Central Violations Bureau
- All fines must be paid within 21 days of the issuance of the ticket.
- If you wish to protest your ticket and appear before a Magistrate Judge, your initial court date will be set within 4 to 6 weeks of issuance of your ticket.
- All fine payments should include violation number and location code of ticket, and be mailed to:
Central Violations Bureau
P.O. Box 70939
Charlotte, NC 28272-0939 - If you miss a court appearance you will be subject to an additional fine and/or a warrant may be issued for your arrest.
- If you cannot appear for your scheduled court date you must timely submit a written request to the "Clerk of Court, Attn: CVB Courtroom Deputy" to reschedule your court date. Please see below for the address of the courthouse to which reset requests should be sent. Your request should include the (1) violation number, (2) location code from your ticket, (3) current mailing address, (4) a daytime telephone number, and (5) reason for the requested rescheduling.
- A payment plan (which allows payment of the citation amount over time) may be approved by the Court. However, you must appear on your court date to request consideration for a payment plan.
- You should telephone the Central Violations Bureau (CVB) at 1-800-827-2982 for general information regarding your ticket.
A standard violation notice (or "citation" or "ticket") is issued to an individual, the defendant, by federal law enforcement officers for violations of certain federal laws and, if occurring on federal property, certain state laws. Violations charged include improper parking, illegal camping, speeding, civil disturbances, fish and wildlife infractions, and other minor offenses.
After a violation notice has been issued to a defendant, the original violation notice is mailed by the federal law enforcement agency to the national Central Violations Bureau (or "CVB") for processing. CVB receives all original violation notices from the issuing agency for entry into a database. CVB mails a notice to appear in court to the defendant four (4) weeks prior to his/her court date. If a defendant pays the CVB the citation amount as indicated on the violation notice before the court date, the case is then closed.
Defendants have 21 days from the date the violation notice is issued by the law enforcement agency to either pay the citation amount, request a hearing before a U. S. Magistrate Judge, or appear as mandated by the Court. If the ticket is marked "optional appearance" by the issuing law enforcement officer and if the defendant pays the CVB the amount of the citation before the court date, the defendant need not appear at the court or before a U. S. Magistrate Judge. If the defendant does not timely pay the citation amount, the CVB will automatically forward all materials relating to that defendant to the appropriate U. S. Magistrate Judge for further follow-up action, including issuance of a warrant of arrest.
Alternatively, citations designated as "mandatory appearance" by the issuing officer require that the defendant appear before a U. S. Magistrate Judge at the date, time and place indicated in the notice to appear. If a defendant does not appear, a warrant of arrest may be issued by the U. S. Magistrate Judge.
CVB tracks the status of all violation notices, including history of payment of citation amounts. The CVB has an automated voice case information system which, by the use of a touch tone telephone, allows interested parties to query citation information. The toll-free number is 1-800-827-2982.
In the Western District of Texas, the following Magistrate Judges handle specific CVB violations:
- Magistrate Judge Nancy Stein Nowak - San Antonio Division
- Magistrate Judges Michael S. McDonald and Richard P. Mesa - El Paso Division
- Magistrate Judge Dennis G. Green - Del Rio Division
- Magistrate Judge Jeffrey C. Manske - Waco Division
The Del Rio Division manages violation notices issued by federal agencies at Laughlin Air Force Base, Amistad National Park, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The El Paso Division manages violation notices issued by the federal agencies located at Ft. Bliss, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service.
The San Antonio Division manages violation notices from the following federal agencies: Ft. Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base, Veterans Administration, Audie L. Murphy Veterans Hospital (San Antonio), Veterans Administration, Kerrville, TX, San Antonio National Parks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Army Corps of Engineers (Canyon Lake, TX) and Federal Protective Services.
The Waco Division manages violation notices from the following federal agencies: Ft. Hood, Veterans Administration Hospitals in Marlin, Temple and Waco, Texas, National Parks, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
