Failure to Appear (FTA) in California

A failure to appear (FTA) happens when you miss a required court date or deadline to respond to a citation. In California, an FTA can turn a routine traffic infraction into a much bigger problem — so it is worth resolving promptly rather than ignoring it.

What "failure to appear" means

Under Vehicle Code § 40508, it is the driver's duty to appear as promised on the citation or after a court-set date. Missing that commitment can result in a separate charge of failing to appear and a failure to pay, which the court may treat as a criminal matter.

The cascade of consequences

• Civil assessment: Under Penal Code § 1214.1, a court may add a civil assessment of up to $300 to an unpaid or unaddressed infraction.
• DMV license hold: The court reports the failure to the DMV, which can hold your driver's license (a "fail to appear" hold). You cannot renew until it's cleared.
• Bench warrant: For some offenses the court may issue a warrant for your arrest.

How to fix it

In most cases the court will let you cure an FTA before the warrant escalates:

1. Contact the traffic division of the issuing court (find it under courthouses).
2. Ask to set aside the failure by appearing or responding — courts often accept a check-in and a new appearance date, especially if this is your first FTA.
3. Pay any owed past-due bail or set up a payment plan.
4. Ask the court to lift the DMV hold and dismiss the FTA charge once you're current.

Preventing an FTA

Respond before the due date, watch for court mail, and if you cannot appear, request a continuance before the date. Many courts accept requests to reschedule or allow a written trial so you do not have to appear in person.

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