What Happens After You Are Arrested?
July 16, 2017
Domestic violence and Covid-19 pandemic
May 25, 2020
Show all

Consequences of Failure to Answer a Traffic Ticket

traffic ticket   It is very important that you answer your traffic ticket in a timely manner.

Failure to answer your traffic ticket may cause your driver license to become suspended.  In addition, if you fail to answer your traffic ticket or appear in court on the scheduled date, after a certain period of time, the Court may enter a default conviction and order you to pay fines and surcharges. If you still fail to pay fines and surcharges, the Court may enter additional suspension of your driver’s license or driving privileges, if you reside or have a license from out-of-state. In addition, Department of Motor Vehicles (“DMV”) will assess points against your driver’s license or privilege for the default convictions the same way as if you went to court and were convicted.

Moreover, if you continue to operate a motor vehicle while your driver license remains suspended, you can be charged with a crime – unclassified Misdemeanor – aggravated unlicensed operation in the 3rd degree (driving with a suspended license) under VTL 511.1. Depending on a number of dates and outstanding suspensions, this can be a more serious charge of VTL 511.2 or even VTL 511.3 as a felony.  When pulled over for this offense, the police may formally arrest you, bring you to a precinct for processing and then transport you to court for arraignment.

As you can see, simply forgetting to answer a traffic ticket, may result in compounding problems that will cause you time, aggravation, money, and possibly a criminal charge.

If you think you may have outstanding moving violations, you can contact

NYS DMV https://dmv.ny.gov to check on its status.

If you have questions, please contact our office for a detailed consultation.

Sharifov & Associates, PLLC.   516-505-2300     718-368-2800      SharifovR@LawfirmSR.com

Attorney Advertising:  This information is designed for general information purposes only. The information presented here should not be construed to be a legal advice, nor this information of lawyer/client relationship.  To obtain an analysis and advice about your specific situation, please contact our office to schedule your personal consultation