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Parking tickets are a pain in the you-know-what. Whether you’re a habitual violator or an accidental mis-parker, no one wants to return to their dormant ride to find a nastygram from a police officer or parking enforcement tucked under their windshield wiper. Well, should you ignore those parking tickets, you might be in more trouble than you might think.

Depending on the state you live in, ignoring your parking tickets can lead to a warrant for your arrest

Parking tickets are more than irritating; they can build to a ruinous state. For instance, in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, unpaid parking tickets can result in a license suspension. However, your pile of outstanding fines can also land you in handcuffs. 

Still, Kentucky isn’t the only state that will issue an arrest warrant for your unpaid parking tickets. Here are just some of the states that will issue a warrant based on unpaid tickets. 

  • Texas
  • Florida
  • New Mexico
  • Arizona
  • Colorado
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee

Furthermore, while a single outstanding ticket might not result in a ticket, some circumstances could land you in hot water with the authorities. For example, a ticket may include a court date. Should you ignore that court date, a judge may issue a warrant for your arrest. 

However, authorities in some states are much more likely to put a restrictive device like a boot on your car. That, or authorities may place a hold on your vehicle’s registration. For instance, in California, the state might place a hold on your vehicle, keeping you from registering your ride until your outstanding fines are paid.

What’s more, the Golden State might outsource your outstanding fines to a collections agency. However, California doesn’t consider outstanding tickets criminal offenses, per the City of Pasadena. As such, you’re not likely to end up in handcuffs for a pile of parking violations.

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Staff Writer

Erik Sherman

Erik Sherman joined the MotorBiscuit team as an Autos Writer in 2022. An admitted petrolhead and an avid motorcyclist, Erik has owned everything from classic cars to motorcycles to modern driver’s cars. Erik also has extensive experience with military and emergency vehicles, ranging from ambulances and fire engines to MRAPs and M-ATVs. Erik is an eager car and motorcycle reviewer with experience covering everything from sports cars to pontoon boats and jet skis.

Erik holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations (IRG) from the University of Texas at Austin and has studied Chinese, Energy, and European Politics at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Erik’s background is unorthodox; he is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) combat veteran, water survival practitioner, and a former firefighter/EMT. Additionally, Erik is a regular volunteer and former instructor with the American Red Cross (ARC).