TMCnet News
New payNCticket system lets many avoid court visitFeb 07, 2013 (Statesville Record & Landmark - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A program allowing fines for some traffic offenses to be paid online is reaping dividends. "Since its statewide rollout in 2010, the payNCticket online payment system has become the preferred method of payment for waivable and uncontested traffic offenses," said Iredell County Clerk of Court Jim Mixson. More than 8,000 tickets were paid online in Iredell County last year, he said. The payment system, he said, saves time for both the public and the court staff. "Traffic citations create one of the highest volume work areas for the courts in Iredell County and having a system to specifically address that workload makes great senses for all parties involved," Mixson said. The www.payNCticket.org option was unveiled in 2010 and accepts payments for traffic and other offenses that will not be contested in court. Credit and debit cards are accepted by this payment system. Prior to 2010, anyone receiving a ticket for a waivable offense had to pay fines and related court costs by going to the courthouse in the jurisdiction where the ticket was issued and paying cash or by mailing a money order or cashier's check. The system was built by the judicial branch's N.C Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC) to provide benefits to both citizens and court officials and staff, Mixson said. In addition to providing a more convenient payment option for citizens, payNCticket allows for quicker disposition of cases because of its automatic updates of case records, he added. Not only is the program working on the local level, Mixson said, statewide it has been just as effective and popular. AOC officials said it has saved courthouse staff more than 7,600 hours by eliminating the need to manually take receipts. Nearly 56 percent of waived offenses are paid using the online payment system. Last year, more than 123,000 waived offenses across the state were processed via the online system. AOC Director John W. Smith said that the online system is a good example of how technology is modernizing the way citizens interact with courts across the state. "The system also improves efficiency to the clerks of court by streamlining the payment and waiver process. I encourage citizens not wanting to appear in court regarding their traffic citation to save gas and time and go online to pay," Smith said in a statement. Mixson said the system has continued to improve since its debut in 2010. "In fact, last year they (the AOC) added the ability to allow payment of N.C. Wildlife, Parks and Recreation, Alcohol Law Enforcement and Marine Fisheries uncontested and waivable offenses online, which greatly improves the efficiency of the court system," he said. Most monies received from traffic citations go to local government agencies and the state's general funds. ___ (c)2013 Statesville Record & Landmark (Statesville, N.C.) Visit the Statesville Record & Landmark (Statesville, N.C.) at www.statesville.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |