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What happens if you don't sign a police ticket?

oiprocs

oiprocs

Diamond Member
You know the drill, he tells you the ticket is not an admission of guilt, and asks you to sign.

If you refuse, what happens? As in, "no thanks I won't sign, just give me the ticket please".
 
I'm going to try that next time I'm pulled over. In this case, why give the law anything you don't have to?
 
You don't sign them here.

In some places, signing the ticket is a promise to appear in court- if you won't sign to promise to appear in court, you can be arrested. I don't know details..not familiar with other states.
 
It just acknowledges that you got a ticket. You can't not sign it. There's only two possibilities
1) you don't sign in which case you waste time and will be forced to sign eventually
2) he forgets

wait, are you talking about the front of the ticket or the back?
 
Originally posted by: JLee
You don't sign them here.

In some places, signing the ticket is a promise to appear in court- if you won't sign to promise to appear in court, you can be arrested.
Click to expand...

Signing them in Oklahoma and Texas are for this reason.
 
In many states, the signature is nothing more than acknlowedgement that you are being charged with a crime, and your agreement to show up in court to answer the charge.

If you refuse to sign, the officer has the discretion to arrest you and detain you until you post bond, or until you appear in court to answer the charge. In this case, your signature on the ticket acts as a personal regocgnizance (or signature) bond allowing you to continue on your merry way without having to be arrested, booked, processed, and detained for trial as you would for just about any other criminal offense.
 
all the tickets ive seen has read explcitily "signature is not admission of guil/is acknowledge of charget".. .not signing would mean non-compliance of police instructiopn which would mean arrest


pretty straight forward
 
Originally posted by: LS21
all the tickets ive seen has read explcitily "signature is not admission of guil/is acknowledge of charget".. .not signing would mean non-compliance of police instructiopn which would mean arrest


pretty straight forward
Click to expand...

That's what it is in MD
 
Originally posted by: LS21
all the tickets ive seen has read explcitily "signature is not admission of guil/is acknowledge of charget".. .not signing would mean non-compliance of police instructiopn which would mean arrest


pretty straight forward
Click to expand...

I think it's funny when you hear someone say just don't sign the ticket.
 
Originally posted by: scorpious
You know the drill, he tells you the ticket is not an admission of guilt, and asks you to sign.

If you refuse, what happens? As in, "no thanks I won't sign, just give me the ticket please".
Click to expand...

He could take you to jail. It makes no sense to fight with the officer...take it to court if you have a beef.
 
Originally posted by: alkemyst
Originally posted by: scorpious
You know the drill, he tells you the ticket is not an admission of guilt, and asks you to sign.

If you refuse, what happens? As in, "no thanks I won't sign, just give me the ticket please".
Click to expand...

He could take you to jail. It makes no sense to fight with the officer...take it to court if you have a beef.
Click to expand...

Also, when you get your court date/time, get it extended. There's a good chance the officer will not be available on the extended date/time and you'll get the charges dropped 🙂. Works like a charm!
 
got a ticket is MS once in a speed trap. I dont' think you had to sign the ticket in that state or soemthing. There was no place to sign and he didn't make me.

So I called a month later and told them I didn't get a ticket, he let me off with a warning and that was it. They let me talk to the officer and of course he didn't remember anything so they dropped the ticket.
 
While it is possible that the officer will arrest you, most of the time the officer will simply write "Refused to sign" in place of your signature and let you go on your way. You will, of course, still be 100% liable for the ticket and you will not have any grounds for the "I never got that ticket" excuse.

ZV
 
Originally posted by: JLee
You don't sign them here.

In some places, signing the ticket is a promise to appear in court- if you won't sign to promise to appear in court, you can be arrested. I don't know details..not familiar with other states.
Click to expand...

Thankfully, I've never had very many tickets in my life, but MOST places I've lived, signing the ticket is an acknowledgement that you received the ticket and a promise to appear...and refusing to sign it gets you an immediate trip to jail so you can be taken to court.
 
Keep in mind that at least around here almost every stop is video taped. Good luck in court should you say you never got a ticket and then a video is played.

I wouldn't want to be on the other side of the judge on that one.
 
I never heard of signing a ticket but I suppose if you don't and you have to, then they'll probably cuff you and you get a FREE ride to the police station. Great if your car breaks down! Arn't police so convenient? 😛
 
Originally posted by: alkemyst
Most places do not require the officer to be present for traffic infractions anymore. Just an FYI.
Click to expand...

He has to be present in MD, and any place one doesn't could be challenged on constitutional grounds if you chose to put in the effort.
 
Some cop came around my house at 2AM in the rain and cited me for not having my front license plate displayed correctly. Instead of putting the ticket on my car, he sent it in the mail. Where I was supposed to sign, he wrote "Owner's Responsibility." I later received additional paperwork from the courthouse telling me I need to schedule a court date. Even though it's a fix it ticket, I'm going to fight it since the cop wrote down the wrong penal code. I should win, but after reading the previous thread about court fees, I'm starting to wonder if it a win is really going to be a win.
 
Originally posted by: BoomerD
Originally posted by: JLee
You don't sign them here.

In some places, signing the ticket is a promise to appear in court- if you won't sign to promise to appear in court, you can be arrested. I don't know details..not familiar with other states.
Click to expand...

Thankfully, I've never had very many tickets in my life, but MOST places I've lived, signing the ticket is an acknowledgement that you received the ticket and a promise to appear...and refusing to sign it gets you an immediate trip to jail so you can be taken to court.
Click to expand...

yeap. thats what i have always thought.
 
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