Quick answer: A Prince George’s County traffic case is heard in the District Court of Maryland in either Hyattsville or Upper Marlboro, depending on where the officer wrote the ticket. Minor citations are payable, but paying is a guilty plea that puts points on your record. Serious charges like DUI, reckless driving, and driving on a suspended license are must-appear, and in many cases a lawyer can stand in for you so you never miss work.
I’m David Waranch, and I’ve handled thousands of Maryland traffic cases, including in both Prince George’s County courthouses. Before you pay a ticket or your court date arrives, it helps to know exactly what the charge means for your license, your insurance, and your record. For the statewide picture, my Maryland traffic violation guide covers the framework, and this page is about how it plays out here in PG County.
Which Court Hears a Prince George’s County Traffic Case?
Prince George’s County has two District Court of Maryland locations, and which one hears your case comes down to where the citation was issued. You appear at whichever court is printed on your ticket.
- District Court in Upper Marlboro (14735 Main Street) is the county seat courthouse and generally handles citations written in the southern and central parts of the county, including Upper Marlboro, Fort Washington, and the US-301 corridor.
- District Court in Hyattsville (4990 Rhode Island Avenue) hears cases from the northern county near the D.C. line, including Hyattsville, College Park, Laurel, and much of the Beltway. Many DUI cases from that area are heard here.
The District Court handles traffic violations, misdemeanors, and some felonies, and it does not hold jury trials. If your charge carries a right to a jury and you demand one, the case moves to the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, also in Upper Marlboro. I appear in both District Court locations regularly and can tell you what to expect at the specific courthouse on your citation.
Can I Just Pay the Ticket, or Do I Have to Appear?
It depends on the charge. A payable citation lets you prepay the preset fine instead of coming to court. A must-appear citation gives you a mandatory court date and no prepayment option. The table below shows common charges I see on Prince George’s County tickets, their preset fines, and the points that attach to a conviction. For the full breakdown, see payable vs. must-appear tickets in Maryland.
| Charge | Statute | Pay or appear | Preset fine | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding 10–19 mph over | § 21-801.1 | Payable | $90 | 2 |
| Speeding 20–29 mph over | § 21-801.1 | Payable | $160 | 2 |
| Failure to stop at stop sign | § 21-707 | Payable | $90 | 1 |
| Negligent driving | § 21-901.1(b) | Payable | $350 | 2 |
| Reckless driving (incl. 30+ mph over) | § 21-901.1(a) | Must appear | — | 6 |
| Driving while suspended | § 16-303 | Must appear | — | up to 12 |
| DUI | § 21-902(a) | Must appear | — | 12 |
Paying the fine is not the cheap way out. In Maryland, prepaying a citation is a guilty plea, and it becomes a conviction on your driving record with the points shown above. Requesting a waiver hearing or a trial costs nothing extra to ask for and keeps a non-conviction disposition open, including probation before judgment under Crim. Proc. § 6-220, which is foreclosed the moment you pay. A hearing is not free of risk, though: a judge can raise the fine up to $500, so treat it as a trade-off worth weighing, not an automatic win.
How Points Affect Your Maryland License
Maryland runs on a rolling two-year points system. Under Transp. § 16-402 and § 16-404, 3 points triggers a warning letter, 5 points sends you to a driver improvement program, 8 points can suspend your license, and 12 points can revoke it. That is why a $160 speeding ticket that seems minor can matter: the 2 points stay on your record, insurers see the conviction, and a second or third ticket stacks fast. If you want the mechanics, my Maryland point system explainer lays out exactly how the thresholds work and how long points linger.
Indian Head Highway (MD-210) and High-Speed Enforcement
If one corridor defines serious traffic enforcement in Prince George’s County, it’s Indian Head Highway (MD-210) through Fort Washington and Oxon Hill. It’s long been one of the deadliest roads in the state, and county police and Maryland State Police run heavy joint enforcement there, including documented stops well over 100 mph. The Beltway (I-495), I-95, US-301, and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (MD-295) draw the same attention.
High speed is no longer treated as an ordinary ticket. Since October 1, 2025, the Sergeant Patrick Kepp Act expanded reckless driving under Transp. § 21-901.1 to include driving at least 30 mph over the posted limit. On a corridor like MD-210, that turns a speeding stop into a must-appear charge carrying 6 points and possible jail exposure, which is exactly the kind of case where how you handle the first court date matters most.
Traffic Charges I Handle in Prince George’s County
I routinely defend drivers charged with speeding, failure to obey a traffic control device, reckless and aggressive driving, driving while suspended, driving without insurance, hit-and-run, CDL violations, and DUI and DWI. Even a ticket that looks small can trigger points, an insurance jump, MVA license action, and real problems for CDL and professional drivers whose jobs depend on a clean record.
Many of these cases have openings. Unclear signage, a radar or lidar reading that wasn’t properly calibrated, gaps in the officer’s notes, and simple procedural errors all give me room to argue for a reduction, a probation before judgment, or a dismissal. Speed-camera citations are a different animal: those are civil, owner-liability tickets that carry no license points, so my focus is the officer-issued charges that actually put points and a court date on the line. If you missed a date and a warrant is out, my Prince George’s County bench warrant page explains how to clear it.
Do I Have to Show Up to Court Myself?
Often, no. Under Transp. § 26-204(b), an attorney can appear for you on most Maryland traffic matters, so for many Upper Marlboro and Hyattsville cases you don’t have to take a day off or drive back to the county at all. That’s a real advantage for commuters and out-of-area drivers who picked up a ticket passing through on I-95 or the Beltway. I explain the limits of this on my page about whether a lawyer can appear without you. When you hire me, you deal with me directly, not a case handler, and I build the strategy around your specific citation and the specific courthouse rather than a template.
Communities I Serve in Prince George’s County
I represent drivers across Bowie, Laurel, Hyattsville, College Park, Upper Marlboro, Fort Washington, Largo, Greenbelt, Lanham, Oxon Hill, and Suitland, at both the Hyattsville and Upper Marlboro District Courts. Whether your citation came from a traffic stop on MD-210, a stop along the Beltway, or a US-301 speed trap, I handle cases countywide. If your matter ends well and you later need the record cleared, my Prince George’s County expungement page is the next step.
Prince George’s County Traffic Case FAQs
It depends on where the officer wrote the citation. Tickets from the northern county near D.C. are generally heard at the District Court in Hyattsville on Rhode Island Avenue, and tickets from the southern and central county at the District Court in Upper Marlboro on Main Street. You appear at whichever court is printed on your ticket.
Often, yes. Paying the preset fine is a guilty plea that becomes a conviction and adds points to your record. Requesting a waiver hearing or a trial costs nothing extra to ask for and keeps options open, including probation before judgment, which is foreclosed once you pay. A judge can raise the fine up to $500 at a hearing, so it is a trade-off worth weighing first.
Often no. Under Maryland Transportation section 26-204(b), a lawyer can appear on your behalf for most traffic matters, so for many Prince George’s County cases you do not have to attend court or drive back to the county. Serious must-appear charges like DUI can require your presence, and I will tell you up front which situation applies to your case.
Law Offices of David R. Waranch — 301-563-9575 · toll-free 1-877-566-2408. Hablamos Español.
Last updated: August 2026. Statutory references: Md. Code, Transp. § 16-303, § 16-402, § 16-404, § 21-707, § 21-801.1, § 21-901.1, § 21-902, § 26-204; Crim. Proc. § 6-220. This page is general information about Maryland law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.