Consequences of Ignoring a NC Traffic Ticket
Receiving a simple traffic ticket can be a headache. However, if you ignore the ticket it could snowball into a serious matter with long-lasting consequences. You could be faced with increased fines, penalties, license revocation, and suspension, and added points on both your license and DMV record that will negatively affect your insurance rates.
In addition, not all traffic offenses carry the same weight. Some are only infractions while others are misdemeanor criminal charges. This means that certain violations could lead to criminal convictions, not just fines or insurance increases.
The specific consequences you might face will depend on the specific charge and your history. However, some of the common repercussions that you could be faced with if you don’t handle your North Carolina traffic ticket include the following:
- Failure to Appear charges. You may be imposed additional fines for “failure to appear” if you ignore a traffic ticket and do not show up on your court date. A failure to appear fine can be as much as $200 in North Carolina. In addition, other fines may increase after a court date deadline. Racking up unnecessary fines can quickly make a simple ticket very expensive.
- In addition to failure to appear fines, you could also be faced with a potential license suspension for not handling your traffic offense. You will receive a notice from the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles advising you of the license suspension. A short window of time will be allowed for you to correct the situation. If you receive a license suspension the best course of action is to immediately contact an attorney for assistance in properly resolving the situation. Ignoring this notice can result in an indefinite suspension and potentially arrest.
- In some extreme circumstances ignoring a traffic ticket may result in an arrest warrant being issued. Depending on the specific circumstances, such as tickets for excessive speeding or having an expired registration along with other factors could subject an offender to having an arrest warrant issued.
- If you appear in court but don’t pay the fine or court costs associated with the ticket you could be faced with a license revocation. Similar to a license suspension, the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles will notify you of the revocation by letter. Your license will remain revoked until all fines are paid, including late fees and penalties.
If you are unable to attend court or pay the fines, don’t ignore the ticket. The costs will only increase. A knowledgeable traffic ticket attorney can appear on your behalf and ensure your traffic citation is handled properly. An experienced attorney can fight the charges, or seek a reduction which may include reduced fines, an extension, or an attempt to set up a payment plan for the court fees.
Ignoring or improperly handling a traffic ticket without the assistance of a knowledgeable attorney can become expensive on a number of levels. In addition to the court fines and penalties, one ticket has the potential to increase your insurance premiums by 40% for as long as 3 years.
At Hopper Cummings, our attorneys have the knowledge and local experience needed to obtain the best possible outcome for you. We are committed to helping you make informed decisions with honest advice. If you have received a traffic ticket in Chatham County, do not delay protecting yourself from the harsh penalties that can result. Let us help you minimize the impact it will have on your driving record and wallet by contacting us today for a consultation by phone at 919-533-4115 or online by completing our contact form on this website.
