Most people have put off paying an expense, bill or parking ticket at some point in their lives. However, when it comes to Colorado traffic violations, an unpaid ticket can quickly turn into a much more serious problem.
Sometimes, individuals may shirk a ticket because they are unable to pay the fine right away. Other times, they may simply slip their mind. But an unpaid ticket can lead to an issued warrant, summons to appear before court and license suspension.
License suspension and increased penalties
If an individual fails to pay a ticket that they’ve been issued, a judge will likely issue a bench warrant for the person’s arrest. The court will then send a notice to the Colorado Department of Revenue Division of Motor Vehicles. The DMV will then send a letter to the offending driver ordering them to clear the ticket before their license is suspended.
A license suspension can be an inconvenience much greater than a ticket is worth. Driving without a license is a crime that could lead to additional fines and possible jail time.
Local ticket, national reach
Tickets can even follow you across state lines. Due to the National Driver Registry, most states can communicate with one another.
This means that even if you live in another state, you may still face the
In many cases, another state will honor Colorado’s Courts’ warrants and may suspend your license.
Dealing with an unpaid ticket
Unpaid tickets can quickly spiral out of control. If you have been informed that you need to pay a traffic ticket or else face a warrant, your best course of action should be stop driving until you sort out your legal issue.
Handling the issue will depend on your specific situation, but an attorney can help give you better perspective of the consequences you are facing and how the situation can be dealt with. For specific advice, contacting an experienced Colorado attorney is the best first step.