Let’s tackle everyone’s favorite comment-section theory: “Police just write tickets to make money.”

Ah yes, because nothing says “get rich quick” like standing on the side of the road explaining basic traffic laws to someone who definitely “almost stopped,” “wasn’t going that fast,” or is “pretty sure that light was yellow.”

Whether it’s a stop sign, speeding, or any other common violation, a typical citation might run you around $150. Sounds like a payday for the police department, right? Not quite. 

$25 is the actual fine for a stop sign violation. The other $125? Court costs, state fees, EMS surcharges, and all the glamorous stuff that goes literally anywhere except a police department.

Now let’s talk about that $25 everyone thinks officers are cashing in on. Only half of that $25, that’s $12.50 for those of you who were wondering, makes it to the issuing municipality. But wait…there’s more.

That money doesn’t go to the officer. It doesn’t even go straight to the department. 

It first goes through the court system and eventually makes its way into the municipality’s general fund. The same pot that pays for roads, lights, and all the other unexciting but necessary things that keep a town running. By the time it’s filtered through budgets and allocations, it’s just regular town money.

So no, there’s no secret vault labeled “Traffic Ticket Profits.”
No bonus checks for “citation of the week.”
And definitely no department shopping spree funded by your speeding ticket…although one day we hope to upgrade to name-brand pens.

The point of the ticket isn’t profit. It’s to enforce the law, keep roads safe, and remind drivers that traffic rules exist for a reason, whether it’s a stop sign, speed limit, or anything in between because we’ve seen firsthand how terrible things can go when laws are ignored.

So the next time someone says tickets are just a “cash cow,” feel free to remind them:
If this is a money-making scheme, we’re doing a terrible job.

Stay tuned for more Behind the Badge: Weekly Insights into Policing, where we break down common questions and misconceptions about how policing actually works.