Austin is now the first city in Texas to manage its own on-line ticket payment system. It's designed to reduce the case load on city courts and help reduce the growing number of unpaid fines.

KVUE News

The city spent $1.5 million on the project. Annually $29 million in fines are collected at Municipal Court.

Residents can access Class "C" misdemeanor violations can be searched through the Austin Municipal Court Web site and payments made by a credit card.

Court Clerk Rebecca Stark admits, early on, the system had a few glitches.

"It is going to work, and as people get used to it, we are going to put more options on it," Stark said.

Right now, only 35 to 40 people a day are paying tickets online. On a typical day, about 1,000 people pack into municipal court.

"Normally this place is insane," said Jacob Beneate who arrived Wednesday afternoon to pay a $273 traffic ticket. He's an example of one of the more than 400,000 citations issued each year. More than 100,000 cases remain unpaid.

Stark believes many cases are not resolved because some violators may fear they will be put in jail.

"I think one of the concerns people have is, once a warrant is issued, and they get a notice a warrant is issued, they are afraid to come in, because they think they will be arrested in the court house," Stark said.

Now, if you pay online, you'll be free and clear. This online payment system is only for Class "C" misdemeanors, including speeding, parking and code violation tickets.

While the system is expected to ease the gridlock at Austin Municipal Court, some citations can not be done online and must be resolved downtown; for example, charges involving juveniles. Cases that require driving classes to be taken will eventually be processed online, but for right now the paperwork also has to be done at court.