What Happens If You Ignore a Citation in Pennsylvania

Last updated October 4, 2026.

A citation looks like a small thing: a slip of paper for a traffic violation, a noise complaint, disorderly conduct or underage drinking. Most are summary offenses, the lowest grade in Pennsylvania. But the rules that govern them have firm deadlines, and the consequences of ignoring one can end up larger than the original charge. This page explains what happens at each step and how to fix it. My general approach to criminal charges is on the main criminal defense page.

How does an ignored citation play out in Lawrence County, step by step?

The statewide rules set the timeline; the local offices are fixed:

The citation is issued. Your copy names the district court where the original is filed, with its address, and gives you 10 days to plead (Rules 403(B), 405). For Ellwood City, Ellport, Wampum, Enon Valley, New Beaver and Wayne, Perry, Little Beaver and Slippery Rock Townships, the county lists District Court 53-3-01 at 607 Lawrence Avenue, explained in what to expect at the Ellwood City district court. The county's three other district courts are at 430 Court Street, 4834 State Route 18 and 3470 Wilmington Road, all with New Castle addresses.
Day 10 passes. The plea was due within 10 days after the citation was issued (Rule 407). From then on, the district judge can act on the missed response.
A warrant or a summons. If the citation came back undelivered, an arrest warrant must issue; if it was served on you in person or by certified mail, a bench warrant must issue (Rule 430(A)(1), (B)(1)). An ordinance or parking violation, or a defendant under 18, gets a summons first (Rule 403(B)(4)(a)).
The PennDOT notice, for traffic citations. At least 30 days before the court notifies PennDOT, it must send you a written notice that explains installment payments and community service in place of payment (75 Pa.C.S. 1533(c)). If you still do not respond, PennDOT suspends your license (1533(a)).
Trial, or trial without you. A not guilty plea gets a trial date at the district court; if you miss it, the trial usually goes ahead without you (Rules 408(B), 455).
Collection. A missed payment brings a 10-day default notice, then a possible warrant and an ability-to-pay hearing (Rule 456(B), (C)).
Appeal. A conviction can be appealed for a new trial in the Court of Common Pleas by filing with the Clerk of Courts within 30 days (Rule 460(a)); the county lists $58.50 as the total for an appeal from a district judge, and the new trial takes place at the Lawrence County Courthouse.

How long do I have to respond?

Ten days. Under Pa.R.Crim.P. 407, within 10 days after a citation is issued, you must tell the issuing authority, by mail or in person, whether you plead guilty or not guilty. A summons gets the same 10 days (Rule 412). Pleading is simpler than many people expect:

Not guilty: appear at the district court and deposit the collateral the judge requires, or send the plea in writing with collateral equal to the fine and costs on the citation, or $50 if no amount is listed (Rule 408). If you cannot afford that amount, you must appear in person to enter the plea (Rule 403(B)(2)(a)(ii)). The court then sets a trial date.
Guilty: sign the plea and send the fine and costs listed on the citation (Rule 409). A guilty plea by mail is not accepted when the offense carries mandatory jail; then you must appear in person and are told of the right to counsel.

Paying the fine is a guilty plea and leaves a conviction, even if you send the money without marking a plea (Rule 403(B)(5)). Before paying a non-traffic citation, check what it will do to your record; disorderly conduct, for example, is explained in disorderly conduct in Pennsylvania.

What happens if I do nothing?

Consequences of not responding (Pa.R.Crim.P. 403, 430, 455, 456; 75 Pa.C.S. 1533)
What happened	What follows
The citation or summons came back undelivered	A warrant for your arrest must be issued (Rule 430(A))
It was served on you personally or by certified mail, and you did not respond	A bench warrant must be issued (Rule 430(B)(1))
It was for an ordinance or parking violation, or you are under 18	A summons is issued first (Rule 403(B)(4)(a))
It was a traffic citation under the Vehicle Code, other than parking	After at least 30 days' written notice, the court notifies PennDOT, which suspends your license until you respond or arrange payment (1533)
You pleaded not guilty but missed the trial	The trial goes ahead without you unless jail is likely, and collateral is applied to the fine and costs (Rule 455)
You were found guilty and did not pay	A 10-day default notice, then a possible warrant and a hearing on your ability to pay (Rule 456)

Will my license be suspended?

For a traffic citation, yes, if it is left unanswered. Section 1533 tells PennDOT to suspend the license of anyone who, after notice, fails to respond to a Vehicle Code citation or summons, or to pay the fine, costs or restitution, other than for parking. Act 138 of 2024, in effect 18 months after its October 31, 2024 signing, added protections:

At least 30 days before the court notifies PennDOT, it must notify you in writing and tell you about paying in installments and about doing community service instead of paying (1533(c)).
A suspension for not paying may not be imposed unless the court determines that you are able to pay (1533(a.1)).
The suspension ends when you respond, pay, sign an installment agreement, or enter an approved community service program, plus any reinstatement fee that applies (1533(d)).

Non-traffic citations, such as public drunkenness or disorderly conduct, do not trigger a 1533 suspension, but the warrant rules still apply. Any PennDOT suspension can also be appealed to the Court of Common Pleas within 30 days (75 Pa.C.S. 1550; 42 Pa.C.S. 5571(b)), the process described in appealing a PennDOT license suspension, but for a 1533 suspension, responding to the citation ends it without an appeal.

Driving while a 1533 suspension is in effect is generally a summary offense with a $200 fine (75 Pa.C.S. 1543(a)), with a $50 fine when the underlying citation was for driving without a license (1543.1(a)), and a conviction generally adds another year of suspension (1543(c)(1)). Driving during a DUI-related suspension is far more serious, as explained in driving during a DUI suspension.

What happens if I am arrested on the warrant?

Rule 431 sets the procedure. With either kind of warrant, the officer may accept a signed plea with the fine and costs or the collateral listed on the warrant. If the warrant started the case and you cannot pay, you go before the district judge without unnecessary delay, enter a plea and usually get an immediate trial. If the trial is postponed, you are released on recognizance unless the judge has reasonable grounds to believe you will not appear. Any collateral must be explained in writing, weighed under the Rule 523 factors also used in how bail is set after an arrest in Lawrence County, and capped at the fine and costs; you may not be held without trial longer than 72 hours, or the close of the next business day. On a bench warrant you cannot pay, you are taken promptly to a bench warrant hearing. A warrant served between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. means the officer must call the issuing authority to find out when it is available, unless a local rule extends the hours.

What is the most a summary offense can carry?

Up to 90 days in jail (18 Pa.C.S. 1105) and, unless a statute sets a different amount, a fine of up to $300 (18 Pa.C.S. 1101(7)). Some summary offenses set their own fines, such as public drunkenness, covered in the penalty for public drunkenness. If jail or probation is reasonably likely, the district judge must advise you of the right to counsel before trial and assign counsel if you cannot afford one (Rule 454(a)(2)).

What changes the answer?

Traffic or non-traffic. Only a Vehicle Code citation, other than parking, can lead to a 1533 suspension (1533(a)).
How it reached you. Personal service or certified mail means a bench warrant, but the Comment to Rule 430 says that warrant may not issue when the citation was served only by first class mail.
Your age. Under 18, a missed citation brings a summons first, and if the fine is not paid after notice, the failure to pay can be certified to the Court of Common Pleas under the Juvenile Act (Rule 403(B)(4)(a); Rule 430, Comment). A defendant under 18 arrested on a warrant who cannot get an immediate trial is released on recognizance (Rule 431(B)(3)(c)). The usual underage charge is covered in what happens after an underage drinking citation.
Whether you can pay. No suspension for nonpayment without a finding that you can pay (1533(a.1)), and installments are possible if you cannot (Rule 456(D)(2)).
Whether jail is likely. A guilty plea by mail is refused when the offense carries mandatory jail (Rule 409(B)(3)(a)), and a trial in your absence is not held when jail is likely (Rule 455(A)).
Whether a program is available. For most summary offenses, the district judge may admit you to an adjudication alternative program without a guilty plea and dismiss the charge on completion, though it counts as a first conviction if you are charged again (42 Pa.C.S. 1520(a), (c)). The citation itself tells you that you may appear to ask for ARD (Rule 403(B)(2)(c)). Paying by mail is a guilty plea, which skips both.
A ticket from another state. PennDOT also suspends for an unanswered traffic citation from a state with an enforcement agreement with Pennsylvania (1533(b)).

A worked example

For example, take a hypothetical Ellwood City driver, not a real case, who is handed a traffic citation in March and puts it in a drawer. Ten days pass without a plea (Rule 407). Because she was handed the citation in person, the district court must issue a bench warrant (Rule 430(B)(1)). For the license, the court must first mail a notice giving her at least 30 days and explaining installments and community service (1533(c)). She does not open it, the court notifies PennDOT, and PennDOT suspends her license.

In May she drives to work and is stopped. That is a new summary charge with a $200 fine (1543(a)), and a conviction adds a year to the suspension (1543(c)(1)). The officer can accept the fine and costs or collateral listed on the warrant; if she cannot pay, she goes before the district judge (Rule 431(C)).

Had she answered in March, there would have been one citation to deal with. Even in May, entering a plea, paying or signing an installment agreement ends the 1533 suspension, once any reinstatement fee is paid (1533(d)). If the citation had been for disorderly conduct instead, there would have been no PennDOT suspension at all, but the same bench warrant.

Common mistakes with a citation

Paying to make it go away. Payment is a guilty plea and a conviction (Rule 409), which then needs five years to be sealed or expunged, as explained in clearing a criminal record in Pennsylvania.
Mailing a not guilty plea without the collateral. The written plea must include collateral equal to the fine and costs, or $50 (Rule 408(A)(2)); if you cannot afford it, go in person.
Sending less than the full amount with a guilty plea. The judge may issue a warrant (Rule 409(B)(2)).
Counting on the officer not showing up. In a Vehicle Code or local traffic case, the officer may, but does not have to, appear, and the officer's absence alone is not a reason to dismiss (Rule 454(b)).
Missing the trial after pleading not guilty. The court's trial notice warns that missing it is consent to a trial without you, and the collateral is forfeited if you are found guilty (Rule 408(B)(3)).
Driving after the PennDOT letter. That adds a new charge and a longer suspension (1543).

What to do this week

Find the citation and note the issue date, the citation number and the district court named on it.
Look up the case on the UJS Portal by name or citation number, and gather any court or PennDOT notices.
Respond: enter a plea, or contact the district court about the case.
If you plead not guilty, send the collateral with the plea, or go in person if you cannot afford it.
If money is the problem, ask about installments, community service or a hearing on your ability to pay; the issuing authority may schedule one when a default is coming (Rule 456(A)).
Do not drive if PennDOT has suspended your license.
Keep proof of whatever you file or pay.

Frequently asked questions

Can I pay a citation online?

The county's website links to the statewide UJS Portal for paying fines, costs and restitution. Paying the amount on a citation is a guilty plea, so decide on the plea first. Parking tickets in Ellwood City are paid at the borough's Utility Office window or the overnight mailbox on Bell Avenue behind the Municipal Building, according to the borough.

Can I go to jail for an unpaid fine?

Not without a hearing. Whether you answer the default notice or are arrested after ignoring it, the judge must first decide whether you are able to pay (Rule 456(C)).

What if I never received the citation?

A citation or summons that comes back undelivered leads to an arrest warrant (Rule 430(A)(1)). When the warrant is served, you can pay the amount listed on it or, if you cannot pay, go before the district judge to enter a plea, usually with an immediate trial (Rule 431(B)).

Can I still appeal if I was found guilty without being there?

Yes. The judge must mail notice of the conviction and the right to appeal within 30 days for a new trial (Rule 455(D)). The appeal is filed with the Clerk of Courts in New Castle (Rule 460(a)), and you must appear for the new trial or the appeal may be dismissed (Rule 454(f)(2)).

Will a summary conviction show up on a background check?

It can, until it is sealed. Clean Slate limits access to a summary conviction five years after the judgment, once restitution is paid (18 Pa.C.S. 9122.2(a)(3)). What an employer may do with a record in the meantime is covered in whether an employer can refuse to hire you because of an old conviction.

If you ignored a citation in Ellwood City, Lawrence County or anywhere in Western Pennsylvania, it can usually still be addressed before it grows. You work directly with me, and the first consultation is always free and confidential.

What happens if I ignore a citation in Pennsylvania?