For many people, the anxiety that comes with getting a ticket is real. No one wants to have to take care of a citation in their name. However, for some people, especially those whose names are misspelled on a near-daily basis, a question concerning traffic tickets may loom above their heads: what if the police write the wrong name on the traffic ticket? What should they do? This is an extremely common question and concern, and thankfully, there is an easy answer for it.
What might you do?
If this situation were to happen to you, there are a couple of things that you might do. You might either ignore the ticket entirely under the guise of, “This is not my name. Therefore, I do not have to take care of this ticket. It’s not my responsibility,” or you might attempt to right the wrong – both in terms of the ticket and the name.
Police officer writing a ticket
If you are one of those who would attempt to have your name on the ticket corrected, you will have a much easier time getting the citation taken care of than someone who would ignore it. If you are one of those that think that they can completely ignore the ticket and continue your life without needing to worry about it, you should rethink that decision.
You should reconsider it because there is always going to be other information on the ticket that lets the justice system know it’s you – the recipient of the citation – that needs to pay for it, and not someone else.
What could happen if you do not pay for your ticket?
Not paying for your ticket can also lead to other things. For example, the cost of the traffic ticket and its penalties could increase, and you could be reported to the Secretary of State. You could also have your driver’s license suspended or even lose it completely, or you could lose your car, and/or a warrant for your arrest could be created – all because you failed to appear in court.
Even though your name may be incorrect, information such as your driver’s license number, your birthday, address, your car’s make, model, and color, and your license plate can all be used to connect you to the ticket in question.
What can you do to correct the ticket?
Thankfully, correcting the ticket is easy. All you have to do is show up to court on your scheduled court date. Then, let the judge know that the police wrote the wrong name on a traffic ticket. The court can usually correct the information on the citation on the spot.
It’s a quick and easy fix.
Even though the wrong name on a traffic ticket is a situation that is not all that common, it does still happen. When it does happen, it is up to you to figure out what to do. You can risk the ticket cost being increased along with a host of other options, or you can appear in court and have the judge correct the ticket. Your best option is to appear in court, as it is the quickest, easiest, and the cheapest option.
Here at Gibson Bail Bonds we have your best interests and want to keep you informed. If you have questions or run into this situation and don’t know what to do, give us a call.
