Unpaid traffic tickets received in Washington State can lead to criminal charges, fine, imprisonment and the loss of your nexus card.
If you live in British Columbia and have unpaid traffic tickets from Washington, you could face criminal charges, fine and imprisonment, and the loss of your Nexus card if you are caught driving south of the border.¹
Unpaid traffic tickets received in Washington automatically lead to having your BC license suspended in Washington after three months. Driving with a suspended license is the equivalent to driving without a license. If you are caught driving with a suspended license in Washington you can be arrested and charged with a criminal misdemeanour and could face up to 90 days in jail and a $1000 fine. If charged with a misdemeanour, you cannot hold a Nexus card. If you appear in court, and your overdue U.S. traffic ticket is dismissed, you can get your nexus card back, but it you plead guilty and pay the fine, your Nexus card will be revoked for 10 years.
According to Washington State Patrol spokesman Dan Coon, “a Canadian driver who receives a speeding ticket in Washington has three options: pay by mail, request a remediation hearing, or head down and contest it through the courts.” If you need to pay a ticket you received in Washington, the following links may be useful:
Seattle, Washington
http://www.seattle.gov/courts/ticket/ticketinformation.htm
Blaine, Washington
http://www.ci.blaine.wa.us/417/Infractions
Bellingham, Washington
https://www.ncourt.com/x-press/x-onlinepayments.aspx?juris=39D27332-10A7-4B03-B376-6855F908779D
Other areas
http://www.dmv.org/wa-washington/lost-traffic-ticket.php