Mississippi Failure to Appear Suspension: How to Clear an FTA Hold

Why Missing Court Is Worse Than the Ticket Itself

Mississippi no longer suspends your license for simply not paying a traffic fine — the Criminal Justice Reform Act (HB 1352) ended that in 2019. But failing to show up for your court date is a different matter entirely. Under Miss. Code § 63-1-53, when you don't appear for a scheduled traffic court hearing, the court clerk reports the no-show to DPS, and your license is suspended indefinitely.

This creates a trap that catches a lot of people: you can't afford the fine, so you skip court, thinking the worst case is a debt. Instead, you get an active suspension, and now driving to work to earn the money for the fine is a misdemeanor offense.

The distinction between failure to pay (protected under HB 1352) and failure to appear (still triggers suspension) is the single most important thing to understand about Mississippi license suspensions. If you can't pay, you still need to appear. Talk to the clerk about a payment plan. Just show up.

How to Clear an FTA Hold

1. Identify the Originating Court

An FTA hold is tied to a specific court — the municipal or justice court in the jurisdiction where the citation was issued. If you have multiple FTA holds from different courts (which is common), each one must be resolved separately with its own court.

Pull your Motor Vehicle Report ($14.31 online through the DPS Self-Service Portal) to see exactly which courts have holds on your record. The MVR lists each hold by originating jurisdiction.

2. Contact the Court Clerk

Call the clerk's office for the court listed on your MVR. You'll need to resolve the underlying citation, which typically means one of:

• Appearing in court and entering a plea
• Paying the outstanding fine and court costs
• Requesting a court-approved payment plan

If the citation is old — especially from before 2019 — the court's records may be harder to locate. Rural justice courts in particular sometimes rely on paper filing systems. Be patient, and be specific about your case number or citation date.

3. Get the Court Abstract

Once the citation is resolved, request a physical copy of the Court Abstract (also called a "Clearance Form" or locally as a "My Clear Form"). This is the certified document proving that the court has released its hold on your record.

The standard fee for the Court Abstract is $5 per clearance notice, though this varies by jurisdiction.

4. Submit It to DPS Yourself

The court is legally required to transmit the abstract to DPS electronically, but this can take weeks. To speed things up significantly, mail a certified copy directly to:

Driver Records Division / Reinstatement P.O. Box 1459 Canton, MS 39046

Or hand-deliver it to the DPS headquarters at 1900 E. Woodrow Wilson, Jackson, MS 39216. Include your full name, license number, and date of birth.

5. Pay the $100 FTA Reinstatement Fee

Once the court abstract is on file with DPS, pay the $100 reinstatement fee. Online through the DPS portal (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Amex) or by money order to the Canton P.O. Box. Personal checks are rejected.

Do not pay this fee before the court abstract is confirmed on file — the payment processes, but DPS cannot act on it until the clearance is logged.

The Bench Warrant Question

People often avoid contacting the court because they fear an arrest. An FTA from a traffic citation and an active bench warrant are separate questions. If you are concerned that a bench warrant may have been issued, contact the court or a legal-aid organization to determine whether a warrant is active and how the court wants you to resolve the matter before appearing in person.

This is one of the situations where contacting a legal aid organization or the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project can help. An attorney can contact the court on your behalf to determine whether a warrant is active and negotiate a resolution before you physically appear.

What About Old Tickets From Before 2019?

Legacy FTA holds from before the 2019 reforms remain active on your record until the originating court clears them. HB 1352 was not retroactive for FTA suspensions. If you have a 10-year-old ticket from a justice court in a rural county, you still need to resolve it with that specific court.

The challenge with old tickets is that some courts have incomplete records or have moved case management systems. If you can't locate records for an old hold, contact the DPS Driver Records Division (601-487-7028) — they can sometimes provide additional detail about the originating jurisdiction.

If the citation remains unresolved after 90 days from the initial clerk notice, the jurisdiction may refer the debt to a private collection agency or attorney. The collector may assess up to 25% of the debt for Mississippi residents or up to 50% for out-of-state residents.

For the full multi-hold clearing process, the Mississippi reinstatement guide covers every suspension type in the correct order.

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