Where a Benwood ticket goes, what the court expects, and your options before you pay. Cline & Singh is a Weirton law firm, not the court.
Benwood sits on WV-2 at the southern edge of Wheeling, where Marshall County begins. Traffic leaving Wheeling for Moundsville passes through Benwood first, and the town enforces its own traffic ordinances through its own court.
Because Benwood runs right up against Wheeling, drivers stopped near the line are often unsure which city they were in when the officer pulled them over. The answer matters, because it decides which court has the case and when you have to be there.
Three different courts can end up with a ticket written on this stretch of WV-2. A Benwood officer writing a town ordinance violation sends it to Benwood Municipal Court at City Hall. A Wheeling officer on the Wheeling side of the line sends it to Wheeling Municipal Court in the City-County Building downtown. A West Virginia State Police trooper or a Marshall County deputy files it in Marshall County Magistrate Court in Moundsville, even if the stop happened inside Benwood.
The department and the court are both printed on the citation. If the court named there is not the one you expected, go by the citation, not by where you think you were.
Benwood’s court usually sits only twice a month, so a missed date is not a small slip: the next opening may be weeks away, and failing to appear on a traffic citation can lead to a license suspension on top of the original charge. If you cannot make the date, call the court at (304) 232-4320 before it passes, not after.
WV-2 through Benwood carries commercial traffic heading south from Wheeling. For CDL holders, a Benwood conviction counts the same as any other, and courts cannot defer or mask it. CDL violations. For how points and payment work statewide, see how West Virginia traffic tickets work.
The City of Benwood lists the court as usually sitting on the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 9:00 a.m. Schedules change, so confirm your date with the court at (304) 232-4320.
The one printed on your citation. Benwood police tickets go to Benwood Municipal Court, Wheeling police tickets go to Wheeling Municipal Court, and State Police or Marshall County deputy tickets go to Marshall County Magistrate Court in Moundsville.
The city accepts payment in person, by mail, online, or by phone. Paying ordinarily counts as a conviction that is reported to the DMV, so check what it would mean for your record before you pay.
Both of our attorneys were raised in the Northern Panhandle and appear regularly in its courts. We offer phone and video consultations for clients who would rather not make the drive to Weirton.
This page provides general information about West Virginia law and local courts and is not legal advice. Court locations and procedures can change; check your citation or court paperwork for the controlling details, and consult a licensed attorney about your situation.
Talk with us before you pay it. Consultations are free. Call (304) 919-2912 or (304) 919-2119, or send us a message to get started.