Driving in Michigan offers a wide range of experiences, from long stretches of I-75 in the Upper Peninsula to dense, stop-and-go traffic throughout Metro Detroit. Regardless of where a citation is issued, the legal consequences of a traffic violation are consistent statewide. Michigan enforces a strict point-based system that directly affects both your insurance premiums and your legal right to drive.

When you receive a traffic citation, paying the ticket is not a neutral act. It is a guilty plea. Once paid, the violation is entered onto your Master Driving Record, points are assessed, and insurance carriers are notified. For many drivers, the long-term cost of a single ticket far exceeds the fine printed on the citation. Choosing the right traffic lawyer is the most effective way to limit that damage.

This guide explains how to choose a Michigan traffic lawyer with the experience and approach necessary to protect your record and avoid unnecessary financial fallout.

Understand the Michigan point system

Before evaluating any attorney, it helps to understand the framework they will be working within. Michigan assigns specific point values to moving violations, and those points remain on your driving record for two years from the date of conviction.

• Two points are assessed for violations such as speeding one to ten miles per hour over the limit, having an open alcohol container, or refusing a preliminary breath test.
• Three points apply to speeding eleven to fifteen miles per hour over, careless driving, and disobeying traffic signals.
• Four points are issued for speeding sixteen miles per hour or more over the limit, drag racing, and operating while visibly impaired.
• Six points are assigned to the most serious offenses, including reckless driving, DUI or OWI, and fleeing or eluding law enforcement.

While points drop off the driving record after two years, insurance companies often factor violations into their rating models for three years or longer. A knowledgeable traffic lawyer understands that the real objective is not courtroom theatrics but securing an outcome that keeps points off your record entirely.

Specialized focus over general practice

Michigan law covers a broad range of practice areas. An attorney who divides their time between family law, real estate, and traffic defense is rarely the best choice for a citation that hinges on procedural efficiency and local court familiarity.

Traffic law is volume-driven. Lawyers who regularly handle traffic matters develop working relationships with prosecutors and learn the tendencies of judges across District Courts. This specialization allows them to identify which courts are flexible on speed-related violations, which treat school zone offenses more harshly, and where negotiated reductions are realistic.

Firms that focus primarily on traffic defense, such as ElimiTix, operate on this model. Their effectiveness comes from repetition and jurisdiction-specific knowledge rather than generalized legal experience.

The impeding traffic strategy

One of the most common goals in Michigan traffic defense is securing a reduction to “impeding traffic.” Under Michigan law, impeding traffic is a non-abstracted offense. It carries a fine but reports zero points to the Secretary of State and does not appear on your driving record.

Not every case qualifies for this outcome, and not every court offers it consistently. A skilled traffic lawyer understands when this reduction is realistic and how to negotiate for it effectively.

When consulting with potential attorneys, ask directly about their experience obtaining non-reporting violations. If an attorney cannot clearly explain how impeding traffic works or when it is typically offered, that is a meaningful red flag.

Transparency and pricing models

Traffic defense should not involve billing uncertainty. Unlike complex litigation, most traffic matters are predictable in scope, and pricing should reflect that.

Avoid hourly rates

Hourly billing is rarely appropriate for traffic tickets. Michigan courts frequently experience docket delays and adjournments. You should not bear additional legal costs because a courtroom is running behind schedule.

Seek performance-based confidence

Some firms are willing to align their compensation with results. For example, ElimiTix is known for offering a “No Point Promise” on many civil infractions. Under this model, if points are not kept off the client’s record, the legal fee is refunded. This structure shifts risk away from the driver and demonstrates confidence in the firm’s negotiation process.

This approach is fundamentally different from paying a retainer with no clarity on what outcome, if any, is being pursued.

Technology and convenience

Michigan is geographically large, and traffic citations are often issued far from a driver’s home. A driver living in Lansing who receives a ticket in Traverse City should not be required to travel hours for an intake meeting.

Modern traffic defense is increasingly digital. Leading firms allow clients to upload citations, sign representation agreements, and receive updates online. This approach allows attorneys to appear in courts across the state without passing travel time or administrative inefficiencies on to the client.

For most civil infractions, clients should not need to appear in court at all.

Questions to ask a potential attorney

Before hiring a traffic lawyer, ask targeted questions that reveal experience rather than marketing language.

Ask whether they regularly handle cases in the specific District Court listed on your citation. Michigan has over one hundred District Courts, and familiarity with local procedures matters.

Ask what outcomes are commonly achieved for your specific charge. While no attorney can promise a result without a formal guarantee, an experienced lawyer should be able to explain likely resolutions based on prior cases.

Ask whether you will be required to appear in court. For most civil infractions, personal appearance is unnecessary. Requiring a client to attend court for a routine speeding ticket often indicates inefficiency rather than necessity.

The financial verdict

Many drivers hesitate to hire a lawyer due to upfront costs. In Michigan, that hesitation often proves expensive. Michigan consistently ranks among the states with the highest auto insurance premiums. A single moving violation can increase insurance costs by hundreds of dollars per year over multiple years.

Paying a flat legal fee to a reputable traffic defense provider is typically an exercise in cost avoidance. In most cases, the legal fee is substantially lower than the cumulative increase in insurance premiums over a three-year period.

Conclusion

Choosing a traffic lawyer in Michigan requires looking beyond advertisements and surface-level promises. The right attorney focuses on traffic law specifically, understands the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code, knows how individual courts operate, and offers transparent, flat-rate pricing.

Whether you choose a local practitioner or a specialized firm such as ElimiTix, the priority should always be the same: protecting your driving record from points. In a state with high insurance costs, a clean record is one of the most valuable assets a driver can maintain.

Resources & References

Michigan Legislature – “Impeding Traffic” Statute
The official text of the law often used in plea negotiations to avoid points.

• Website: MCL 257.676b (Interference with normal flow of traffic)
• Purpose: Validates the existence of the non-abstracted offense discussed in the “Impeding Traffic Strategy” section.

Michigan Courts – Trial Court Directory
An interactive map and directory of all courts in Michigan.

• Website: Michigan Courts: Trial Court Directory
• Purpose: Allows drivers to confirm which of the 100+ District Courts handles their specific citation based on location.

Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS)
Consumer guides explaining how driving records impact insurance eligibility.

• Website: DIFS Auto Insurance Guide
• Purpose: Provides official information on how “insurance eligibility points” from traffic violations can increase premiums.