Georgia: Tickets, court dates, and fines
Official-Source Information
Georgia may receive a hold from a court or another issuing authority after an unresolved ticket, missed court date, or unpaid obligation. The issuing authority and the licensing agency can have separate steps, so the exact notice and current official record control.
General information only. This page does not review your record, decide which category applies, or select a form or provider.
Official source last checked Jun 30, 2026
Direct source-backed answer
GA DOES suspend for FTA on a traffic violation (O.C.G.A. § 40-5-56). All GA traffic violations are misdemeanors, so once an FTA is entered you cannot just pay the fine - you must REENGAGE the court (reschedule / appear). HB 926 (2022+) then triggers MANDATORY RELEASE of the FTA hold for most citations - limited to ONCE per case (a 2nd FTA in the same case is not guaranteed auto-release). Courts may no longer charge a court-side FTA fee before rescheduling (court-side FTA fee eliminated). Exceptions where the auto-release does NOT apply: serious traffic offenses under §40-6-390 through §40-6-397, §40-5-54 offenses, and first-offense-suspendable offenses (those route through the serious-traffic-offense OUT path, not standard court or ticket-related category). Reinstatement order: reengage court → court releases hold + issues a clearance letter / Form 912 reinstatement form → driver carries the 912 to DDS (the court does NOT auto-transmit) → pay DDS reinstatement fee IF the suspension already took effect. Fee timing rule: resolved BEFORE the suspension's effective date → no DDS fee; AFTER → fee due. Pauper's affidavit → DDS fee waiver. DDS 2 GO / DDS Online Services can show the status + fee, but the 912 itself must come from the court.
Published fee information
DDS reinstatement: $90 mail / online; $100 in-person. NO DDS fee if you resolve the citation BEFORE the suspension's effective date (engage the court, get the 912, deliver to DDS before the susp takes effect). NO court-side FTA fee (HB 926 eliminated it). Pauper's affidavit → DDS fee waiver.
Check the official fee sourceConfirm the exact amount and payee with DDS before payment.
Forms and documents
Form 912 (court-issued clearance / reinstatement form - the central court or ticket-related category artifact). Credit Card Authorization Form if paying DDS by mail.
Open the official form sourceThis is an unselected list from the state source. Confirm the correct form for your situation with the issuing agency or a qualified attorney.
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Common questions
No. It summarizes published Georgia information for this category. Your current official notice and record determine which requirements apply, and the issuing agency makes the final decision.
The cited source was last checked Jun 30, 2026. Forms, fees, and submission methods can change, so confirm them on the linked official source before acting or paying.
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Source excerpt summary: GA DOES suspend for FTA on a traffic violation (O.C.G.A. § 40-5-56). All GA traffic violations are misdemeanors, so once an FTA is entered you cannot just pay the fine - you must REENGAGE the court (reschedule / appear)....
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