805.9 Admission of scheduled violations.

1. In cases of scheduled violations, the defendant, before the time specified in the citation and complaint for appearance before the court, may sign the admission of violation on the citation and complaint and deliver or mail a copy of the citation and complaint, together with the minimum fine for the violation, plus court costs, to a scheduled violations office in the county. The office shall, if the offense is a moving violation under chapter 321, forward an abstract of the citation and complaint and admission to the state department of transportation as required by section 321.491. In this case the defendant is not required to appear before the court. The admission constitutes a conviction.

2. A defendant charged with a scheduled violation by information may obtain two copies of the information from the court and, before the time the defendant is required to appear before the court, deliver or mail the copies, together with the defendant’s admission, fine, and court costs, to the scheduled violations office in the county. The procedure, fine, and costs are the same as when the charge is by citation and complaint, with the admission and the number of the defendant’s driver’s license as defined in section 321.1 placed upon the information when the violation involves the use of a motor vehicle.

3. When section 805.8 and this section are applicable but the officer does not deem it advisable to release the defendant and no court in the county is in session:

a. If the defendant wishes to admit the violation, the officer may release the defendant upon observing the person mail the citation and complaint, admission, and minimum fine, together with court costs, to a traffic violations office in the county, in an envelope furnished by the officer. The admission constitutes a conviction and judgment in the amount of the scheduled fine plus court costs. The officer may allow the defendant to use a credit card pursuant to rules adopted under section 805.14 by the department of public safety or to mail a check in the proper amount in lieu of cash. If the check is not paid by the drawee for any reason, the defendant may be held in contempt of court. The officer shall advise the defendant of the penalty for nonpayment of the check.

b. If the defendant does not comply with paragraph “a”, the officer may release the defendant upon observing the defendant mail to a court in the county the citation and complaint and one and one-half times the minimum fine together with court costs, or in lieu of one and one-half times the fine and the court costs, a guaranteed arrest bond certificate as provided in section 321.1, subsection 30, as bail together with the following statement signed by the defendant:

I agree that either (1) I will appear pursuant to this citation or (2) if I do not appear in person or by counsel to defend against the offense charged in this citation the court is authorized to enter a conviction and render judgment against me for the amount of one and one-half times the scheduled fine plus court costs.

c. If the defendant does not comply with paragraph “a” or “b”, or when section 804.7 is applicable, the officer may arrest and confine the defendant if authorized by the latter section, and proceed according to chapter 804.

4. A defendant who admits a scheduled violation may appear before court. The procedure, costs, and fine, without suspension of the fine, after the hearing are the same as in the traffic violations office.

5. A defendant charged with a scheduled violation who does not fully comply with subsection 1, 2, 3, or 4 of this section before the time required to appear before the court must, at that time, appear before the court. If the defendant admits the violation, the procedure, costs, and fine, without suspension of the fine, after the hearing are the same before the court as before the traffic violations office, and are without prejudice, when applicable, to proceedings under section 321.487.

6. The court costs imposed by this section are the total costs collectible from a defendant upon either an admission of a violation without hearing, or upon a hearing pursuant to subsection 4.

[C73, 75, 77, §753.16; C79, 81, §805.9; 82 Acts, ch 1104, §27]

83 Acts, ch 186, §10131, 10201; 83 Acts, ch 204, §10; 85 Acts, ch 195, §63; 85 Acts, ch 197, §42; 90 Acts, ch 1230, §95; 98 Acts, ch 1073, §9

Referred to in §716.8, 805.1, 805.6, 805.8A(12)(e), 805.8C(3)(a), 805.8C(3)(c), 805.10, 805.15