When used as a legal term, an infraction is a violation of some regulation, municipal code, or ordinance. In some states and cities, an infraction may be a violation of traffic laws as well. Infractions are sometimes referred to as a petty offense.

Some states consider an infraction to be a civil offense while others consider an infraction to be a criminal offense. In the states that consider an infraction a criminal offense, punishment rarely occurs in the form of imprisonment. If someone must serve a short sentence for an infraction, he or she would do so in a local or county jail. When an infraction is considered a civil offense, no crime has been committed.

Most infractions are not settled in a court hearing, but rather by administrative officials. The most common form of punishment for an infraction is a fine. Fines set due to an infraction are typically very small.

There are several minor violations considered to be infractions in most states. Littering is an infraction that typically results in a fine that cannot exceed a particular amount depending on the state in which the infraction occurred. Jaywalking is another common infraction that generally results in a fine. Some small towns and municipalities have particular codes regarding building or housing. Violations of these codes are considered an infraction and generally punishable by a fine.

Disturbing the peace usually involves unreasonably loud noise that disturbs other people. Disturbing the peace is generally considered an infraction. Punishment for disturbing the peace is typically a small fine. Very rarely is disturbing the peace considered a misdemeanor. A short sentence can result from a misdemeanor disturbing the peace violation.

Several states consider a minor traffic violation to be an infraction. In the state of Michigan , like many other states, speeding infractions will be subject to a set fine depending on the “miles per hour” or MPH over the set speed limit. Like most states, the state of Michigan allows a person charged with a speeding infraction to pay his or her fine over the internet for convenience. Many court locations will typically accept cash, money order, or credit card as payment for infraction fines. If a person fails to pay an infraction fee on time, penalty fees may be added.

Generally speaking, an attorney is not necessary to handle an infraction case. In most cases, the person charged with an infraction will pay the fine and nothing else will occur.

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