An appearance ticket is a small piece of paper that tells you when and where you need to go to court. It's like an invitation to a specific day and place where you will meet with a judge to discuss a legal issue. Full definition
The city has already stopped making arrests for possession of small amounts of marijuana, opting to issue desk appearance tickets instead — essentially, a summons to court. (observer.com)
Police officers within their jurisdiction, deputy sheriffs and designees of the Erie County Department of Health shall be charged with enforcement of this Local Law and are authorized to issue appearance tickets for violations of this Local Law. (www2.erie.gov)