Yep. Pennies are still valid currency.
But the traffic court can make a local rule that prohibits payment in change over a certain amount. Such rules are valid, and our local City Court has one.
I’ll bet that court has that rule now.
But many states have laws which specify that payment of public utilities, fees or fines only in a single fraction of the standard currency.
That means only 99 pennies, max.
People have been doing this for DECADES. That’s why they made the laws.