The very first speeding ticket issued in the United States was given to a man named Harry Myers in Dayton, Ohio, in 1904. Myers was traveling at a whopping 12 miles per hour, which exceeded the city’s speed limit of 8 miles per hour in certain areas and 4 miles per hour in others. More than 120 years later, many jurisdictions still use a paper ticket system, but a digital future is gaining ground.

E-citations, or electronic citations, represent a significant shift in how traffic enforcement operates, moving away from traditional paper-based systems toward a digital one. The move to e-citations aims to improve accuracy, efficiency and safety for all stakeholders, including law enforcement, courts, DMVs and drivers. While some jurisdictions are further along in their e-citation implementation, others are still grappling with the challenges of adoption.

What are e-citations?

E-citations consist of two primary parts. The first is the digital issuance of a ticket roadside by a law enforcement officer to a driver. The second is the transmission of that digital information to the courts and DMVs. Some jurisdictions utilize both parts, while others have only digitized the roadside portion of the system.

The goal with both parts, however, is to streamline the process of issuing and processing traffic tickets. Traditionally, law enforcement officers would issue paper tickets that drivers could pay by going to court or mailing them. Many of these tickets contained illegible handwriting, transposed letters or numbers, incorrect violation codes or other human-made errors.

With e-citations, the process begins when an officer issues a ticket using a handheld device or computer in their vehicle. The ticket information can then be transmitted electronically to the driver and relevant agencies, such as the courts and DMVs. With e-citations, officers make fewer errors, and drivers don’t have to keep track of a paper ticket.

“The ultimate goal is that someday you’ll receive an electronic version of a citation, perhaps in a mobile app. You’d then be able to pay on your app or manage the citation digitally instead of mailing in payments or appearing in court unnecessarily,” says Ben Mitchell, director of Driver Control at the Colorado DMV.

The e-citation system offers advantages not just to drivers but also to law enforcement officers.

“It reduces the time officers spend exposed to traffic dangers while issuing citations,” says Jessica Ross, program director for Driver Programs and Services at the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). “This is about protecting officers and motorists alike.”

Jurisdictions leading the way

States like Georgia and Colorado are at the forefront of e-citation adoption. In fact, Georgia has used e-citations for decades, says Angelique McClendon, general counsel at the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) since 2015.

“Most of our courts transmit electronically, which promotes uniformity, reduces errors and ensures timeliness,” she says. But, she adds, not every jurisdiction in her state has the same level of adoption.

Colorado is preparing to launch a pilot program in 2026, which aims to eventually include over 60% of the state’s citations, received by the largest contributor, Colorado State Patrol. However, Mitchell points out the disparity in resources across Colorado’s 270 law enforcement agencies.

“Some agencies are well-equipped while others operate with very limited resources,” he says.

Safety and streamlining

One of the most significant advantages of e-citations is improved safety for all parties involved.

“Every second roadside matters to an officer because it’s a danger that they’re in—and so is the person who’s been stopped,” Mitchell says.

For example, in Illinois in 2018, 863,547 citations were issued. The average time to manually write a citation is roughly 12 minutes, according to an e-citation guide from L-Tron Corporation, an IT provider for law enforcement. That means Illinois agencies spent more than 10 million minutes issuing citations in 2018. Issuing the same number of citations electronically at an average rate of 3 minutes per citation would have saved more than 100,000 hours.

For drivers, e-citations provide a streamlined experience. Drivers can receive accurate, legible tickets, reducing disputes over incorrect citations.

“Instead of handling thousands of records manually, courts and agencies can process them in bulk electronically,” McClendon says.

Additionally, e-citations can significantly reduce errors, according to Kristen Shea, Senior Programs Analyst at AAMVA.

“The fewer hands involved in entering data, the fewer chances there are for mistakes,” she says. “This creates better records and ultimately improves highway safety.”

E-citations can provide long-term cost savings for jurisdictions, according to Ross. “It can lower administrative costs and create the ability to reallocate resources, eliminate snail mail and streamline workflows,” she says. “These efficiencies all translate directly into dollars saved.”

Barriers to entry

Despite the benefits, transitioning to e-citations is not without its challenges. Funding
remains a significant hurdle, particularly for smaller agencies.

“Not every agency has the resources for the necessary technology, and some may lack the expertise to implement these systems,” Mitchell says.

Uniform citation formats and data standards vary widely across jurisdictions, further complicating interoperability. “There’s no nationwide standard for what an e-citation should look like,” says McClendon, adding that smaller municipalities often lack the infrastructure to comply with statewide mandates.

The process requires collaboration across multiple layers of government—local law enforcement, courts and state DMVs.

“That level of coordination takes time and effort,” Ross says. “When you add in the necessary programming, training and onboarding it requires, it can be a heavy lift for DMVs and law enforcement agencies that are already operating at capacity.”

Nonetheless, the trend toward e-citation issuance is expected to continue as agencies seek to leverage technology to enhance operational efficiency and public safety.

A natural next step

The adoption of e-citations is still in its early stages, but the momentum is building. Federal support, such as grants from highway safety programs, could help address funding gaps, Shea says. Additionally, collaboration between states, such as sharing best practices and lessons learned, can provide a roadmap for successful implementation.

“Jurisdictions that have figured out logistics can help others shortcut the process,” Shea says.

While adoption barriers currently exist, Mitchell, Shea, McClendon and Ross all say that e-citations will eventually become the norm.

“This is the way of the future,” Mitchell says. “If we set it up right, the system will improve efficiency and safety across the board.”

As always, AAMVA is playing a critical role in raising awareness and providing resources to jurisdictions about e-citations.

“We want to inspire jurisdictions and show them that others are ready and able to help,” Shea says. “This is an electronic evolution—a natural next step.”

Despite the challenges, the vision for e-citations is clear: a fully digital, efficient and accurate system that benefits law enforcement officers, courts, DMVs and drivers alike.

“With ongoing efforts and collaboration,” Shea says, “This vision can become a reality across the country.”