Legal Definitions - appearance ticket

An appearance ticket is a document issued by a court or police officer that requires a person to appear in court on a specific date and time to defend against a stated charge. It is also known as a citation.

• If you get pulled over for speeding, the police officer may issue you an appearance ticket to appear in court and defend against the charge.
• If you are a witness in a court case, the court may issue you an appearance ticket to appear in court and testify.

These examples illustrate how an appearance ticket is used to require someone to appear in court and defend against a charge or fulfill a legal obligation.