People in Florida who commit petty offenses on federal property might be sent tickets from the Central Violations Bureau. If you receive a ticket from the CVB, you will have a couple of options, depending on whether your appearance in court is mandatory or optional. One thing you should not do is simply ignore the ticket and fail to pay or fail to appear in court. If you do, the court could issue a summons ordering you to appear and a warrant for your arrest. The court could also contact the Department of Motor Vehicles if the offense is driving-related to request your license be suspended.
Ticket with mandatory court appearance
Tickets from the CVB will either have a checkmark placed in boxes A or B. If your ticket has a checkmark in box A, you must appear in court. The CVB will send a notice to appear to you by mail 30 days before your mandatory court appearance. You will then have the option of entering a plea or fighting the charge against you.
Ticket with an optional court appearance
If box B on your ticket is checked, appearing in court is not mandatory. You will have the option of paying the fine associated with the offense. If you do, you will not have to appear in court. However, paying the fine will also include an admission of your guilt for the offense. It will subsequently appear on your record and could cause collateral consequences when you look for a new job. You also have the right to appear in court and defend against the charges against you.
