Statute of Limitations For Traffic Tickets

**scoughlin2** · 03-02-2007, 10:57 PM

When I was 19 I lived in PA and I had about 8 outstanding traffic tickets in different counties. I never went to court on any of them except one. The one I did go to, I plead guilty and made payment arrangements. Unfortunately, I went to prison for 3 years and when I got out I wanted to get my license back because it was suspended due to all the traffic tickets. So I went to every county where I had outstanding traffic tickets. All but the one where I made payment arrangements told me I was past the Statute of Limitations ( 2 Years ) for the traffic citations. So I only had to pay the $80.00 one. I paid it and went straight th Harrisburg that day and got my License back. I now live in Indiana and got a speeding ticket about two and a half years ago. I completely forgot about it. The only reason I found about it was because I got pulled over today and was told that my License was suspended due to the ticket I got back then. Luckily my wife went to school with the officer so he let me go and if I promised I would take care of it. When I called looking to find where I got the ticket and how much, they could not find me in the computer. So I was wondering if Indiana also had the same Statute of Limitations? Does anybody know? I am just going to go downtown and pay the reinstatement fee and I guess I will find out. I will let you know what I find out.

jk · 03-03-2007, 04:13 AM

typically there is no SoL regarding traffic tickets. I am quite surprised to see any such situation as you have written of in Pennsylvania.

A ticket is a charging instrument. Once you are charged with a crime/infraction, there is no SoL in which it would simpply "go away". as a matter of fact, you udually end up with a "failure to appear" warrant if you do not satisfy the ticket.

You are going to have to pay whatever the state deems correct to reinstate your license.

Are you posting you got lucky and the cop did not ticket for driving without a license or while suspended? Count your blessings and pay the fees to remedy the situation.

**Mr. Knowitall** · 03-03-2007, 06:28 AM

It's worth investigating the details. States often require legal action to be taken against prisoners within a particular timeframe, and it is possible that by failing to act while scoughlin2 was in prison they waived their right to subsequent enforcement.

jk · 03-03-2007, 07:06 AM

most often the actions are suspension of license and an FTA warrant.

Speedy trial does not apply if the defendant causes the delay.

the current situation is due to an Indiana ticket, not the PA thing. OP was merely relating experience as a reference to seeking a similar situation in Indiana.

**Mr. Knowitall** · 03-03-2007, 09:23 AM

I was commenting on what happened in Pennsylvania.

jk · 03-03-2007, 11:35 AM

I see. You threw me off with that "the details" statement. The PA thing is done and over and I took your post to infer a link between the two situations. As I read the post, the Indiana situation is all post incarceration in PA.

Since you weren;t incarcerated since you recieved the Indiana ticket (or I am assuming from your post you were not), any situation that allowed the dismissal of the tickets in PA is very different than your situation since.

Pay the man.