Do not ignore it!
Even if you can’t afford the fine, it is important to show up in court by the date on your ticket. If you miss court, the court may:
- Issue an arrest warrant;
- Charge you with the separate crime of failing to appear in court that also carries more fines as punishment;
- Consider your failure to pay when determining your fine later on, and fine you a greater amount;
- Place a hold that will prevent you from renewing your driver’s license, meaning when it expires you cannot legally drive until you resolve what you owe; and
- Place a hold that will prevent you from renewing your vehicle registration until you resolve what you owe.
Contact the court if you aren’t sure when your court date is or if you absolutely cannot make your court date.
If you can’t show up for your court date, call the court and try to reschedule. You will likely need to ask for a different date in writing; often, the court has a form you can fill out.
Go to court prepared to handle the ticket and prove your inability to pay.
You’ll be asked to enter a plea. See What Happens at My First Appearance in Court. If you plan to plead Guilty or No Contest (Nolo Contendere), the judge will likely sentence you that day. If you plead Not Guilty, you'll have to come back for your trial, where you may be either convicted (found guilty) or acquitted (found innocent). If you're convicted, the judge will sentence you then.
Your sentence will likely require that you pay a fine and court costs. If you’re found guilty, then the judge will assess the appropriate fine and court costs associated with your case, as well as your ability to pay. If a judge does not ask about your ability to pay, speak up and tell them that you are unable to pay because you don’t have enough money. Bring with you any evidence that you have that can help show the judge you are unable to pay.
If the judge finds you unable to pay the fines or court costs, you have several alternatives.
Generally there are four alternatives for people who cannot immediately pay:
(1) full payment all at once but at a later date in the future, usually in 30 days;
(2) a payment plan, where you pay in monthly installments until you’ve paid the full amount;
(3) community service, where you work off what you owe at a rate of $12.50 or more per hour, and which may include traditional volunteer work, as well as things like job training, drug or alcohol treatment, tutoring and other activities; and
(4) waiver of the fine and/or court costs or a reduction to an amount you can afford.
If one of these options works better for you over the others, you should explain that to the judge. If the judge is ordering you to do something that you know you will not be able to do, respectfully let her know.
Know that judges are willing to agree to a waiver or reduction of the fine if neither a payment plan nor community service is possible for you.
Additionally, you can also receive jail credit for served time in jail for a warrant issued for the underlying offense/violation or for any offense unrelated to your unpaid tickets. However, a judge typically won't assign jail time to resolve a ticket.
For more information about alternatives, See I’ve Been Ordered to Pay an Amount I Can’t Afford and I’m Not Sure If I Can Complete Community Service.