Can I refuse to sign a ticket? Every time an officer says “this is not an admission of guilt” when they ask you to sign – why are we actually signing?
When you are pulled over and handed a ticket, the officer has accused you of a traffic infraction. The citation describes the allegation, and it has a date at which you are to appear in court to plead guilty or innocent to the charges against you. Your signature on the citation is your promise to appear at that time and date. Your choices are:
1. sign the ticket, promising to appear on that date and time, and in the meantime be on your merry way, or
2. ride to the jail in the back of a patrol car in handcuffs to wait for your trial date in a cell.
Those are your two choices. Personally, I think the offer of letting you go with a promise to appear just with a signature is a pretty good deal. I would take that.
BTW, #1 is clearly printed on your citation right above the box for your signature. You can read it right now if you still have your ticket.
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