Imagine that you are in a hurry to get to work in Kansas City after a rushed morning, and you are driving beyond the posted speed limit. You end up getting pulled over by a Kansas City police officer, and you are issued a ticket. It turns out that you are extremely busy at work, and you completely forget about the speeding ticket. After the fine is due, you realize you forgot to pay it and you missed your scheduled court date. What will happen?
The above scenario is just one example of the type of situation in which a driver may be issued a speeding ticket, but fail to pay the ticket. In other situations, a driver might intentionally disregard the ticket or might think that getting a relatively minor speeding ticket is not a big deal. However, it is extremely important to know that you can face serious consequences in Kansas City, Missouri if you do not pay your traffic ticket. The following are possible penalties you could face, including having a warrant out for your arrest.
Your Driver’s License Can Be Suspended
If you do not pay your traffic ticket in Kansas City by the court date listed on your citation, you should know that the failure to pay can have serious ramifications. First, your driver’s license can be suspended. The Kansas City Missouri Municipal Court will report your Failure to Appear (which will result in an arrest warrant, as we will explain shortly) to the Missouri Department of Revenue. Once the Missouri Department of Revenue receives that information, it will issue what is known as a FACT suspension (this means “Failure to Appear in Court for Traffic Violation”).
Typically, a FACT suspension will exist until you pay your initial ticket, and you go through all of the necessary steps to have your driver’s license reinstated.
FACT Suspension Could Stay on Your Driving Record for Five Years After Reinstatement
Once you get your license reinstated after a FACT suspension, the suspension information will remain on your driver record for five years from your reinstatement date if you are an out-of-state driver (such as a driver in Kansas). You will need to contact the Missouri Department of Revenue to have the FACT suspension removed from your record.
Arrest Warrant Can Be Issued
When you do not appear for your traffic ticket court date and you have not paid your ticket, the municipal court will charge you with Failure to Appear (FTA), and if you miss another court date, then the court will be able to issue an arrest warrant.
Contact a Kansas City Traffic Ticket Defense Lawyer
If you are cited for a traffic violation and receive a ticket, it is important to take care of that ticket as soon as possible and certainly before a scheduled court date. While it is essential to make sure you pay a ticket when necessary, you should also remember that you may have options for fighting the ticket—you should not necessarily pay it just to “make it go away,” so to speak. An experienced Kansas City traffic ticket attorney can discuss your options with you today. Contact Aimee the Attorney for more information.
