Eric Skager Law can help you if you’ve gotten a speeding ticket in North Carolina. Getting a speeding ticket is frustrating enough on its own. But once you pull away and get back home, the reality hits. Ignoring a speeding ticket can create bigger problems in the future. One way or the other, our team can answer your questions and help you through it. Set up a free consultation today.

What Happens If I Don’t Pay My Speeding Ticket?

Once you’re stopped by a cop and they give you a speeding ticket, you actually have a few different options laid out right there in the ticket itself. Basically, you can pay it, ask for a reduction, or go to court. Of course, there’s an option that’s not listed on the ticket: doing nothing and not paying for it.

The problem with that, though, is that if you do nothing, the ticket doesn’t go away. Instead, not paying the ticket triggers additional problems like:

• Additional fines. The original fine is often only part of what you owe. When payment deadlines are missed, additional court costs, administrative fees, and penalties may be added. This can significantly increase the amount required to resolve the ticket later. In other words, waiting rarely makes the ticket cheaper.
• License suspension. This is one of the bigger problems with ignoring a speeding ticket. If you don’t pay it, the court can notify the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the DMV can then suspend your license until it’s paid. It’s easy to see why that’s a much bigger problem, since you still have to drive to work, to school, or simply get from point A to point B. And if you decide to just keep driving with a suspending license, that brings bigger punishments if you get stopped again.
• Problems with renewing your license. Even if your license doesn’t get suspended right away, you still have to renew it. And if you have outstanding speeding tickets, the DMV might deny your renewal.

Obviously, it’s in your best interest to just pay your speeding ticket. The problems that come from not doing that are usually bigger than the ticket itself. With that said though, life also happens. So if you forget to pay it, or you can’t pay it right now, you’re probably wondering if you can fix it later.

Can I Still Fix the Situation After I Don’t Pay My Speeding Ticket?

The good news with a speeding ticket is that it’s actually pretty easy to take care of. You simply pay it. And that actually doesn’t change if something happens and you forget to pay it—although timing is incredibly important. Here’s how you can fix things:

• Acknowledge that you missed a deadline. Missing a payment deadline doesn’t make your speeding ticket go away, but it also doesn’t mean you’re out of options. If you’re only a few days passed the deadline, you can still usually:
  • Pay the ticket before additional penalties are added.
  • Ask a judge for an extension or to review your case if you’ve had more penalties.

The biggest mistake is still ignoring the ticket. The sooner you show you’re trying to take care of it, the more lenient the judge/DMV is.

• Requesting a reduction. Sometimes, people don’t pay the speeding ticket because they feel they were stopped and charged unfairly. Again, that doesn’t mean it goes away. But you do have the option of going to court and asking for an official reduction. That means asking the state to:
  • Reduce the speed listed on the ticket.
  • Change the charge to something less serious.
  • Consider that maybe the ticket was issued wrongly or unfairly
  • Settle things with a lesser violation.

• Restore your license. You can also ask the court to restore your license if it’s been suspended or your renewal was denied. However, that means you’ll have to:
  • Pay any outstanding fines or court costs.
  • Meet whatever requirements the court or DMV puts in front of you.
  • Go through the process of getting your license reinstated.

Remember this, every situation is different. Judges and the court system deal with missed payments and missed deadlines all the time. The important thing to remember is that there are solutions available—even after weeks, months, or sometimes longer have passed. But it also takes action on your part. And it’s not something you have to try to do alone. Our team can guide you through it.

Get Help With a Speeding Ticket in North Carolina

When you get a speeding ticket in North Carolina, it’s easy to feel annoyed or confused. But that doesn’t mean you can just ignore the problem and hope it goes away. And actually, doing that creates even more problems.

But again, not paying a ticket doesn’t mean you’re out of options. Our team at Eric Skager Law can help you by:

• Looking into your situation and explaining exactly where things stand.
• Addressing missed deadlines and outstanding tickets.
• Exploring court options and representing you before a traffic court judge.
• Working to restore your license has been suspended.

Most importantly, we can help you understand what needs to happen next. If you haven’t paid a speeding ticket in North Carolina, set up a free consultation today.