Missed your ticket deadline or court date?

It's usually fixable, and the sooner you act the cheaper it is. Here's what happens next and what to do today.

License suspension46 statessay a missed ticket can lead to one

Late feesCommonadded by the court or state

Reinstatement$10–$210DMV fee to get your license back

Still payable?Usuallycall the clerk first

What should you do today?

Look up the case. Use the court's online lookup or call the clerk named on your ticket. Ask for the new total and whether a late fee or hold was added.
Pay or ask for a new date. Most courts let you clear it by paying the total. If you want to contest it or take traffic school, ask whether you still can. Some courts allow it after the date, some don't.
Check your license. If the court reported the missed date, the DMV may have mailed a suspension notice. Driving on a suspended license is a separate, more serious charge.
Reinstate if needed. Once the court shows the ticket as cleared, pay the DMV reinstatement fee. The court usually tells the DMV, but keep your receipt.

Find your court and its pay link →

What happens in your state?

Pick your state to see its deadline, what a missed date leads to and the reinstatement fee.

AlabamaCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
If you miss it: If you do not pay or resolve the ticket before the court date and do not appear, you are in contempt of court. The court can add a late fee, ALEA can suspend your license, and a warrant can be issued.
Reinstatement: $100 DMV fee

Alabama deadlines → Find your court →

Alaska30 days to respond

Due: 30 days from the ticket date, unless your notice prints a date.
If you miss it: If you don't respond within 30 days, or skip your arraignment or trial, the court can enter a default judgment of conviction. You then owe the full bail, the surcharge and $35 in court costs, and the points go on your record.
Reinstatement: $100 DMV fee

Alaska deadlines → Find your court →

ArizonaCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
If you miss it: Missing your court date on a civil ticket counts as admitting it. The court enters a default judgment, reports it to MVD and adds a default fee and a time payment fee, $30 and $20 in Maricopa County justice courts.
Reinstatement: $10 DMV fee

Arizona deadlines → Find your court →

ArkansasCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
If you miss it: If you don't appear as ordered, the court issues an arrest order. If you don't make arrangements to pay your fines, the court can ask the Office of Driver Services to suspend your license or vehicle registration.

Arkansas deadlines → Find your court →

CaliforniaCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
After 20 days: Late charge of 50% of the initial penalty if traffic penalties are not paid within 20 days of the court's notice that the penalty has been assessed
After 20 days: Up to $100 civil assessment
After 60 days: License suspended until the FTA is cleared
If you miss it: Willfully failing to appear on a written promise or willfully failing to pay a fine or bail installment is a misdemeanor. The court may also impose a civil assessment of up to $100 after a 20-day warning notice.
Reinstatement: $55 DMV fee

California deadlines → Find your court →

Colorado

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
If you miss it: For a traffic infraction, skipping the court date means judgment is entered against you. You owe the penalty, surcharge, a docket fee and other costs, and the points go on your record.
Reinstatement: $95 DMV fee

Colorado deadlines → Find your court →

ConnecticutCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
If you miss it: If you don't pay or plead not guilty by the answer date, that is an unclassified misdemeanor with up to 10 days in jail. The court tells DMV, which suspends your license until you pay or plead.
Reinstatement: $175 DMV fee

Connecticut deadlines → Find your court →

Delaware30 days to respondCan suspend

Due: 30 days from the ticket date, unless your notice prints a date.
If you miss it: If you don't pay, ask for a hearing within 30 days or show up for trial, the court reports you to the DMV. Delaware drivers can't renew their license until it is resolved, and drivers from other states can have their Delaware privileges suspended and their home state told.
Reinstatement: $50 DMV fee

Delaware deadlines → Find your court →

District of Columbia30 days to respond

Due: 30 days from the ticket date, unless your notice prints a date.
If you miss it: If you don't pay or contest within 30 days, a penalty equal to the fine is added. After 60 days you are found liable and the points go on your record.
Reinstatement: $115 DMV fee

District of Columbia deadlines → Find your court →

Florida30 days to respondCan suspend

Due: 30 days from the ticket date, unless your notice prints a date.
After 20 days: Clerk notifies FLHSMV within 10 days of the failure. FLHSMV's suspension order takes effect 20 days after it is provided. Reinstatement requires clearing the case with the clerk plus a $60 service charge.
If you miss it: Failing to pay within 30 days, to comply with a payment plan, to attend driver improvement school, or to appear at a hearing: the clerk notifies FLHSMV within 10 days, FLHSMV suspends the license effective 20 days after the order, a $16 delinquent fee is added, and reinstatement requires a clerk compliance certificate plus a $60 service charge. An unreinstated suspension stays on the record 7 years.
Reinstatement: $45 DMV fee

Florida deadlines → Find your court →

GeorgiaCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
After 30 days: After 30 days the court may issue a bench warrant and report the FTA to DDS
After 28 days: Indefinite suspension until the court reports the case adjudicated. Reinstatement fee is $100 ($90 online or by mail).
If you miss it: Georgia residents: the court mails a notice with a 30-day grace period, then may issue a bench warrant and report the FTA to DDS. DDS sends a certified-mail notice, and if the FTA is not cleared within 28 days the license is suspended indefinitely.
Reinstatement: $210 DMV fee

Georgia deadlines → Find your court →

Hawaii21 days to respond

Due: 21 days from the ticket date, unless your notice prints a date.
After 30 days: Unpaid amounts are sent to a collection agency.
If you miss it: If you don't answer within 21 days, the court enters a default judgment for the full amount, due within 30 days. You can ask to set it aside by showing good cause and posting a bond for the full amount.

Hawaii deadlines → Find your court →

IdahoCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
After 30 days: The balance may be sent to a collection agency.
If you miss it: An infraction is civil, so missing your date is not a crime and you can't be arrested for it. The court enters a default judgment for the fixed penalty and costs, then mails a notice to pay within at least 30 days.
Reinstatement: $25 DMV fee

Idaho deadlines → Find your court →

IllinoisCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
After 30 days: The court enters an ex parte conviction with the full assessment plus a fine, reports it to the Secretary of State and can send unpaid amounts to collections.
If you miss it: If you miss court, the court sets a new date at least 30 days out and mails you a notice. If you miss that too and haven't paid, the judge enters a conviction without you, with the full assessment plus a fine, and reports it to the Secretary of State.
Reinstatement: $70 DMV fee

Illinois deadlines → Find your court →

IndianaCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
If you miss it: If you miss your court date or don't pay after judgment, the court can have the BMV suspend your license. The suspension ends when the court tells the BMV you appeared or paid.

Indiana deadlines → Find your court →

IowaCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
If you miss it: If you signed the citation's appearance bond and don't show up, the court can convict you and enter a judgment for the bond amount, which is 1.5 times the fine and surcharge plus court costs. If that stays unpaid 60 days after the clerk's notice, the DOT suspends your license until you pay or sign an installment agreement.
Reinstatement: $20 DMV fee

Iowa deadlines → Find your court →

KansasCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
After 30 days: The court tells the Division of Vehicles, which restricts or suspends your license until you comply. A $100 reinstatement fee is added.
If you miss it: Failing to appear or pay as ordered is a misdemeanor of its own. The court mails a notice, and if you don't appear or pay within 30 days it tells the Division of Vehicles.
Reinstatement: $100 DMV fee

Kansas deadlines → Find your court →

KentuckyCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
If you miss it: If you miss your court date, the Transportation Cabinet can suspend your license. You get a notice by mail and 20 days to ask for a hearing.
Reinstatement: $40 DMV fee

Kentucky deadlines → Find your court →

LouisianaCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
After 180 days: Your license may be suspended. Clearing it costs a $100 fee to the state on top of what the court charges.
If you miss it: If you were released on a written promise to appear and miss court, the court can report you to the Department of Public Safety. The state mails a notice that your license may be suspended if you do not appear or pay within 180 days.
Reinstatement: $60 DMV fee

Louisiana deadlines → Find your court →

Maine35 days to respondCan suspend

Due: 35 days from the ticket date, unless your notice prints a date.
If you miss it: If you don't answer the ticket by the date on it, skip the trial or don't pay the fine, the court suspends your license and tells the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. A $50 late fee is added for each violation.
Reinstatement: $50 DMV fee

Maine deadlines → Find your court →

Maryland30 days to respondCan suspend

Due: 30 days from the ticket date, unless your notice prints a date.
After 15 days: License suspended until you pay, enter a payment plan, or get a new court date.
If you miss it: If you don't respond within 30 days or miss a court date, the court notifies the MVA after 5 days. The MVA gives you 15 days to pay, enter a payment plan or ask for a new date, then suspends your license.

Maryland deadlines → Find your court →

Massachusetts20 days to respondCan suspend

Due: 20 days from the ticket date, unless your notice prints a date.
After 30 days: License suspended by operation of law until the ticket and fees are paid.
If you miss it: For a civil ticket, missing the 20-day deadline or a hearing puts you in default. The RMV mails a notice, and if you don't pay the ticket plus late fees within 30 days your license is suspended until you do.
Reinstatement: $100 DMV fee

Massachusetts deadlines → Find your court →

MichiganCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
After 28 days: If you don't respond or pay within 14 days of the notice, the Secretary of State suspends your license until the court clears it and you pay a $45 clearance fee.
If you miss it: If you don't respond to a civil infraction ticket, the court enters a default judgment. 28 days or more after you miss the due date, the court mails a notice.
Reinstatement: $125 DMV fee

Michigan deadlines → Find your court →

Minnesota30 days to respondCan suspend

Due: 30 days from the notice, unless your notice prints a date.
After 30 days: DVS may suspend the license until you show you complied with the court. This does not apply to petty misdemeanors.
If you miss it: For a petty misdemeanor ticket (most speeding and moving violations), not responding within 30 days counts as a guilty plea and a waiver of trial. Late fees are added ($5, then $25) and the debt goes to collections with a 20% fee.
Reinstatement: $20 DMV fee

Minnesota deadlines → Find your court →

MississippiCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
If you miss it: If you miss court or don't pay, the court can have your license suspended until you settle the ticket. Failing to appear on an out-of-state ticket also suspends a Mississippi license once that state reports it.

Mississippi deadlines → Find your court →

MissouriCan suspend

After 30 days: The court tells the Department of Revenue, which suspends your license until the case is settled and paid.
If you miss it: If you miss your court date or don't pay a moving violation, the court mails you a notice within 10 days. If you don't settle the charge and pay within 30 days of that notice, the Department of Revenue suspends your license until you do.
Reinstatement: $20 DMV fee

Missouri deadlines → Find your court →

MontanaCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
If you miss it: If you miss the date on your ticket, the court first warns you by mail, then reports you to the Motor Vehicle Division, which suspends your license. It stays suspended until you appear or comply.
Reinstatement: $100 DMV fee

Montana deadlines → Find your court →

NebraskaCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
If you miss it: If you neither pay nor appear, the county court can issue a warrant, and DMV can send a notice that your license will be suspended. Paying online after a warrant does not cancel it.
Reinstatement: $125 DMV fee

Nebraska deadlines → Find your court →

Nevada90 days to respondCan suspend

Due: 90 days from the ticket date, unless your notice prints a date.
If you miss it: If you don't respond to a civil infraction within 90 days, or skip the hearing you asked for, the court finds that you committed it and assesses the penalty. You lose the right to appeal.
Reinstatement: $75 DMV fee

Nevada deadlines → Find your court →

New Hampshire30 days to respondCan suspend

Due: 30 days from the ticket date, unless your notice prints a date.
After 30 days: Your license stays suspended until you pay or appear and pay the $100 restoration fee.
If you miss it: If you don't answer within 30 days, or skip a court date, you are defaulted. A $50 late fee is added to the fine, and DMV suspends your license 30 days later without more notice if the officer handed you the ticket.
Reinstatement: $100 DMV fee

New Hampshire deadlines → Find your court →

New JerseyCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
After 30 days: Your license is suspended unless you contact the court and resolve the case within the 30 days.
If you miss it: If you miss the date on a payable ticket, the court mails a failure to appear notice and adds a $10 penalty. Each new notice raises the amount by at least $10.
Reinstatement: $100 DMV fee

New Jersey deadlines → Find your court →

New Mexico30 days to respondCan suspend

Due: 30 days from the ticket date, unless your notice prints a date.
If you miss it: If you miss your court date the court issues a bench warrant, and clearing one at Metro Court carries a $100 warrant fee. Since June 16, 2023, MVD no longer suspends regular licenses just for failing to appear or failing to pay a ticket.
Reinstatement: $102 DMV fee

New Mexico deadlines → Find your court →

New York15 days to respondCan suspend

Due: 15 days from the ticket date, unless your notice prints a date.
After 30 days: Indefinite suspension until you answer, pay, enter a payment plan, or the charge is dismissed. Continued failure at TVB leads to a default conviction.
If you miss it: Not answering a ticket (TVB or local court) or missing a hearing means your license is suspended. Driving while suspended is a crime.
Reinstatement: $50 DMV fee

New York deadlines → Find your court →

North Carolina

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
After 20 days: After 20 days the court reports you to the DMV and the $200 failure-to-appear fee applies.
After 60 days: Your license is revoked with no end date until you dispose of the charge or pay. Then the $83.50 restoration fee applies.
If you miss it: If you miss court and don't resolve the charge within 20 days, the court tells the DMV and adds a $200 fee. The DMV revokes your license starting 60 days after it mails the order.
Reinstatement: $83.50 DMV fee

North Carolina deadlines → Find your court →

North Dakota14 days to respondCan suspend

Due: 14 days from the ticket date, unless your notice prints a date.
If you miss it: If you neither pay nor ask for a hearing, you are treated as admitting the violation. The court reports it to the DOT within 10 days, the points are entered and your license can be suspended.
Reinstatement: $50 DMV fee

North Dakota deadlines → Find your court →

OhioCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
After 30 days: The BMV suspends your license until the court tells it you appeared.
If you miss it: If you miss court on a traffic ticket, the court can declare your license forfeited. 30 days later it tells the BMV, which suspends your license with no end date until the court reports that you appeared.

Ohio deadlines → Find your court →

OklahomaCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
If you miss it: If you don't pay or appear by your court date, the court clerk can send a suspension request to Service Oklahoma. It then suspends your Oklahoma license, or asks your home state to suspend it under the Nonresident Violator Compact.
Reinstatement: $25 DMV fee

Oklahoma deadlines → Find your court →

OregonCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
After 60 days: License suspended until the court reports the case cleared, or 10 years pass.
After 365 days: Ask the court to set aside a default judgment
If you miss it: If you miss the appearance date, the court can enter a default judgment for the full fine and may issue a warrant. For a traffic violation the court tells DMV, which suspends your license 60 days after mailing you a notice.
Reinstatement: $85 DMV fee

Oregon deadlines → Find your court →

Pennsylvania10 days to respondCan suspend

Due: 10 days from the ticket date, unless your notice prints a date.
If you miss it: If you don't respond to a citation, the court can issue a bench warrant. It can also tell PennDOT to suspend your license after warning you in writing.

Pennsylvania deadlines → Find your court →

Rhode Island20 days to respondCan suspend

Due: 20 days from the ticket date, unless your notice prints a date.
If you miss it: If you don't pay in time and then miss your court date, a judge can enter a default judgment and decide the case without you. The order can include suspending your license and registration, and it is mailed to you.
Reinstatement: $153.50 DMV fee

Rhode Island deadlines → Find your court →

South CarolinaCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
After 365 days: SCDMV may suspend or refuse to renew your license until you comply and pay the $100 reinstatement fee.
If you miss it: Most tickets let you post the bond shown on the ticket instead of going to court. That bond forfeiture counts as a conviction and adds points.
Reinstatement: $100 DMV fee

South Carolina deadlines → Find your court →

South DakotaCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
If you miss it: If you sign the promise to appear and then skip court, that is a Class 2 misdemeanor of its own, even if the first charge is later dropped. The court can issue a bench warrant and charge $10 for it.
Reinstatement: $75 DMV fee

South Dakota deadlines → Find your court →

TennesseeCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
If you miss it: If you miss the compliance date, the court enters a default judgment that raises the amount owed and reports it to the Department of Safety, which can suspend your license until you clear it with the court. Unpaid amounts can go to collections, and in Davidson County a bench warrant for contempt is possible.

Tennessee deadlines → Find your court →

TexasCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
If you miss it: If you miss your court date or don't pay as ordered, the court can issue a warrant, and willfully breaking your written promise to appear is its own misdemeanor. Courts that contract with DPS report you to the Failure to Appear/Failure to Pay program (run by vendor OmniBase Services).
Reinstatement: $100 DMV fee

Texas deadlines → Find your court →

Utah14 days to respondCan suspend

Due: 14 days from the ticket date, unless your notice prints a date.
If you miss it: If you don't pay or contact the court within 14 days the fine can go up by $50. After 40 days the court can add $75 more and issue a warrant.
Reinstatement: $40 DMV fee

Utah deadlines → Find your court →

Vermont21 days to respondCan suspend

Due: 21 days from the ticket date, unless your notice prints a date.
If you miss it: If you don't answer within 21 days, the Judicial Bureau enters a default judgment for the waiver fine plus a $20 fee. If you miss your hearing, the hearing officer can rule against you.
Reinstatement: $96 DMV fee

Vermont deadlines → Find your court →

VirginiaCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
If you miss it: If you neither prepay nor appear, the judge can hear the case without you and convict you, and a $35 failure-to-appear fee is added to the costs. In criminal and some traffic cases a separate warrant can be issued on a new failure to appear charge.
Reinstatement: $30 DMV fee

Virginia deadlines → Find your court →

Washington30 days to respondCan suspend

Due: 30 days from the ticket date, unless your notice prints a date.
If you miss it: If you do not respond within 30 days or miss your hearing, the court enters a finding that you committed the infraction and adds a $25 penalty. For a moving violation the court tells DOL, which suspends your license until the case is resolved and you pay a $75 reissue fee.
Reinstatement: $75 DMV fee

Washington deadlines → Find your court →

West VirginiaCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
After 10 days: Your license is suspended until you resolve the case.
If you miss it: If you don't answer or appear, the magistrate clerk tells DMV within 15 days and DMV suspends your license. The suspension starts 10 days after you get the order by certified mail.
Reinstatement: $50 DMV fee

West Virginia deadlines → Find your court →

WisconsinCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
After 20 days: Your license can be suspended or a warrant issued.
If you miss it: If you don't pay or appear, the court can enter a default judgment as if you pleaded no contest, or issue a warrant. The judgment gives you at least 20 days to pay.
Reinstatement: $50 DMV fee

Wisconsin deadlines → Find your court →

WyomingCan suspend

Due: The date printed on your ticket or notice.
If you miss it: If you don't appear or pay by the court date, the court reports the open ticket to WYDOT. Your license is suspended until the court confirms the ticket is handled and you pay the $50 reinstatement fee.
Reinstatement: $50 DMV fee

Wyoming deadlines → Find your court →

What else do people ask?

Can I still pay a ticket after the due date?

Usually yes. Most courts still take payment after the date, often with a late fee added. Call the clerk or use the court's case lookup before you pay so you pay the right total.

Will a missed ticket suspend my license?

In 46 of the 51 states and DC covered here, the rules say a missed ticket can lead to a license suspension. The court tells the DMV, and the DMV mails a notice before the suspension starts in most states.

How do I get my license back after a suspension for an unpaid ticket?

Clear the ticket with the court first, by paying or setting a new date. Then pay the DMV reinstatement fee. Fees run from $10 to $210 in the states we list.

What happens if I miss my traffic court date?

The court usually enters a default or a failure to appear. That can mean a conviction on the ticket, an added fee, and a report to the DMV that starts a license suspension. Call the clerk right away. Many courts will set a new date or let you pay, especially if you act before the DMV notice arrives.

Is there a warrant for a missed traffic ticket?

For a civil infraction, usually not. For a misdemeanor traffic charge, or if you were ordered to appear in person, a judge can issue a bench warrant. Your ticket says whether you must appear.