Missed Court in Kansas: What Happens Next

What Kansas law says can follow a missed court date: whether it is a separate crime, the driver’s license rule for traffic cases, what happens to bail, and the court’s own next steps. It runs in your browser and nothing is stored.

What kind of case was the court date for?
How was the person released before the date?

Pick the state, the kind of case and how the person was released to see what that state’s law says.

Kansas failure to appear law

In Kansas, missing a required court date after release can be charged as its own crime. The statute grades it by the kind of case:

  • Released on a misdemeanor charge: class B nonperson misdemeanor. On a misdemeanor charge in a district (not municipal) court, knowingly letting the appearance bond be forfeited and not surrendering within 30 days is failure to appear, a class B nonperson misdemeanor. Release on own recognizance and a missed summons or traffic citation count as a bond for this purpose. (K.S.A. § 21-5915(a)) Only if the case is in a district court (not a city municipal court), the bond was forfeited, and the person did not surrender within 30 days.
    Failure to appear is knowingly incurring a forfeiture of an appearance bond and failing to surrender oneself within 30 days following the date of such forfeiture by one who is charged with a misdemeanor and has been released on bond for appearance before any court of this state, other than the municipal court of a city
  • Released on a felony charge: severity level 10, nonperson felony. On a felony charge, knowingly letting the appearance bond be forfeited and not surrendering within 30 days is aggravated failure to appear, a severity level 10, nonperson felony. (K.S.A. § 21-5915(c)(2)) Only if the bond was forfeited and the person did not surrender within 30 days.
    Aggravated failure to appear is a severity level 10, nonperson felony.
  • Traffic citation: misdemeanor. Failure to comply with a traffic citation is a misdemeanor, whatever happens to the original charge. (K.S.A. § 8-2110(a))
    Failure to comply with a traffic citation is a misdemeanor, regardless of the disposition of the charge for which such citation was originally issued.

The statute’s mental-state words are “knowingly”, so the reason the date was missed can matter.

When a date is missed, the court’s order is called a arrest warrant (K.S.A. § 22-2807(a)).

Driver’s license after a missed traffic date in Kansas

After a failure to comply with a traffic citation, the court mails a notice; if the person does not appear or pay within 30 days, the Division of Vehicles is notified to suspend driving privileges. (K.S.A. § 8-2110(b)(1)(A))

the district or municipal court in which the person should have complied with the citation shall mail notice to the person that if the person does not appear in district or municipal court or pay fines, court costs and any penalties as ordered by the court within 30 days from the date of mailing notice, the division of vehicles will be notified to suspend the person's driving privileges

Note: L. 2024, ch. 101, § 2, effective January 1, 2025.

Bail and bonds after a missed date in Kansas

No judgment on a forfeited appearance bond may be entered until more than 60 days after notice is served, or more than two years after the failure to appear. (K.S.A. § 22-2807(d))

To compare what posting bail costs in Kansas, see the Kansas bail bond calculator.

How to deal with a missed date in Kansas

Only the court that set the date can recall a warrant or give a new date. Contact that court’s clerk, or the lawyer or public defender on the case, who can ask the court to recall or quash the warrant.

What this page does not do

  • It does not check whether a warrant was issued in any case or whether anyone will be arrested.
  • Whether a separate failure-to-appear charge is filed is the prosecutor’s decision; what happens to bail is the court’s.
  • It collects nothing; your choices stay in your browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is failure to appear a crime in Kansas?

Yes. Released on a misdemeanor charge: class B nonperson misdemeanor under K.S.A. § 21-5915(a); Released on a felony charge: severity level 10, nonperson felony under K.S.A. § 21-5915(c)(2); Traffic citation: misdemeanor under K.S.A. § 8-2110(a).

Is missing court a felony in Kansas?

In some cases. released on a felony charge: severity level 10, nonperson felony under K.S.A. § 21-5915(c)(2) (only if the bond was forfeited and the person did not surrender within 30 days). Otherwise: released on a misdemeanor charge: class B nonperson misdemeanor under K.S.A. § 21-5915(a) (only if the case is in a district court (not a city municipal court), the bond was forfeited, and the person did not surrender within 30 days); traffic citation: misdemeanor under K.S.A. § 8-2110(a).

Will Kansas suspend my license for missing a traffic court date?

After a failure to comply with a traffic citation, the court mails a notice; if the person does not appear or pay within 30 days, the Division of Vehicles is notified to suspend driving privileges. The rule is in K.S.A. § 8-2110(b)(1)(A).

Sources

Checked against the sources above on October 20, 2026.

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