Missed a Court Date — What Happens and What to Do Next

What happens depends on the state, the court, and the kind of case. The rules of your court are the ones that count. That is why the first step below is a call to your own court.

What can happen when you miss a court date

It depends on the kind of case. Courts describe two main paths.

If yours is a criminal case

Court self-help guidance puts it this way:

“If you miss your court date (including being late) for a criminal case or contempt matter, a warrant may be issued for your arrest.”

A warrant does not quietly go away with time. It stays until the court deals with it.

If yours is a civil case

A civil case is a lawsuit, small claims, or a citation handled as a civil case.

In a civil case, the case can go ahead without you. You will likely lose by default.

Here is a real-court example. The Mid-Moraine Municipal Court in Wisconsin says in its own FAQ that if you miss your court date, the court will enter a default judgment and assess a forfeiture, and will mail you a notice with the amount owed and the due date.

Traffic tickets and citations

In some courts, ignoring a citation after a default can also lead to your driver's license being suspended until you take care of it.

The Mid-Moraine court's FAQ says the court may suspend a valid driver's license when a forfeiture goes unpaid.

This is a “some courts can” rule. It is not the same everywhere. Your court's clerk can tell you what your court does.

Asking the court to undo a default

There is a way to ask the court to cancel a judgment that was entered when you didn't show up, and to hear the case again.

In California small claims, this request is called asking to “vacate” the judgment. The California Courts self-help guide explains the difference between an appeal and asking to vacate: someone who did not go to the trial asks to cancel the decision.

If the court cancels the judgment, that does not mean you win. It means there is a new trial.

Three key points:

• You must ask the court. It does not happen by itself.
• Ask the clerk how it works in your court.
• Ask the clerk whether there is a deadline.

What to do next — step by step

1. Find your paperwork. You need the court's name, your case number, and the date you missed.
2. Call that court's clerk as soon as you can. Ask three things:
   • What happened at the hearing?
   • Is there a warrant or a judgment?
   • What does the court want me to do next — is there a form, or a new date?
3. Write it down. Write down the name of the person you spoke with, the date, and what they said.
4. Gather anything that shows why you missed. For example, hospital papers. If you ask for a new date, or ask the court to cancel a judgment, the court will want to know the reason.
5. If the clerk says there is a warrant, ask how that court handles people who come in on their own to clear it — and follow those instructions exactly.
6. Do not just wait. Warrants and judgments do not fix themselves, and they do not go away on their own.

Sources

The facts on this page come from real courts' own published guidance and court self-help guides:

• California Courts Self Help Guide — Appeal or pay (vacating a small claims judgment)
• Clark County (Ohio) Municipal Court — FAQs
• Mid-Moraine Municipal Court — FAQs
• Montana LawHelp — “Tips for Representing Yourself in Court”

These are examples from real courts' published guidance. Your own court's rules are the ones that count in your case.

Checked November 2026.