Georgia has some interesting traffic laws and while you do not need to know everything about them, you should know what happens if you do not pay your ticket in Georgia. Failure to pay your citation will likely get your driving privileges suspended. The Georgia Department of Drivers Services (DDS) will mail you a letter of suspension. However, that does not need to happen. There are ways to work within the system to keep your driving record intact.
First Things First
In Georgia, most traffic citations are criminal misdemeanors. You are issued a ticket with a court date. You can pay your ticket before the court date or you can go to court. Many jurisdictions now allow you to pay online. Before you pay, you should understand your rights. When you pay your ticket, you are admitting guilt for the action. Some citations are more complex than others. For example, Georgia has a Super Speeder Law. This law tacks on an extra $200 fine to any driver who is convicted of driving over 75mph on two lane highways. That means, that when you receive that ticket for speeding, you want to check to be sure it does NOT fall into the category of a “super speeder” before you pay it.
Should I Hire an Attorney
We often answer the question of “should I hire an attorney for a traffic ticket“. While you need to make that ultimate decision, we will say that it can be money well spent in many cases. Our office does a citation review. You can upload your ticket online and our attorney will review the ticket to determine if you could benefit from legal counsel. Sometimes it’s just better to pay the citation and move on. Sometimes, it’s better to let an experienced attorney fight for you. You can also learn more about that in this article.
However, a failure to pay, show up in court or let an attorney handle it will likely result in the suspension of your license. For cases that require a court appearance, such as driving under the influence (DUI), the court may also issue a bench warrant for your arrest for failure to show. Going through steps to have your license restored is difficult and painful. It’s unnecessary if you can avoid it up front.
Contact Us
If you, or a family member, needs assistance with a citation, you can call us, upload a copy of the citation for review or contact us on our chat or contact form. David has over 20 years experience working with traffic cases and knows how the courts and laws work. Let his experience work in your favor. Visit us here to learn more.
