Traffic Violations Bureau Order »

ATTENTION: READ CAREFULLY AS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION DIRECTLY IMPACTS YOUR RIGHTS IN THE HOBBS MUNICIPAL COURT.

Traffic Violations Bureau (TVB)

The Traffic Violations Bureau is a division of the Hobbs Municipal Court that handles traffic citations issued under the New Mexico Uniform Traffic Ordinance (UTO). The UTO was adopted by the City of Hobbs on August 1, 2016, via Ordinance No. 1095 and it governs traffic violations in the municipal limits of Hobbs, New Mexico. An individual may address their traffic citation(s), make payments on a traffic citation, and obtain documentation regarding their citation from the Traffic Violations Bureau located in the Hobbs Municipal Court.

Additionally, certain traffic violations carry the possibility of incarceration in the Hobbs City Jail. By order, the Hobbs Municipal Judge has set certain penalties for some of these specific violations which removes the possibility of jail time upon a plea of "guilty" or "no contest" in the Traffic Violations Bureau.

Please see the "Traffic Violations Bureau Order" above.

Traffic Violations (General Information)

Generally, when a driver is issued a traffic citation they are given the options of paying the penalty assessment or appearing in court. For most traffic violations, you may later choose to pay the penalty assessment after requesting to appear in court. If you choose to pay the penalty assessment after initially requesting to appear in court, you must sign an Appearance, Plea and Waiver Form (Form 9-104B). If you are unable to pay the fines and fees on a payable citation, you may request that you be allowed to perform community service hours to satisfy the fines ONLY. The granting of community service in lieu of fines is a function specifically reserved for the Hobbs Municipal Judge. Regardless of disposition of fines, all court costs must be paid in cash or by making payment arrangements with the Court.

PLEASE NOTE: If you choose to pay the penalty assessment, or are later convicted of the traffic violation, the citation will go on your record with the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division.

ALL FORMS RELATED TO TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS BUREAU LOCATED IN THE HOBBS MUNICIPAL COURT.

IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 OR STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL, YOU MUST HAVE A PARENT OR GUARDIAN PRESENT TO CO-SIGN ALL DOCUMENTS.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR TRAFFIC CITATION.
A Traffic Arraignment is a court hearing. The hearings are held at the Hobbs Municipal Court located at 301 N. Turner.

A Traffic Arraignment is your opportunity to resolve your traffic citations in one court visit. You will see the Judge that day. Please bring your citation and any other documents with you to Court that day.

The date and time indicated on the bottom of your citation is when you are scheduled to appear by. You must appear in court "ON OR BEFORE" that date, unless you resolve your citation(s) by 5:00 p.m. the day before your Traffic Arraignment date. You may resolve your citation(s) by:

• Paying your citation(s); or
• Providing documentation, which will permit the court to dismiss your citation(s).

All citations from a single stop must be resolved together, either at the Traffic Violations Bureau or at your Traffic Arraignment.

Paying Your Citations

Pay your citation(s) in advance of your Traffic Arraignment date by:

• Calling (575) 397-9272 and payment with credit card. VISA, Mastercard or Discover only; or
• Paying in person at the Municipal Court; or
• Payment online under “Pay My Fine”; or
• Mailing payment along with the citation(s) to the:

Hobbs Municipal Court
301 N. Turner
Hobbs, NM 88240

Your payment must be received before your Traffic Arriagnment. If payment is not received by date due or traffic arraignment, could result in a Criminal Summons and/or Bench Warrant issued for your arrest.

Note: If you are unable to pay the fines and fees on a payable citation, you can request that you be allowed to perform community service hours for fines ONLY, all court costs must be paid in cash or make payment arrangements at the Court.

If the “Penalty Assessment” Box was selected on your citation, you have already acknowledged guilt of the traffic violation and you must pay the penalty assessment within thirty (30) days from the date the citation was issued by mail, online, or in person at the Hobbs Municipal Court. The citation CANNOT be scheduled for a Traffic Arraignment or Defensive Driving.

If the “Court Appearance” box is checked on your citation, you must appear in person in the Municipal Court by the date and time indicated on your citation. If you decide not to go to Court and pay your citation, please fill out Waiver of Arraignment located under Traffic Citations link. Upon filling out the Waiver of Arraignment form, please email to cohcourts@hobbsnm.org back to the Municipal Court along with a copy of your Driver’s License. All traffic citations with a conviction are sent to the Santa Fe Motor Vehicle Department (MVD).

Citations that can be Dismissed:

If your citation is for No Insurance, No Registration, expired registration, or No Driver’s License, and you can show proof that you were in compliance at the time of stop, the Court will DISMISS the citation per Rules for the Municipal Court.

If an individual has been pulled over for and are now in compliance or this is your first traffic offense for traffic offenses listed below please tell Court staff immediately:

• Child passenger restraints 12-6-13.12
• Display of Current Valid Registration Plate 12-10-4
• Driving on Streets Laned for Traffic (without involved in accident or DWI) 12-6-2.12
• Emerging from Alley, Driveway, Private Road or Building 12-6-7.1
• Following too Closely (without involved in accident) 12-6-2.13
• Head Lamps on Motor Vehicles 12-10-1.5
• Limitations on backing (without involved in accident) 12-6-12.
• Mandatory Use of Seatbelts 12-6-13.13
• Mufflers 12-10-1.10
• Obedience to Traffic Control Devices 12-5-3
• Pedestrians on Streets 12-6-14.5
• Speeding (10 miles or under) 12-6-1.2
• Stop Lamps, Signal Lamps and Signal Devices 12-10-1.9
• Stopping, Standing or Parking Prohibited in Specific Places 12-6-6.1
• Sun Screening Material on Windshields and Windows 12-10-1.12A
• Tail Lamps 12-10-1.7
• Texting While Driving – 1st Offense 12-6-18
• Traffic Lanes 12-5-14(B)
• Traffic Lights 12-5-6
• Turning and Stopping Movements and Required Signals 12-5-5.8
• Vehicles Turning Left at Intersection shall yield 12-6-4.2
• Vehicle Entering Stop or yield intersection (without involved in accident)12-6-4.3
• Windshields Must be Unobstructed and Equipped with Wipers 12-10-1.12
• When Lighted Lamps are Required 12-10-1.3

The Court staff has been ordered to Defer (if First Offense) the citation for 90 days by the Judge, however, the individual must not receive another citation within the 90 day deferral period. The individual is also responsible for paying Court Costs in amount of $10.00 and it will not go on their record.

ATTENTION: READ CAREFULLY AS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION DIRECTLY IMPACTS YOUR RIGHTS IN THE HOBBS MUNICIPAL COURT.

A "plea" is an accused person's legal response to the allegation that he or she committed a violation of the law. In the Hobbs Municipal Court, an accused person has the option, at any stage in the legal proceedings, to plea "guilty," "not guilty," or "nolo contendere" (commonly known as "no contest")(see NMRA 8-302). A plea of "guilty" or "no contest" will waive an accused person?s right to a trial in the Hobbs Municipal Court.

IN THE TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS BUREAU YOU HAVE THREE (3) PLEA OPTIONS:

1. NOT GUILTY: Your pretrial and trial will be scheduled in six (6) to eight (8) weeks. You may appear with or without an attorney. If you want an attorney, the Court will only accept a "Not Guilty" plea from you today.
2. GUILTY: The Traffic Violations Bureau may take your plea today only if the traffic violation at issue does not carry mandatory jail time. If it does NOT, the Traffic Violations Bureau will have you sign all necessary paperwork.
3. NO CONTEST: The Traffic Violations Bureau may take your plea today only if the traffic violation at issue does not carry mandatory jail time. If it does NOT, the Traffic Violations Bureau will have you sign all necessary paperwork. The "No Contest" plea is not an admission of guilt, but a plea that you are not contesting the charges and do not want a trial. A "No Contest" pleas is treated the same as a "Guilty" plea for sentencing purposes.

NOTE: IF YOU ELECT TO PLEA "GUILTY" OR "NO CONTEST" TO A TRAFFIC VIOLATION, YOU WILL BE SENTENCED ON THAT DATE. YOUR SENTENCE SHALL INCLUDE BOTH FINES AND FEES.

Waiver of Arraignment Form (.pdf)

Motion and Order to Continue Form (.pdf)

Please note that in order to use the above fillable forms on your mobile device (phone, tablet, etc) your device must have an app installed that supports fillable forms.