Failure to Appear Suspensions and License Holds
Contents
Failure to Appear Suspensions and License Holds
Getting a ticket sucks. We’ve all been there. You’re cruising along, going a little over the speed limit maybe, when those red and blue lights flash in your rearview mirror. Your heart sinks as the officer approaches your window. Even if you’re let off with just a warning, it’s still a bummer.
But it’s way worse if you just ignore that ticket, thinking it’ll go away. Spoiler alert: it won’t. Failure to appear and resolve traffic tickets can lead to serious consequences like suspended licenses and holds on renewing your license. Let’s break down what happens when you fail to take care of traffic tickets in [State].
The Notice to Appear
When you get a traffic citation, it’ll say right on it when and where you need to appear to deal with the ticket. Usually this first appearance is an arraignment, where you can plead guilty or not guilty. The court date might be a few weeks or even months after you got the ticket.
A lot of people just ignore that court date, either because they forgot, don’t have time, or are hoping it’ll just go away. Bad idea. If you miss your court date, the judge will issue a bench warrant for your arrest and suspend your license.
License Suspension for Failure to Appear
Yep, the [State DMV] will suspend your driver’s license if you fail to appear in court for a traffic ticket. They don’t mess around. The suspension goes into effect 30 days after the court notifies the DMV that you’re a no-show.
This is obviously a big deal if you need to drive to work, school, etc. Also, driving on a suspended license is against the law and can lead to your car being impounded, fines, and even jail time in some cases. No bueno.
Luckily, getting your license reinstated is pretty straightforward. You’ll need to:
- Resolve the original traffic ticket (more on this later).
- Pay a reinstatement fee to the DMV (usually around $100).
- Show proof of insurance.
Once you’ve jumped through those hoops, your license suspension will be cleared up. Of course, it’s better to just show up to your court date in the first place and avoid the whole mess.
License Holds for Unpaid Tickets
If you ignore that failure to appear suspension and keep cruising around on a suspended license, things will get worse. The DMV may slap a hold on renewing your license until you take care of the original ticket.
This hold means you won’t be able to renew your license when it expires. And driving without a valid license is a big problem. We’re talking fines, points on your record, increased insurance rates, and possibly jail time. No one wants that.
To lift the hold, you’ll need to:
- Resolve the original traffic ticket (pay fines, appear in court, etc).
- Pay a release fee to the DMV, usually $100-$150.
- Clear up any other requirements the court ordered, like traffic school.
The DMV doesn’t play around – they want your ticket taken care of before they’ll renew that license.
How to Resolve the Traffic Ticket
Okay, so we’ve established that ignoring tickets and missing court dates is a terrible idea. Let’s talk about how to actually deal with traffic citations so you can avoid suspensions and holds on your license.
First, show up to your arraignment and plead not guilty. This buys you some time to either fight the ticket or work out a plea deal with the prosecutor.
If it’s a minor offense like a speeding or stop sign ticket, the prosecutor may let you plead to a lesser charge that doesn’t put points on your license or up your insurance. There are also options like traffic school to avoid points.
If you can’t afford the fine, ask the judge if you can do community service instead. For low-income folks, some courts have amnesty programs where you can get the fine waived if you show proof of financial hardship.
If you just blew off your court date cause you forgot or something came up, go to the court clerk and ask to reschedule. Explain you couldn’t make it and need a new court date. Don’t just not show up again!
Hiring a traffic ticket attorney is always an option too. They can negotiate with the prosecutor and appear in court for you. This will cost money of course, but may be worth it to avoid license issues.
The key is to not ignore citations and work with the court to resolve the matter. Communication is your friend here. Ask for help if you need it.
The Bottom Line
While traffic tickets are annoying, the consequences of failing to appear and resolve them are way worse. Don’t let a suspended license or hold on renewing your license happen to you.
- Mark your court date and show up (or hire a lawyer to appear for you).
- Plead not guilty to buy time and negotiate a deal.
- Ask for options like payment plans, community service, or amnesty programs.
- If your license gets suspended, reinstate it ASAP.
- Don’t drive without a valid license – the penalties are severe!
With some responsibility and proactive effort, you can resolve citations without all the headaches of suspensions and holds. Handled properly, a speeding ticket doesn’t have to turn into a legal nightmare. Let’s all drive safe out there!