How to Pay or Dispute a DD Form 1805 Violation Notice

A DD Form 1805 is the federal violation notice that law enforcement officers issue on military installations, in national parks, and on other federal property. If one has landed in your hands, look first at the two boxes near the bottom of the form. If Box A is checked, you must appear before a federal magistrate judge and cannot resolve the matter by mail. If Box B is checked, you can pay the listed amount to the Central Violations Bureau (CVB) and be done with it. Either way, you have 30 days from the date on the ticket to act.¹

What to Read First on the Ticket

The top-right corner shows a violation notice number and a location code. Photograph the ticket or write both down; you will need them for every payment, phone call, or status check. The location code ties the citation to a specific federal district court.

Under those numbers, the officer identifies the alleged offense by citing a section of the Code of Federal Regulations. Title 36 CFR covers conduct in national parks, and Title 32 CFR covers military installations.² Check the personal information section, especially your mailing address. Follow-up notices and court dates are mailed there. If anything is wrong, call the CVB at 800-827-2982 right away.

The two boxes control your options:

Box A (Mandatory Appearance) means you must appear in court. The officer may write the date, time, and courthouse on the form. Mailing a payment will not close the case.²
Box B (Mail-In / Forfeiture) means the ticket can be resolved by paying the listed amount without going to court. Routine traffic and petty offenses on federal property typically fall here.²

The “Total Amount Due” combines the fine with a $30 processing fee that offsets court costs.³ If you go to court and are found guilty instead, the judge adds a separate special assessment on top of any fine.⁴

The 30-Day Deadline

You have 30 days from the date the ticket was issued to pay the total amount due. If the CVB does not receive payment within that window, it mails you a notice to appear in court.⁵ Once that happens, the pay-by-mail option is gone and you are headed for a hearing. If you would rather pay and move on, do not let the deadline pass.

How to Pay a Box B Ticket

When Box B is marked, the CVB accepts payment three ways. Keep your confirmation in each case. Once payment posts, the matter is closed.

Online

The CVB website takes credit and debit cards. You will need the violation notice number and location code from the face of the ticket. A digital receipt is generated when the transaction completes.⁶

By Mail

Detach the “Pay” portion at the bottom of the DD Form 1805 and mail it with a check or money order made out to the Central Violations Bureau:

Central Violations Bureau
P.O. Box 780549
San Antonio, TX 78278-0549⁶

Use a method with tracking so you can prove delivery. Mailed payments take several weeks to process.

By Phone

Call 800-827-2982 to pay through a representative or the automated system.⁷ Have your violation notice number and location code ready. The same line handles status checks after payment.

If You Want to Fight the Ticket

Paying the fine waives your right to contest the charge, have a trial, or be represented by counsel.⁸ If you believe the citation was issued in error, do not pay. Prepare to appear in court instead.

If a court date and courthouse are already printed on the ticket, show up at that time and place. If no date is listed, the CVB will mail a Notice to Appear roughly four weeks before your hearing. If nothing arrives within 60 days of the ticket, call 800-827-2982 to confirm your date.⁸

Contesting carries risk. If you plead guilty or are convicted at trial, the judge can impose any penalty the law allows, not just the amount printed on the ticket.⁸ Judges also have authority to reduce fines or dismiss charges when the evidence supports it. Bringing photographs, witness statements, or maintenance records for alleged vehicle defects strengthens your position.

When Box A Is Checked

A Box A citation means the offense is serious enough that a federal magistrate judge needs to evaluate it in person. These cases can carry probation or jail rather than a simple fine, and no payment to the CVB will close them.

If the officer did not write a court date on the form, the CVB mails a Notice to Appear to the address on the ticket with the exact date, time, and courthouse. It usually arrives several weeks after the citation. A missed notice will not excuse a failure to appear if the address you gave the officer was correct, so update your address with the CVB immediately if you have moved.

At the hearing, a federal magistrate judge hears from the government and from you or your attorney. For Class B misdemeanors, the maximum sentence is up to six months in jail.⁹ Fines for a Class B misdemeanor can reach $5,000.¹⁰ The judge has discretion to impose lesser penalties, probation, community service, or other alternatives.

What Happens If You Ignore It

Letting a DD Form 1805 sit in the glove compartment creates problems that grow quickly. When 30 days pass without payment or a response, the CVB escalates the case to the U.S. District Court, which may issue a summons or a warrant for your arrest.¹¹ A federal bench warrant does not expire. It surfaces the next time law enforcement runs your name.

Driving privileges take a hit too. For motor vehicle violations, the court can report a failure to pay or appear to your state’s driver-licensing agency, which may suspend your license, place a hold on your vehicle registration, or both.¹¹ Reinstating a suspended license means resolving the federal case first, then paying whatever reinstatement fee your state charges.

Does Paying Count as a Conviction?

The ticket itself states that paying the amount due “may” result in a conviction on a public record, which is understandably alarming. In practice, paying a forfeitable ticket is called collateral forfeiture, and at least some federal districts treat it as separate from a guilty finding. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, for instance, holds that posting collateral “does not equate to a finding of guilt” and signifies only that the person neither contests the charge nor requests a hearing.¹²

The distinction can still matter. Anyone completing the SF-86 questionnaire for a federal security clearance is asked about arrests, convictions, and court records, and the form warns that withholding information can affect eligibility for classified access or federal employment.¹³ Even if collateral forfeiture is not technically a conviction, leaving it off a security questionnaire can create more trouble than disclosing it. Anyone with a pending immigration matter should be especially cautious, because immigration law defines “conviction” more broadly than criminal law. Speaking with an immigration attorney before paying is worth the effort if status is a concern.

Appealing a Magistrate Judge’s Ruling

If you appeared in court and were convicted, or believe the sentence was too harsh, you can appeal to a U.S. District Court judge. The deadline is short. You must file a notice of appeal within 14 days after entry of the judgment, filed with the clerk of court and served on the government’s attorney.¹⁴ The district judge reviews the case on the existing record and can uphold, reverse, or modify the magistrate’s ruling. Missing the 14-day window almost always forfeits the right to appeal, so put the date on your calendar the day you leave the courtroom.

1
Central Violations Bureau. Central Violations Bureau
2
eCFR. 32 CFR Part 1290 – Preparing and Processing Minor Offenses
3
Central Violations Bureau. Where Does The Money Go When I Pay A Ticket
4
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 3013 – Special Assessment on Convicted Persons
5
The United States Department of Justice. Petty Offense Docket and CVB Tickets
6
Central Violations Bureau. Pay a Ticket
7
Central Violations Bureau. How Can I Check the Status of My Ticket
8
Central Violations Bureau. My Options
9
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 3559 – Sentencing Classification of Offenses
10
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 3571 – Sentence of Fine
11
Central Violations Bureau. Frequently Asked Questions
12
U.S. District Court. Northern District of Georgia Appendix E
13
Office of Personnel Management. Questionnaire for National Security Positions (SF-86)
14
GovInfo. Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 58