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You may wish to request a deferred disposition to keep the offense you have been charged with from appearing on your driving and/or criminal record. It will also keep points from being assessed to your driver's license as required by the Texas Surcharge Program. Along with your plea of either guilty or nolo contendere, your request for deferred disposition must be submitted in person or in writing.
If you are granted permission, the case is suspended for a period of time (between 1 to 180 days) set by the judge. Fees are assessed as a penalty, to include a special expense fee as prescribed by the judge. The judge may require additional conditions, such as no additional charges filed during the deferral period, alcohol / tobacco awareness, community service hours, submittal to counseling and/or anger management classes, or any other condition deemed reasonable by the judge. Anyone under the age of 25 must complete a driver’s safety course as a term of probation. If you comply with the court's order, the judge will dismiss your case.
Requirements
In order to request deferred disposition, you will be required to do the following:
In order to request deferred disposition, you must not have been charged with any of the following:
Note: As of September 1, 2003, you are not eligible for Deferred Disposition if you possess a Class A or B driver’s license, even if you are in a personal vehicle (refer to Article 45.051 (B) of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure).
Offense | Length of Time to Comply |
Other Requirement | Fee |
---|---|---|---|
Operate motor vehicle with no license plates or with one plate |
Before defendant's first court appearance | Registration for vehicle must be current during period offense was committed
Registration insignia was attached to the vehicle before the defendant's first court appearance |
$10 |
Expired Motor Vehicle Registration | 20 working days after the offense or before the defendant's first court appearance, whichever is later | Defendant must show proof of payment of late registration fee (penalty fee) to county assessor-collector | $20 |
Display altered, unclean, or obscured license plates | Before the Defendant's First court appearance. | None | $10 |
Expired driver's license | 20 working days after the offense or before the defendant's first court appearance, whichever is later | None | $20 |
Fail to report change of address | 20 working days after the offense or before the defendant's first court appearance, whichever is later | None |
$20 |
Violate driver's license restriction or endorsement | Before the defendant's first court appearance | Driver's License endorsement was imposed because of a physical condition that was surgically or otherwise medically corrected before the date of offense.
The Department of Public Safety removed the endorsement before the defendant's first court appearance |
$20 |
Operate vehicle with defective required equipment (or in unsafe condition)** | Before the defendant's first court appearance | **Does not apply if the offense includes a commercial motor vehicle | $10 |