When you receive a North Carolina traffic ticket, you may have to appear in court to resolve the matter. According to the North Carolina Judicial Branch, you may have to appear in court for one of three reasons: You failed to dispose of your ticket online, you did not waive your appearance by paying by mail or the court requests your presence. If you choose to or are required to appear in court and do not attend, you may face adverse consequences.
Missing a traffic court date is typically not a huge cause for concern in and of itself. Failure to appear will result in a “called and failed” mark against you. After 20 days of your missed appearance, the court will issue a Failure to Appear. If the court determines you are guilty of the traffic offense in question, it may charge you with an FTA fee.
After receiving an FTA notice, you have an additional 20 days to show up in court and either answer to the charge and pay the fee or dispose of the case. If you do not show up to court within that time frame, the court will inform the NC DMV of your indiscretion. The DMV will then revoke your driver’s license indefinitely until you settle your case with the court.
Some traffic violations are jail-able offenses, such as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol or reckless driving. If you were arrested for an offense and the judge released you on bail or your own recognizance, a failure to appear might result in your arrest.
You should not use this article as legal advice. It is for your informational purposes only.
