In Ohio, people who receive a simple traffic ticket—like speeding or a stop sign violation—are forced to pay court fees for programs and services that have nothing to do with their offense. These include mandatory surcharges for indigent defense, crime victim funds, and other unrelated programs—even if no such services were used in the case.

This practice isn’t just expensive—it’s unfair.

When someone pays a traffic fine, they should be covering the cost of handling their own case, not funding unrelated programs that don’t apply to them. These mandatory fees often cost more than the fine itself and feel like a hidden tax on drivers.

Example Case: Basic Speeding Ticket (Parma Municipal Court)

Fine for Speeding: $54

Court Costs: $116
Breakdown of Court Costs:

Indigent Defense Support Fund: $20
Crime Victims Fund: $9
Domestic Violence/Drug Treatment Programs: $15
Cuyahoga Regional Info System Fee: $5
Technology/Computerization Fees: $13
General Administrative Fees & Misc. Costs: $54

Total Paid: $170
→ In this case, the driver pays more than double the fine just to cover court costs, many of which have nothing to do with their offense.

Traffic infractions are typically regulatory matters, not criminal cases. Forcing people to pay into criminal justice programs unrelated to their situation erodes trust in the fairness and transparency of our courts.

We are calling on the Ohio General Assembly—starting with Senator Tom Patton—to introduce legislation that:

Prohibits non-criminal traffic offenders from being required to pay court surcharges for programs unrelated to traffic offenses.

Caps court costs on traffic violations to those directly connected to the actual case.
Maintains funding for essential programs through proper criminal-case fees or general state funding, not unrelated traffic tickets.

This isn’t about avoiding responsibility—it’s about fairness and restoring public confidence in the justice system.