Clay County Traffic Court
Clay County traffic cases are handled by Clay Superior Court Traffic Division. The official Traffic Fines and Costs PDF identifies the division as Clay Superior Court Traffic Division, 609 East National Avenue, Room 209, Brazil, Indiana 47834-0033, phone 812-448-9032. Clay County local rules assign traffic infractions and ordinance violations to Clay Superior Court, while misdemeanors also sit in Superior Court and felonies are shared by local assignment rules.
The County Clerk is the practical office for many traffic questions because the traffic clerk operates through the Clerk's Office. The Clay County Clerk page says traffic and other court payments can be made through PayGov or by phone at 1-866-480-8552. The traffic PDF still tells users to contact the office about credit card payment and to follow the ticket deadline.
| Court or Office | Traffic Role | Clay County Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Clay Superior Court | Traffic infractions, ordinance violations, misdemeanors, and assigned traffic-related matters. | 609 East National Avenue, Room 203, Brazil, 812-448-9031. |
| Traffic Division / Clerk | Plea, payment, not-guilty trial requests, fines, costs, late fees, and BMV reporting. | 609 East National Avenue, Room 209, Brazil, 812-448-9032. |
| County Clerk | Court records, case copies, payments, judgments, CCS entries, and certified copies. | Room 209, 812-448-9024 for general clerk questions. |
Search Clay County Traffic Records
Clay County uses Indiana's statewide court search system rather than a county-only citation portal. Traffic records can be searched in Indiana MyCase by citation number, case number, or party name when the case is public. MyCase may show the court, case type, filing date, parties, Chronological Case Summary entries, hearings, payments when available, and linked documents if the court has made them public online.
- Open MyCase and choose a case search, citation search, or party search path.
- Enter the citation number exactly as it appears on the ticket when known.
- Use name search only when the citation number or case number is not available.
- Limit or scan for Clay Superior Court, traffic infraction, or ordinance violation entries.
- Review the case summary for plea, judgment, payment, failure-to-appear, hearing, or disposition entries.
- Call the Traffic Clerk if the record does not answer whether payment, a trial request, or a court appearance is required.
Traffic record questions sometimes overlap with broader Clay County court records, especially when a traffic matter has linked documents, a CCS history, or a certified-copy need.
Clay County Traffic Search Fields
The research file identified the traffic search fields that matter for Clay County citation lookup through MyCase and related state channels. Citation number is often the cleanest traffic search. Name search can work, but it can return multiple matches and may need first name, middle name, or birth date to narrow results.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Options / Format Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citation Number | text | optional | Search in MyCase by citation number; exact entry is often needed. |
| Case Number | text | optional | Use the IF or OV case number if one has been created. |
| Last Name | text | conditional | Party search; add first name, middle name, or birth date to narrow. |
| Birth Date | date | optional | Search input only; not displayed in public case details. |
| County or Court | filter | optional | Limit to Clay Superior Court if the filter is available. |
| BMV Driver Record | separate portal | separate | Not a court record; use Indiana BMV driver record channels. |
Clay County Traffic Record Fields
A Clay County traffic court record is the court side of the ticket. It can show what was filed, what the person did in response, what the court entered, and whether money or BMV reporting followed. It should not be read as the full driver history, and it may not show every document online. If a public document is not linked in MyCase, the Indiana Judicial Branch says to contact the clerk in the county where the case was heard.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Citation number | The ticket number used for traffic citation lookup. |
| Case number | The Indiana court case number, often with infraction or ordinance case type. |
| Court | Clay Superior Court for local traffic and ordinance matters. |
| Charge or violation | The offense title, statute, ordinance, or traffic violation text. |
| Plea or response | Guilty plea, not-guilty request, payment, or court appearance activity. |
| Fine and cost | The amount assessed under the traffic schedule or by court order. |
| Judgment or disposition | The court result, including whether the matter was paid, adjudicated, dismissed, or deferred. |
| Failure activity | Failure to appear, failure to pay, late fee, or BMV referral if shown. |
| BMV reporting | Whether the court record of judgment is sent to Indiana BMV or another licensing state. |
Pay or Contest Clay Traffic Tickets
The official Clay traffic PDF gives the local plea and payment route. A not-guilty plea requires telling the Clerk's Office by the date and time on the Uniform Traffic Citation and asking for a trial date. If a person appears on the due date only to contest a ticket that is on the payable list, the hearing will not be heard at that time. The trial date has to be requested through the clerk process.
A guilty plea can be handled in person before the appearance date during office hours at the Clay County Superior Court Clerk's Office. By mail, the person returns the signed ticket with total costs by money order or cashier's check payable to Traffic Clerk, Clay Superior Court, at 609 East National Avenue, Room 209, Brazil, Indiana 47834. The PDF says no personal checks are accepted and payment must be received on or before the appearance date.
- Call 812-448-9032 before paying if the violation is not listed on the fine schedule.
- Ask the office about credit card payment or use the county's listed PayGov channel when available.
- Do not mail a personal check for a traffic guilty plea.
- Request a trial date by the deadline if pleading not guilty.
- Confirm whether a mandatory court appearance applies before trying to pay.
Clay County Traffic Fees
The Clay Superior Court Traffic Fines and Costs PDF gives a local payable schedule. The same PDF says prices are subject to change, overweight tickets and all other violations require contacting the Clerk, and a $25 late fee is added if a ticket is not paid by 4:00 p.m. on the due date.
| Violation | Fine | Cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinance violations | $12.00 | $135.50 | $147.50 |
| Speeding 1-15 mph over | $4.50 | $135.50 | $140.00 |
| Speeding 16-20 mph over | $9.50 | $135.50 | $145.00 |
| Speeding 21-25 mph over | $14.50 | $135.50 | $150.00 |
| Speeding 26-30 mph over | $19.50 | $135.50 | $155.00 |
| Speeding 31-35 mph over | $44.50 | $135.50 | $180.00 |
| Speeding 36-40 mph over | $69.50 | $135.50 | $205.00 |
| Speeding 41-45 mph over | $99.50 | $135.50 | $235.00 |
| Speeding 46-50 mph over | $134.50 | $135.50 | $270.00 |
| Speeding 51-55 mph over | $174.50 | $135.50 | $310.00 |
| Speeding 56-60 mph over | $219.50 | $135.50 | $355.00 |
| Improper passing, left of center, following too closely, DNR, school bus, or other listed non-alcohol/non-accident violations | $4.50 | $135.50 | $140.00 |
| Seat belt, booster seat, or child restraint | included | included | $25.00 |
| FMSCR | $21.50 | $135.50 | $157.00 |
| Late fee after 4:00 p.m. due date | added fee | $25.00 | |
Clay Traffic Court Appearances
Some Clay County traffic matters cannot be handled as a simple payable ticket. The official PDF says that if the offense does not appear on the back of the ticket or on the list, the person should contact the Clerk because the case may require court. Violations outside the Traffic Violations Clerk's jurisdiction include accidents, driving under the influence, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, driving while license is suspended, driving without ever being licensed, and similar unlisted offenses.
DUI and serious driving charges can move into criminal case handling. For that reason, a traffic citation search may need to be paired with a Clay County criminal court records search when the conduct is charged as a crime or appears in a criminal case type.
Note: If the ticket is not on the payable list, call the Traffic Clerk before assuming that payment alone will close the case.
Clay Traffic Records vs BMV
The court traffic record and the Indiana BMV driver record are separate files. The court record is created by Clay Superior Court and the Clerk as the citation moves through the court process. The BMV driver record is maintained by the state licensing agency and reflects license status, convictions reported by courts, points or suspensions where applicable, and driver history. A court result can affect the BMV record, but it does not become the whole driver record.
| Comparison Point | Court Traffic Record | State Driver Record |
|---|---|---|
| Record source | Clay Superior Court and Clay County Clerk. | Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. |
| Main content | Citation, case, plea, fine, cost, judgment, deferral, failure-to-appear, and court disposition. | License status, reported convictions, points or suspensions, and driver history. |
| Where to access | MyCase, Traffic Clerk, or Clerk's Office. | myBMV and Indiana BMV driver-record channels. |
| How to correct | Start with the Clerk or court if the case entry, judgment, or payment is wrong. | Start with BMV if the license record does not match court reporting. |
The myBMV account portal is the state-side path for driver-record work, not a Clay County court docket.
The traffic court record explains what happened in court; the driver record explains how the licensing agency recorded the result.
Clay Traffic Deferral and CDL
The Prosecutor research says Infraction Deferral is mailed automatically to people who qualify on speeding offenses. A typical Clay County infraction deferral lasts six months and costs $192.50. It allows an eligible driver to avoid points and convictions on the official driving record if the program is completed. The traffic PDF says deferral may be an option for speeding but is not an option for CDL holders.
Commercial drivers should be careful with any traffic plea, payment, or deferral question because CDL consequences can differ from ordinary license consequences. The local research did not identify a separate Clay County CDL hearing procedure. The practical step is to contact the Prosecutor at 812-448-9028 or the Traffic Clerk at 812-448-9032 before assuming eligibility.
Public Clay Traffic Records
Traffic case records are public court records unless a rule, statute, court order, sealing event, expungement, or restricted case type applies. Indiana Access to Court Records Rule 4 starts from public access, while Rule 5 lists records and information excluded from public access. The Indiana Access to Public Records Act also governs public agency records, subject to exceptions.
Access rules: Public traffic case summaries may be searchable online, but missing documents, certified copies, and official balances still route to the Clay County Clerk.
When Traffic Records Are Not Local
Most Clay County traffic court records are local Superior Court matters. A federal court source appears in the successful traffic image set, but ordinary Clay County citations are not federal bankruptcy or federal district court records. Federal systems should be used only when the case itself is federal or when a separate federal proceeding affects a person or debt.
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana is separate from Clay County traffic court.
For a normal Clay County traffic citation, start with MyCase, the Traffic Clerk, and the BMV distinction instead of federal court sources.
Request Clay Traffic Copies
Online case summaries are useful, but they are not always the official copy needed for court, licensing, insurance, or employment paperwork. If a document is not linked in MyCase, contact the Clay County Clerk in Room 209. Give the case number or citation number, party name, document requested, copy type, return method, and payment method. The research did not locate a Clay-specific traffic copy fee schedule beyond the traffic fine and cost schedule, so call the Clerk for current plain-copy and certified-copy fees.