Last Updated on June 19, 2025 by Beltz Law Group
Lawyer For Warrants
What Happens If You Just Pay Off Traffic Ticket Warrants? The Irreversible Damage
The damage caused by simply paying off old traffic tickets that have gone into warrant can be substantial and, critically, it is largely irreversible. Once a person pays off traffic ticket warrants, there is no going back to reverse that action later, as it creates an immediate conviction on your record.
This problematic outcome is due to Article 27.14 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. This law explicitly states that paying a fine or an amount accepted by the court for a misdemeanor (like most traffic tickets) constitutes a finding of guilty in open court, as though a plea of “nolo contendere” (no contest) had been entered by the defendant.
Once a payment is made and recorded, that traffic offense is immediately reported as a conviction to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). These convictions become a permanent part of your driving history.
Here’s what a traffic ticket conviction means for you in Texas today:
- Permanent Record: The conviction will remain on your driving record forever. This record is accessible to insurance companies, and in some cases, employers.
- Increased Insurance Rates: This is one of the most significant and often overlooked financial penalties. Insurance companies regularly review your driving record. Each conviction for a moving violation signals a higher risk, almost certainly leading to a substantial increase in your auto insurance premiums for years to come. This can easily cost a person hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in increased rates over a 3- to 5-year period.
- Potential Driver’s License Suspension: While the Texas Driver Responsibility Program (which assessed surcharges and points) was repealed on September 1, 2019, your driver’s license can still be suspended for accumulating too many moving violations. The DPS can still withdraw a person’s driver’s license or driving privilege for specific patterns of convictions:
- Four or more moving traffic violations within a 12-month period.
- Seven or more moving traffic violations within a 24-month period. If you accumulate convictions in these patterns, DPS will notify you of an impending suspension. Failure to receive this notification (e.g., due to an old address) does not change your license status.
- OMNIBASE Holds: If your ticket went into warrant because you failed to appear or pay, an OMNIBASE hold (also known as a “Failure to Appear/Pay” hold) may also be placed on your driver’s license, preventing you from renewing it. While not a “suspension,” it effectively bars you from having a valid license until the hold is cleared. The administrative fee to clear an OMNIBASE hold is currently $10 for offenses reported on or after January 1, 2020, and was $30 for those reported prior to that date.
Help With Warrants In North Texas
Hire An Attorney For Warrants In Dallas and Surrounding Areas: The Safe & Smart Way
There are truly only two proper ways to resolve old traffic tickets that have gone into warrant status to protect your record, and hiring an attorney is the most effective.
Attorneys are able to remove warrants by filing surety bonds (also known as appearance bonds) with the court where the citations are located. This bond serves as a formal promise by the attorney to appear on your behalf, allowing the court to:
- Remove the Warrant Immediately: This eliminates the immediate threat of arrest without a conviction being reported on your permanent record. Essentially, the case is reset, and you get a fresh start.
- Schedule a New Court Date: A new court date will be scheduled where your attorney can appear on your behalf to resolve the case.
- Negotiate for Record Protection: Only then should money be paid to the court to resolve the traffic ticket that has gone into warrant. This crucial timing allows your attorney to negotiate a deal with the prosecutor or court to protect your record in exchange for payment of the ticket. Options often include:
- Deferred Disposition: This allows the case to be dismissed after a probationary period (e.g., no new tickets for a set time, payment of court costs), preventing a conviction from appearing on your record.
- Defensive Driving: For eligible offenses, completing an approved defensive driving course can lead to a dismissal.
- Dismissal: In some cases, your attorney may be able to secure an outright dismissal if there are legal or procedural issues with the citation.
This strategic approach is not available to those who simply pay their tickets off directly. In that instance, all paid tickets are reported as convictions, leading to the consequences outlined above. This is why you need a lawyer to assist you in removing the warrant, negotiating a deal to protect your record, and then facilitating the payment for the violation. Any other way can cause serious and lasting financial damage, including significantly higher insurance rates and potential license suspensions.
Take the time to contact a lawyer for warrants in Fate, Texas, or the wider Dallas area today. Protect yourself from further financial harm and the long-term impact that traffic ticket convictions can cause. Call 214-321-4105 to speak with a knowledgeable attorney.
