What could happen if I don’t pay my traffic fines or if I don’t appear for my court date?

There are serious consequences if you don’t pay your traffic fines, or if you don’t show up for your court date:[2227]

FAILURE TO PAY YOUR FINES:
    The amount you owe in traffic fines can increase by A LOT. You may be charged interest and additional fees as penalties for paying late or not paying at all.[2228]
    If you agreed to make installment payments to the court for your traffic fines, and you do not make the required payments, the court can order you to pay a $300 civil assessment fine.[2229]
    Your debt could be referred to a collection agency, which can affect your credit score and, in turn, your ability to get a loan, rent an apartment, or qualify for some jobs. (See PG. 663 for more information on “collections”).
    For parking tickets—You will not be allowed to renew your car registration if you owe unpaid parking fines for that car (and you may be charged an extra fee for having your registration suspended).[2230] Your car MUST be registered with the DMV in order for you or anyone else to drive it, but the DMV will NOT let you renew your registration until you pay off all fines and fees you owe. This means your car CANNOT legally be driven or sold during this time (and you can be charged with other offenses if you drive your car when it’s not registered).[2231] But remember, parking tickets attach to specific CARS—NOT people—so you CAN still drive other cars during this time.
    If you have a correctable violation (“fix-it” ticket) and do not make the corrections required by the ticket OR do not provide proof of correction, you can be charged with a misdemeanor.[2232]
    A Judge may order you to appear in court to explain why you have not paid your ticket.
FAILURE TO APPEAR IN COURT:

If a judge has ordered you to appear in court because of your unpaid ticket, you must appear. If you do not, the court can charge you with a misdemeanor for “failure to appear” or “contempt of court,” and issue a warrant for your arrest.[2233] The court can also suspend your driver’s license for failure to appear.[2234]

  1. 2227

    Cal. Veh. Code §§ 40509 (failure to pay fines or appear in court), 12807-08.1 (denial of drivers’ license for failure to pay fines or appear in court), 40616-18 (failure to correct violation or provide proof of correction), 40604 (issuance of warrant). See also A New Way of Life Reentry Project et al, Not Just a Ferguson Problem: How Traffic Courts Drive Inequality in California (2015), http://www.lccr.com/wp-content/uploads/Not-Just-a-Ferguson-Problem-How-Traffic-Courts-Drive-Inequality-in-California-4.20.15.pdf.

  2. 2228

    See, e.g., Cal. Veh. Code § 40310 (50% penalty for all traffic fines overdue by 20 days or more).

  3. 2229

    Cal. Veh. Code §§ 40510.5, 40508; Cal. Penal Code § 1214.1.

  4. 2230

    Cal. Veh. Code § 40508.6(b).

  5. 2231

    Cal. Veh. Code § 40001.

  6. 2232

    Cal. Veh. Code § 40616 et seq.

  7. 2233

    Cal. Veh. Code §§ 40508-8.5; Cal. Penal Code §§ 853.7-53.8.

  8. 2234

    Cal. Pen. Code § 1463.007(c).