I Lost My Nevada Traffic Ticket, Now What Do I Do?

It’s happened to just about all of us and if it hasn’t yet happened to you it soon will. You pushed on the gas pedal at the wrong time and went over the speed limit, you forgot to put your turn signal on or you just had to accelerate through that intersection because you didn’t want to stop.

All these examples, if done at the wrong place at the wrong time will generate a traffic ticket.

Typically, they are pretty easy to deal with but what if you can no longer find your ticket? First off, don’t go to court and tell the judge that “your dog ate it” and definitely do not simply ignore it and act like you never got it. Playing dumb in this situation is not recommended. Although there are things to do if you lose your ticket, one easy way to start the resolution process is to simply contact us at Ticket Busters.

Your Ticket Is Lost, How Do You Get Started?

Even if you do not have your physical ticket you might still be able to get a court date or obtain a case event. You don’t necessarily need your physical ticket if you have the ticket number and are able to figure out what court your traffic ticket was assigned to. Once those two items are determined you can move forward.

Option 1: Utilize the Court System’s Website and Online Lookup Search

It seems like Government websites are never too easy to navigate but they can be utilized; and if you lost your ticket, then, needless to say, you are pretty desperate so it’s worth giving it a shot.

In most cases in Nevada, you will need to know the county or city that your ticket was issued in. That should be pretty easy for you to remember unless you are getting an abundance of tickets in which case you probably won’t have a license to drive anymore. If you don’t know the court systems website then a typical search engine should be able to generate it for you. Simply Google something along the lines of

“Lost Traffic Ticket Las Vegas, Nevada”, “Nevada Traffic Ticket Lookup”. In many cases, your Drivers License number along with another key piece of personal information (ie: date of birth or license plate number) will generate the information you need.

Once all of the relevant information is obtained, we would recommend you save it to your computer or simply take a picture of it with your phone. That will save you from having to do the search process again. There should be instructions as to what the next steps are or simply call Ticket Busters for the fastest resolution.

Option 2: Utilize the Courtesy Notice (if applicable)

Although it’s best to move quickly and just take care of the ticket as soon as possible (to avoid loss of the actual ticket or forgetting about it) most people procrastinate and don’t address it immediately.

The courts have seen all of that before and at the end of the day, they want their money so they definitely will not forget about it. Because of that, they will often times send a courtesy notice. Any correspondence sent by the court that references your traffic ticket will have the pertinent information listed on it.

So, the courtesy notice will be just as valuable as the actual ticket. The court system will utilize the address on file which would be the same as what the DMV has for you. In most cases, the courtesy notice is sent out within a few weeks of the ticket’s origination date. So, if you lost your original ticket, you can utilize this notice as it will have all of the pertinent information listed on it so that you can resolve the issue and move on with your life.

Of course, if you lost your original ticket and never receive the courtesy notice (due to the wrong address) or threw away the envelope without even opening it (like many people now do) then this option will not be helpful. We do not advise that you depend on receiving a courtesy notice. As mentioned above, there are numerous reasons why you may not receive it so after a couple of weeks of getting cited for a traffic ticket in Nevada you should be moving forward with getting a resolution. Reaching out to Ticket Busters would be recommended in this case…unless you like the drama of course!

Option 3: Reach Out to the Court System for Assistance

Although wait times might be high, contacting the court via telephone will usually generate results as they can simply mail another ticket to you or at the very least provide you with the pertinent information on the citation and walk you through the next steps.

You will need to contact the appropriate court (the one that has your ticket). Because time is of the essence and in some cases, mail can get lost, we advise that if you speak to someone at the court to have them email you the ticket. Not only is it a faster process but you can always retrieve the email in case your printed version gets lost or mutilated.

If you don’t know what court your ticket is assigned to, calling any court within the jurisdiction could provide answers for you depending on how helpful the representative is.

Option 4: Let Ticket Busters Assist You In This Process

Our lawyers can help you out if you lose your traffic ticket in Nevada. We have experience in all traffic ticket matters including DUI. We are a one-stop shop for all of your citation problems. We offer clear expectations and will be transparent with you every step of the way.

Not only will we help you resolve your problem but we will also educate you in the process so that you can be 100% certain we are providing the best service.

Even though we have a high success rate, we want to make sure you know that success is not guaranteed.

We never want our clients to walk out of our office upset because we promised more than we can deliver. We give you clear expectations and explain to you the potential outcomes.

Consequences for Losing your Traffic Ticket

Whether you lost your ticket or simply forgot about it, not acknowledging it will cause problems so be prepared to face the consequences. A failure by you to not acknowledge the ticket could mean a suspension of your license, fines, additional points against your record and much more.

In any case, it’s not the first time this situation has occurred so there are solutions and there is no need to panic.

Best Practices for a Lost Traffic Citation

Getting cited for a traffic violation is never a fun process. Chances are you made one minor mistake while driving and got nailed for it. It’s uneasy to have to dig through your glove box for the proper info with law enforcement watching every move. Not only that, but you know that more headaches are in the future with having to deal with the ticket and you know it’s going to cost you money with the fines.

After all of that drama, losing the actual ticket will cause even more stress. Make your life easier and contact Ticket Busters if any of this happens to you. In any case, we recommend you use some best practices so that if something does happen you’ll be more prepared for it:

Never Ignore a Traffic Ticket

Any good attorney will tell you to never disregard a traffic ticket. By doing so, your troubles will mount and believe us that the Government will not provide any grace for this type of action and they certainly won’t forget about you.

Take Immediate Steps

Immediate steps would include paying the ticket right away and simply dealing with it shortly after it is received. Waiting around isn’t going to help or change anything. By delaying the process, you only increase your chances for negative outcomes such as losing the ticket or having other emergencies come up that distract you from the ticket issue.

One immediate step you can take is to simply take a picture of the ticket with your phone right after it is issued. By doing so, you have a backup copy in case the hard copy gets lost or destroyed. It literally takes five seconds and can prevent you from wasting a lot of time in the future.

Keep your Address Updated with the Department of Motor Vehicles

If you change your address be sure to notify the DMV. Here in Nevada, you can simply make that change online. It’s a quick and easy process and ensures that all correspondence will be sent to the correct address. It’s probably not often you get mail from the DMV or the court system but when you do it is significant and you don’t want any delays.

Forwarding your Mail

Even if you change your address after moving, it is still a good idea to forward your mail to the new address with the local post office. No doubt that some mail will still be delivered to your old address. By forwarding it, you will be sure to receive any and all correspondence sent to you.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to Ticket Busters for assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions