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1. I received a citation/ticket. How do I pay or contest it?

Maryland law enforcement officers are empowered to enforce all of the laws of the State of Maryland. A violation of Maryland Vehicle Law may result in a Maryland Citation, even if the issuing officer is not an employee of the Maryland State Police. Forest Heights police officers may issue Maryland citations as well as Forest Heights Parking or Ordinance Violation Notices. If you have received a citation from a Forest Heights police officer you should pay careful attention to differentiate between which citation you may have received as each citation may have different handling instructions.

Paying Citations: State of Maryland Citations
If you have been issued a Maryland Uniform Complaint and Citation and you wish to pay the fine the you may do so payable to District Court of Maryland at any District Court of Maryland, by telephone at (800) 492-2656, online at www.mdcourts.gov, or by mail at:

District Court
Traffic Processing Center
P.O. Box 6676
Annapolis, MD 21401-0676

Be sure to include your citation number on your check or money order. If you do not pay a citation within 15 days of the date of the citation you may be summonsed to appear in Court to answer for the charges. You may still pay your fine up to the day before your court date.

Requesting Trial: State of Maryland Citations
If you wish to request a trial for any payable citation you must check the "Request a Trial" box on the back of the white copy (the copy will be marked "Return to Court Copy" at the bottom) of the citation that was issued to you and sign and date the bottom of the form. You must return that signed, dated and properly checked copy of the citation to the Court within 30 days. The officer will provide you with an envelope which you should use to mail the form to the Court. Remember to also check the appropriate box on the from of the envelope. Do not send a payment with your request for a trial.

If you fail to request a trial date or pay your citation within 30 days after the receipt of the citation, the Motor Vehicle Administration will be notified and may take action to suspend your driver's license.

Paying Citations: Speed Monitoring System Citations
If you have been issued a Forest Heights Police Department Speed Monitoring System Citation and you wish to pay your fine you must do so prior to the due date indicated on the citation. The citation may be paid by cashier’s check or money order to Town of Forest Heights and can be paid online or by mail:

To pay online enter the website www.OnlineCitationPayment.com indicated at the bottom of the back of the citation. To pay the citation by mail, send your cashier’s check or money order payable to Town of Forest Heights:

Town of Forest Heights
PO Box 824157
Philadelphia, PA 19182-4157

Be sure to include your citation number on your cashier’s check or money order. Cash is not accepted. You CANNOT pay these citations by telephone or in person. You must follow the instructions on the back of the citation.

Requesting Trial: Speed Monitoring System Citations
To request a trial for a Forest Heights Police Department Speed Monitoring System Citations you must return the notice, unpaid, to:

Town of Forest Heights
PO Box 824157
Philadelphia, PA 19182-4157

The bottom of the violation notice must be completed in its entirety, to include your signature and you must check the box next to the statement indicating that you are contesting the citation and requesting a court hearing. A notice of trial date and location will be mailed to you. If you do not receive a notice for trial or receive a second warning you may contact the Speed Monitoring System Call Center at (301) 552-6045. Only the staff at the Call Center is authorized to discuss Speed Monitoring System matters. The Police Department's Administrative Offices will not be able to give you information about your citation.

If you fail to request a trial date or pay your citation your vehicle may be flagged and registration renewal may be prohibited. You cannot dispute these citations by telephone or in person. You must follow the instructions on the back of the citation.

Paying Citations: Forest Heights Violation Notices
If you have been issued a Town of Forest Heights Parking Violation Notice or Ordinance Violation Notice and you wish to pay your fine you must do so within 20 days of the date of the citation. The citation may be paid by cashier’s check or money order to Town of Forest Heights and can be paid in person, or by mail to:

Forest Heights Police
5508 Arapahoe Drive
Forest Heights, MD 20745

Be sure to include your citation number on your cashier’s check or money order. Cash is not accepted.

Requesting Trial: Forest Heights Violations Notices
To request a trial for a Forest Heights Parking/Ordinance Violation Notice you must return the notice, unpaid, to:

Forest Heights Police
5508 Arapahoe Drive
Forest Heights, MD 20745

The bottom of the violation notice must be completed in its entirety, to include your complete name, address and driver’s license number. A notice of trial date and location will be mailed to you.

If you fail to request a trial date your vehicle may be flagged with the Motor Vehicle Administration registration renewal may be prohibited. Vehicles with multiple unpaid citations may be impounded without further warning.

2. How do I get a copy of an accident report?

For a copy of a MAARS accident report, please contact the Records Clerk at (301) 839-4040 or come by the Police Department at 5508 Arapahoe Drive between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. The cost for the report is $10 per copy.

Please allow 72 hours after the incident for the officer to complete the report, the Commander to approve it and the Records Clerk to appropriately sort and disseminate it.

3. What do I do if my vehicle was impounded by the Police?

If your vehicle was impounded by Forest Heights Police then it can only be released by an authorization from Forest Heights Police. No other police department can authorize the release of the vehicle. To obtain a vehicle release form you must provide the administrative staff with the case number (CCN), your license plate and/or VIN and the towing officer’s name and ID number. The towing officer is required to complete a vehicle release form by the end of his/her duty day for any vehicle that will be released. This form will be available to the Administrative Staff by the next business day. The fee for the vehicle release is $150, which can be paid by cashier’s check or money order to Forest Heights Police Department. If your vehicle was involved in an accident or it was a recovered stolen vehicle there is no fee.

The majority of all vehicles impounded by Forest Heights Police will be towed by Fort Washington Towing, Inc.

Fort Washington Towing can be reached at:
7303 Livingston Road
Oxon Hill, MD 20745
(301) 567-2033

Fort Washington Towing has a web page related to Forest Heights Police Impounds, which can provide more information on retrieving your vehicle after you have received a vehicle release from the Police Department.

Recovering your vehicle from impound does not negate your responsibility to respond to any violation that was committed that led to your vehicle being impounded. Any citations will remain active until they are satisfied with the Town or the District Court.

4. I came to the Forest Hgts Police Station, but no one was there. How to I get a police response?

The Forest Heights Municipal Center is typically closed on federal holidays and thus police administrative offices are also closed. However, officers are on the streets and police coverage is still available. If you arrive at the Municipal Center and the offices are closed and you need a police response simply call the non-emergency police dispatch number, (301) 352-1200 and an officer can meet you at the Municipal Center. The Forest Heights Police Department has an agreement with the Prince George’s County Police Department for county officers to respond to calls for service within the town should a Forest Heights officer not be available. If you have a specific need to contact a Forest Heights officer (i.e. to follow-up on an investigation, to report an ongoing issue, etc.) simply notify the dispatcher that you need a Forest Heights officer and when one comes available he/she will respond, or any responding County officer will relay the information to the Forest Heights officer.