A violation designated as an infraction under this chapter shall be heard and determined by an administrative law judge of the office of administrative hearings. If a party desires to contest the notice of infraction, the party shall file a notice of appeal with the department specifying the grounds of the appeal within thirty days of service of the infraction in a manner provided by this chapter. The appeal must be accompanied by a certified check for two hundred dollars or ten percent of the penalty amount, whichever is less, but in no event less than one hundred dollars, which shall be returned to the assessed party if the decision of the department is not sustained following the final decision in the appeal. If the final decision sustains the decision of the department, the department must apply the amount of the check to the payment of the expenses of the appeal, including costs charged by the office of administrative hearings. The administrative law judge shall conduct hearings in these cases at locations in the county where the infraction occurred.