Unpaid parking tickets are often a joke among drivers in New York, and in many cases are disregarded.

However, the failure to appear or to pay even one parking ticket can result in your license being suspended by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles.

Even out of state residents who receive parking tickets can face penalties. If they fail to pay tickets and are later stopped by a New York police officer, they may be arrested and put through the New York criminal justice system. This can result in an unsuspecting driver spending a day in police custody.

Therefore, although the penalties for driving with a suspended license in New York aren’t as high as for other offenses, those arrested for driving with a suspended license must go through an often humiliating and scary process before they are released. This could mean being handcuffed, chained, transported to jail, fingerprinted, photographed, and spending time in a dirty jail cell with other suspected criminals. For people who have never been in trouble before, the process is terrifying.

Ultimately, you are likely to be released without bail and may pay a fine to the criminal court. You will also be required to address the issue with the Department of Motor Vehicles, which means paying the fines so that your license will be re-issued. The fines can be high, and you could face the loss of your vehicle or probation, depending on the circumstances involved.

It’s vitally important that you pay your parking tickets and other traffic tickets and that you keep a clean record with the New York Department of Motor Vehicles. If you have been charged with Driving with a Suspended License in Rochester, call the New York Traffic Defense Attorneys at Friedman & Ranzenhofer at 585-484-7432. Our attorneys will help you fight the charges.