If you have received a traffic ticket warrant in Oklahoma, you may have many questions. How much will I need to pay? What effect will this traffic warrant have on my record? Will it affect my employment, job applications, or scholarships? Will it increase my insurance premiums? The answer will depend on how you handle the traffic ticket warrant.

How is an Oklahoma traffic ticket warrant issued?

In Oklahoma, the most common way in which a traffic ticket warrant is issued is when one misses his or her court appearance. Once the defendant fails to appear at the designated court date, the judge may issue an arrest warrant. This may be done immediately or after a specific period of time. Depending on the jurisdiction of the court, this may occur very quickly.

Will a traffic ticket warrant show up on a background check?

As previously mentioned, the long-term consequences of a traffic ticket warrant can have a far-reaching impact on your life. A very common consequence of a traffic ticket warrant is that it may prevent renewal of your driver license or may even result in outright suspension of your driving privileges. Further, the warrant may affect potential job opportunities, scholarship opportunities or automobile insurance premiums.

Whether or not the traffic ticket warrant will be reported on a background check depends on the issuing authority’s protocol. Municipalities and counties often have different protocols to do so. Consequently, it is best to attempt to resolve the traffic ticket warrant as quickly as possible in order to avoid any further negative consequences.

Responding to an Oklahoma traffic ticket warrant.

There are multiple ways to handle an Oklahoma traffic ticket warrant. However, handling the warrant incorrectly can have profound consequences, affecting you not only financially, but in some cases your freedom. Options to handle the traffic ticket warrant include:

• Accepting the punishment without a contest by simply surrendering and serving time in jail or paying the warrant off in its entirety. This can have disastrous consequences. Each of these options would likely blemish your record by leaving a guilty plea or conviction on said record and in turn potentially affecting future employment and education options.

• Post a bond. Depending on the jurisdiction of the court, you can post a bond at the courthouse and request a new court date. This may be cost-prohibitive as it requires posting the full amount of the fine to be paid in advance. Once the new court date is obtained and scheduled, you will need to appear and handle the matter. This alternative may affect your plea negotiations as the prosecutor may not negotiate very generously considering that the fines have already been paid in full.

• Retain an attorney to help resolve the traffic ticket warrant. Rather than handle the matter personally, you can increase your options by retaining counsel to explore possible options for you. In some instances, the attorney can post a surety bond on your behalf or can simply reset the court date. The end goal would be to prevent any conviction from going on your record, minimizing fines or jailtime, or dismissal of the traffic citation.

You have options.

If you have an outstanding traffic ticket warrant anywhere in Oklahoma, do not risk the unintended consequences of failing to properly handle the traffic ticket warrant. Oklahoma Traffic Ticket Defense works to resolve warrants in the most advantageous manner possible. If you have received a traffic ticket warrant or any other traffic violation in Oklahoma, contact OK Traffic Ticket Defense today. Upload your traffic ticket, message us or call us to discuss your situation at no charge.