Question:

I was on a road trip about a month ago and got a speeding ticket for 8 mph over the speed limit in New Mexico. I live in Georgia and have a Georgia drivers license. I haven’t paid the fine yet and my license has been suspended. I don’t know if that means it is suspended just in NM or if it’s suspended in GA too. I have no plans to go back to NM for many years, and I want to avoid any insurance hikes that I can. Should I pay it, appeal to it by phone, ignore it, or some other option? Side note, I also got two more tickets after I got back to GA, one for going 17 over (speed trap in a 30 mph zone) and the other for not wearing a seat belt. I don’t know how relevant these tickets are to the NM ticket, but I thought I should add that in there.

Answer:

First – Don’t ignore the New Mexico (NM) speeding ticket. If Georgia Suspended your license because of the NM ticket, you will need to get it addressed in NM before you can get your GA Drivers License back.

Second – If NM issues an arrest warrant you could be arrested here in GA and taken to jail. Most people don’t want to be arrested, so resolving the NM ticket would be a great idea.

Third & Finally – If your GA drivers license is SUSPENDED and you are caught driving, you will be ARRESTED. They don’t issue citations for Driving on a Suspended License, you are taken to jail. So my advice is to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney in NM to represent you on the ticket. If you don’t get the NM ticket resolved it could cause you tremendous trouble here in GA.

Good Luck!
George McCranie – Offices in Valdosta & Douglas, GA –