What happens if I don’t answer a traffic ticket?
If you are issued a traffic ticket in Illinois and fail to answer it, you could be subject to a number of penalties. Depending on the severity of the offense, the court may decide to issue a warrant for your arrest or file a “failure to appear” complaint against you. This could result in additional fines, a driver’s license suspension, and even jail time. If you are found guilty in absentia, meaning you did not appear in court to contest the ticket, a judge can order that the ticket be marked as “paid”, but you may still need to pay the full applicable fine plus court costs. Additionally, if you didn’t answer the traffic ticket, your Illinois driver’s license can be suspended, and you could be subject to a point system penalty, with points accrued in your driving record. Too many points in a three-year period can lead to a driver’s license suspension of up to one year. The best course of action is to respond to a traffic ticket in a timely manner. You may be able to contest the ticket and have it reduced or dismissed. If you are found guilty, the penalties may be less severe. If the ticket is not answered at all, then you will face harsher penalties, so it is important to take action as soon as possible.
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