Waltham Traffic Ticket Records
Waltham traffic ticket records are civil motor vehicle infractions processed through Waltham District Court, serving Waltham and two nearby communities in Middlesex County. This page explains the court location, how to contest or pay a ticket, what the state fine structure looks like, and how to access citation records and your driving history online.
Waltham Quick Facts
Waltham District Court
Waltham District Court is located at 38 Linden Street in Waltham, MA 02452. The main phone number is (781) 894-4500. Court hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The court serves three communities: Waltham, Watertown, and Weston. If you received a traffic ticket anywhere in those three cities or towns, your citation is processed through this court.
The court address is on your citation. You can also search your case on MassCourts to confirm the court and see the current status. The free public search tool works for all Massachusetts district courts and lets you look up cases by name or citation number. If you are not sure whether your stop falls under Waltham District Court's jurisdiction, that search will confirm it quickly.
The Waltham District Court page at mass.gov has current contact information, directions, and any updates on hours or closures. It is the official source and worth checking before you make the trip to the courthouse.
| Court | Waltham District Court |
|---|---|
| Address | 38 Linden Street, Waltham, MA 02452 |
| Phone | (781) 894-4500 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Jurisdiction | Waltham, Watertown, Weston |
| Court Info | mass.gov - Waltham District Court |
The Waltham District Court listing is shown in the screenshot below.
The court at 38 Linden Street handles all traffic citation hearings for Waltham, Watertown, and Weston.
Your Options After Getting a Ticket
The 20-day deadline starts from the date printed on your citation. That date is not from when you get around to reading the ticket. It is from the day of the stop. If you miss it, the Registry of Motor Vehicles can default the ticket. A default can lead to a license suspension. Do not wait.
Option one is to pay the fine. You can do this online at mass.gov, by mail using the payment slip on the citation, or at an RMV service center. Paying means you accept the violation. The ticket becomes part of your driving record as a surchargeable event. Your insurer may raise your rate at the next renewal cycle. For a minor infraction where you are clearly at fault, paying and moving on is sometimes the most practical choice.
Option two is a Clerk-Magistrate Hearing. The fee is $25. This is an informal hearing before a court clerk. There is no judge. You explain your version of events. The officer who wrote the ticket often does not appear at this level, and absent officers usually mean dismissed tickets. Even when the officer does attend, the clerk has discretion to reduce or dismiss based on what they hear. This option is worth taking for most contested tickets.
Option three is an appeal to a judge. The fee is $50. You can request a judge hearing directly or use it as an appeal after a clerk hearing. The judge hearing is more structured than the clerk hearing. If you want a full defense of your case, this is the level where that happens. Instructions for both appeal types are at mass.gov. The traffic ticket hearing overview walks through what to expect at each stage.
Waltham Police Department is located at 155 Lexington Street, Waltham, MA 02452. The main non-emergency line is (781) 314-3600. If you have a question about your citation or need the officer's name from a stop, that is the right place to call.
Fine Schedule and Surcharges
Massachusetts traffic fines are fixed by state law. The city does not set them and the local court does not change them.
For speeding, going 1 to 10 mph over the posted limit costs $50. Going 11 or more mph over costs $50 plus $10 per additional mph. Every speeding ticket also carries a $50 Head Injury Trust Fund surcharge, added automatically. If you are doing 25 mph over on Route 128, the math adds up quickly before you even get to any court fees.
Violations of the state's hands-free law, which prohibits holding a phone or device while driving, run $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second, and $500 for a third or later offense. All of these are surchargeable. The full list of incidents that count as surchargeable is at mass.gov. Surchargeable events stay on your record and are visible to insurers.
Accumulating three speeding violations within a 12-month window triggers a mandatory 30-day suspension under MGL c. 90, section 20. Drivers who reach habitual offender status under MGL c. 90, section 22F face a four-year suspension. These consequences apply statewide. For a breakdown of how multiple offenses can lead to suspension, see mass.gov's suspensions page.
Finding Waltham Traffic Records
The best starting point for any court record search in Massachusetts is MassCourts. It is free, public, and covers all district and superior courts in the state including Waltham District Court. Search by name or citation number to find docket entries, case status, and the assigned court. The system is updated regularly and works for both open and closed cases.
Driving records are separate from court records. The RMV keeps its own database of violations and license actions. To get your record, go to the RMV driving record request page. An unattested copy runs $8 online through the myRMV portal. An attested copy, which some insurance companies or legal proceedings require, costs $20. The RMV record shows everything on file with the state, including violations from outside Waltham and any suspension history.
For older records that are not in the online system, or if you need certified copies of court documents, contact Waltham District Court directly at (781) 894-4500. The civil clerk's office handles these requests. Have your citation number and the date of the violation ready when you call.
The traffic tickets overview at mass.gov covers the full process from citation issuance through appeal and is a good reference if you want to understand how the system works before your hearing.
Traffic Enforcement in Waltham
Waltham sees heavy traffic along Route 128, the Main Street corridor, and around the Brandeis University and Bentley University areas. The city has several high-volume intersections where enforcement is common. Moving violations on state highways running through Waltham are typically issued by Massachusetts State Police rather than the Waltham Police Department. Both types of citations still go through Waltham District Court if the stop occurred within the court's jurisdiction.
State Police-issued tickets follow the same response process as city-issued ones. The 20-day deadline still applies. The hearing options and fees are the same. The only difference may be which officer shows up at the clerk hearing. State Police officers tend to appear at hearings more often than municipal officers, though this varies.
If your ticket was issued by a State Police trooper, the citation will note the issuing agency. You can still call Waltham District Court with questions about the case. The court handles the hearing regardless of which agency issued the ticket. For a general overview of how Massachusetts handles traffic enforcement on state routes, the RMV website has additional context.
Middlesex County Traffic Ticket Records
Waltham is part of Middlesex County, which spans a wide section of eastern Massachusetts. The county has multiple district courts serving different cities and towns. For a full picture of how traffic citations are processed across Middlesex County, including courts in Cambridge, Lowell, Newton, and other areas, visit the county records page.