guilty plea or request a hearing. Bring the citation and a photo ID.
- For an unpaid ticket or a missed date, ask about bench warrant or capias status and how to clear it.
- To see the effect on your license, order your Mississippi driver record from the state. That file is separate from the court case.
Clarke County Traffic Record vs Driver Record
The court traffic record and the state driver record are two different files. The court file lives with Justice Court or Quitman Municipal Court and tracks the case. The driver record lives with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety and tracks your license history. A dismissed ticket and a clean driving history are not the same thing, so people often need to check both. The table breaks down where each record comes from and how to fix an error in it.
| Comparison Point | Court Traffic Record | State Driver Record |
|---|---|---|
| Record source | Justice Court or Quitman Municipal Court clerk | Mississippi DPS Driver Records Division |
| What it shows | Citation number, charge, court date, plea, fine, and warrant flags | Driving history and license status, not the full case file |
| Where to access | Call or visit the court clerk that holds the case | Order online from DPS or the MS.gov driver record portal |
| How to correct errors | Contact the clerk of the court that entered the record | Contact DPS Driver Records to dispute the driving history |
You can start a state driver record request on the official site. The DPS Driver Records home page explains the options and the fees.
That state page handles the license side of a traffic case, while the Clarke County clerk handles the court side.
Public Access to Clarke County Traffic Records
Mississippi treats most government records as open to the public. Court files can still be limited by sealing, expunction, or youth-court confidentiality. A traffic record held by a clerk is generally available, but the clerk decides how a copy is released. When no online portal exists, a written public-records request to the office that holds the file is the formal route.
Key Statutes:
Miss. Code Ann. Title 25, Chapter 61 - the Mississippi Public Records Act opens most government records unless a law restricts them.
Mississippi DPS Driver Records authority - state driving histories are kept by DPS and stay separate from court citation files.
Note: When a ticket has no online record, file a written public-records request with the clerk of the court that holds the file.
Ordering Your Mississippi Driver Record
A Mississippi driver record, also called a motor vehicle record, shows your license history. Convictions reported by courts land here, along with your license status. The state portal asks you to attest that you are requesting the record on your own behalf. The fields below match the DPS request screen.
The DPS motor vehicle record page walks a driver through the request and confirms the certified copy fee.
| Search Field | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| License Number | Text | Conditional | Enter exactly as on the Mississippi license. |
| SSN Last 4 | Text | Conditional | Used if the license number is unknown. |
| Last Name | Text | Yes | Must match the license. |
| First Name | Text | Yes | Must match the license. |
| Date of Birth | Date | Yes | The portal requires a date of birth. |
DUI and DWI Cases in Clarke County
A DUI is more serious than a standard ticket. Justice Court hears DUI cases in Clarke County, and a court appearance is often required. A DUI can escalate into a criminal matter and route to Circuit Court if a felony develops.
Do not assume a DUI can be paid online like a minor ticket. Ask the clerk whether your appearance is mandatory before any deadline passes.
For the full case file, charges, and sentencing on a serious traffic charge, see the Clarke County criminal court records page.
CDL and Commercial Driver Records
Commercial license holders face stricter rules than other drivers. Federal law limits how a CDL holder can resolve a ticket, and some violations must be reported regardless of how the case is handled. A conviction can affect a commercial license in ways a standard ticket does not.
No Clarke County specific CDL rule, deferred option, or commercial-driver procedure was located in official sources. A CDL driver with a Clarke County ticket should call the court that holds the case and confirm how the violation will be reported before agreeing to any resolution.
Deferred Adjudication and Defensive Driving
Some courts let a driver take a defensive driving course or hold a case open so a conviction never lands on the record. These options can protect a license and keep points off a driving history. Eligibility, cost, and the request method vary widely by court.
No Clarke County specific defensive-driving or deferred-disposition program was located in official sources. A driver who wants either option should ask the Justice Court or Quitman Municipal Court clerk whether it is offered and what it costs before the court date.
Expunging Clarke County Traffic Records
Mississippi allows some records to be removed from public view by petition. Eligible dismissed, dropped, not-guilty, and certain misdemeanor records may qualify under the state expunction statute. A traffic case that ended without a conviction may be a candidate.
The process runs through the court, not a website. A petition is filed with the court that handled the case, and a judge decides. The controlling law is Miss. Code Ann. § 99-19-71, which sets the conditions for expunction. Ask the clerk how to start a petition and whether your case qualifies.
Note: An expunged or sealed traffic case should not appear as an ordinary public record, so a clear file may reflect a granted petition.
Fees for Clarke County Traffic Records
Clarke County does not publish a fixed fee schedule for traffic fines or court copies. Fines depend on the citation and the court, so the clerk is the only reliable source for an amount. The one confirmed fee is the state driver record, which the Department of Public Safety prices on its portal. The table sums up what is known.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Justice Court traffic fine | Not published - call the court |
| Municipal Court traffic fine | Not published - call the court |
| Court plain or certified copy | Not published - call the clerk |
| Mississippi certified driver record | $14.31 (DPS) |
You can confirm the driver record fee and request a copy through the state. The MS.gov motor vehicle record portal handles the online order.
That portal covers the state fee, while any court fine or copy fee for a Clarke County ticket comes straight from the clerk.