Will I Lose my License if I Can’t Pay a Speeding Ticket?

A court-ordered driver’s license suspension is a possibility if you do not pay the fine for pleading guilty to or being convicted of speeding in Ohio.

Under the traffic laws of Ohio, drivers ticketed for speeding do not automatically face a license suspension. A series of decisions and actions, however, can end with the loss of driving privileges for an indeterminate period.

You Won’t Lose Your License if …

First, the standard penalties for exceeding a posted speed limit or for going faster than a police officer considered safe for road conditions are monetary fines, court costs, administrative fees, and points against your driving record. I you sign the ticket and return payment without requesting a court hearing, the possibility of having your license suspended never arises unless you did not have insurance or the violation results in you having 12 points on your driver’s license.

You could go before a judge, be found guilty, pay the fees and costs, and walk away with your license. You could also hire a Columbus, Ohio, speeding ticket attorney,  have the charges dismissed or be found not guilty which also removes any possibility of getting your license suspended.

You Will Lose Your License if …

A license suspension (called a license forfeiture in this case) enters the pictures when one of the following things happens:

• You miss the deadline for signing the ticket and mailing in the payment (i.e., pleading guilty and clearing your case)
• You skip your court date without rescheduling
• You are found guilty then fail to pay the fine and the related costs by the court-mandated deadline
• Your failure to appear in court and/or settle your debt to the state results in a judge issuing a warrant for your arrest

In each of those scenarios, a judge will place your license under suspension until you set a new court date or pay all the ticket-related fines and fees. Consulting with a speeding ticket lawyer in Columbus, Ohio, when issues concerning court appearances and warrants arise is strongly recommended.

The speeding ticket case-related suspension order will not take effect for 30 days, which amounts to a grace period during which the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicle is not notified of the judge’s order. Take care of your ticket and any other legal issues that have developed during that month, and you can keep your license.

If 30 days pass without you resolving your speeding case, the court will send notice to the BMV to enforce your license suspension. After that time, you will have to pay a license reinstatement fee in additional to all the ticket and court expenses.

Never ignore a speeding ticket. If you feel you were cited in error or if want to fight the citation for any reason, a traffic violation defense attorney with The Maher Law Firm may be able to help. Schedule a no-cost case consultation by using this contact form or calling (614) 205-2208.