Deferral Information

COWLITZ COUNTY DISTRICT COURT 

INFRACTION DEFERRAL INFORMATION 

COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE HOLDERS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM

If you have been cited with traffic infraction(s) out of a single event, one way to avoid the infraction(s) appearing on your driving record as having been committed is to request Infraction Deferral. You may make this request by submitting the REQUEST TO DEFER TRAFFIC INFRACTION or by requesting infraction deferral when you appear in court. You must make the request before presenting any evidence in your case. If the court grants your request, the court will defer entering a finding against you and reporting the infraction(s) to the Department of Licensing (DOL) for one year.

The court will impose a non-refundable administrative fee in the amount of $150 for the first violation plus $50 for each additional violation on your citation. If you do not pay the fee in full by the due date, a late fee will be added and your fines may be transferred to a collections agency.

The court cannot defer a finding if you 1) have a commercial driver's license, or were driving a commercial motor vehicle at the time of the violation or 2) are cited with Negligent Driving in the 2nd Degree with a Vulnerable User Victim.

For the following infractions, the court will require particular information from you before you can be considered for a Deferred Finding:

  • Operating Motor Vehicle without Insurance: court will require proof that you have now obtained insurance.
  • Failure to Initially Register a Vehicle / Failure to Renew Registration: court will require proof that you have obtained proper vehicle registration

You may only receive one Deferred Finding every seven years. Depending on the circumstances, the court may decline to enter a Deferred Finding in your case, even if you are otherwise eligible. 

If you fail to comply with the conditions of a deferred finding the court will enter a finding of committed and report the infraction to DOL

If you do not commit another violation for one year from the date the ORDER TO DEFER TRAFFIC INFRACTION is entered, and you have paid the administrative fee, the ticket will be dismissed and it will not appear on your driving record.