Missed Court in Tennessee: What Happens Next

What Tennessee 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.

Tennessee failure to appear law

In Tennessee, 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 any charge: Class A misdemeanor. Failure to appear is a Class A misdemeanor whatever the underlying charge, and the sentence must run consecutively to the sentence for the original offense. (Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-609(d)-(e) (2019 Pub. Ch. 486, § 4))
    (d) Failure to appear is a Class A misdemeanor. (e) Any sentence received for a violation of this section must be ordered to be served consecutively to any sentence received for the offense for which the defendant failed to appear,
    Note: Since 2019 Pub. Ch. 486 the offense is a flat Class A misdemeanor; descriptions of a felony tier reflect the pre-2019 text.

When a date is missed, the court’s order is called a bench warrant or capias (Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-11-139(d)(1) (2026 Pub. Ch. 1026)).

Driver’s license after a missed traffic date in Tennessee

Not confirmed at an official source; ask the court clerk. (Nashville/Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk: FAQs)

Visit the Criminal Court Clerk’s Office as soon as possible for instructions on requesting a Set Aside Order. Once completed, the order must be signed by a General Sessions Judge and filed with the Clerk

How to deal with a missed date in Tennessee

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.
  • Some items for this state could not be confirmed at an official source and are left out. Ask the court clerk.
  • It collects nothing; your choices stay in your browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is failure to appear a crime in Tennessee?

Yes. Released on any charge: Class A misdemeanor under Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-609(d)-(e) (2019 Pub. Ch. 486, § 4).

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

Not confirmed at an official source; ask the court clerk. The rule is in Nashville/Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk: FAQs.

Sources

Checked against the sources above on October 20, 2026.

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