Legal Consequences of Not Paying a Traffic Ticket in Maryland

Getting a traffic ticket in Maryland for speeding down the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, rolling through a stop sign in Annapolis, or failing to use your turn signal on a busy suburban road can be more than just an inconvenience. It is easy to toss the citation on your dashboard and forget about it, but doing so in Maryland can trigger serious legal consequences.

Unpaid fines or ignored citations can result in license suspension, additional penalties, and even a bench warrant. What happens if you don’t pay a speeding ticket in Maryland? The consequences can escalate quickly. As such, understanding your rights and responsibilities is essential to protecting your driving record and privileges.

Ignoring the Ticket is a Mistake

When you receive a traffic citation in Maryland, you are given a few options:

• Pay the fine by the due date,
• Request a waiver hearing,
• Request a trial to contest the violation.

Failing to take any of these steps by the deadline is the first and most critical mistake. Once the due date passes, the court notifies the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) that the ticket remains unresolved.

License Suspension

Once the MVA receives notice of your unpaid ticket, it will send you a warning letter. This letter serves as a final chance to settle the matter. If you still do not act by the specified suspension date, the MVA will suspend your driver’s license. Driving with a suspended license in Maryland is considered a serious offense. If caught, you could face:

• Fines of up to $500,
• Possible jail time of up to 60 days for a first offense,
• Additional points on your license,
• Higher insurance premiums or dropped coverage altogether.

Accumulating Points on Your Driving Record

When you pay a ticket for a moving violation like speeding, it automatically adds points to your driving record. These points can have long-term consequences, including:

• 3 to 5 points for most moving violations.
• Accumulating eight or more points triggers license suspension.
• Insurance companies often increase your premiums based on these points.

In contrast, parking tickets or red-light camera violations do not add points, but they can still result in collections or registration holds if left unpaid.

Financial Penalties and Late Fees

Besides the original fine, failing to resolve a ticket often leads to additional late fees and administrative charges. Some jurisdictions even send unpaid tickets to collections, which can negatively impact your credit score.

In some cases, unresolved tickets can also:

• Prevent you from renewing your vehicle registration.
• Create a financial record that follows you across state lines.
• Result in wage garnishment or liens if sent to collections and a judgment is entered against you.

Tickets from Other States

Maryland is part of the Driver License Compact, an interstate agreement that allows participating states to share information about traffic violations. If you get a ticket in Virginia or Pennsylvania and ignore it, the Maryland MVA could still be notified. This means points might be added to your Maryland license, and the fine may still affect your driving record.

How to Handle an Unpaid Ticket

1. Act fast: Do not wait for the MVA to suspend your license. Contact the court listed on your citation.
2. Pay the fine: Most citations can be paid online, by mail, or in person.
3. Request a court date: If you believe the ticket was unfair, you can still ask to appear in court, especially if the suspension has not taken effect yet.
4. Consult a traffic attorney: A legal expert can help reduce fines, keep points off your record, or even get the charge dismissed.

Conclusion

Ignoring a traffic ticket in Maryland may seem harmless at first, but the consequences can spiral quickly, leading to license suspension, financial penalties, and even jail time. Whether you are dealing with your first ticket or trying to resolve a forgotten citation, addressing the issue promptly is your best defense. Understanding what happens if you do not pay speeding ticket fines and other moving violations can help you avoid unnecessary legal trouble and keep your driving record clean.