If you fail to pay an outstanding traffic fine, two things will happen: The Bureau of Motor Vehicles will suspend your driver's license, and the unpaid debt will show up in your credit report, which could make obtaining credit harder and lead to higher interest rates.

If you have an outstanding traffic fine and are ready to pay, call the Marion Superior Court Traffic Division, (317) 327-5053.

If you're not sure whether you have an outstanding fine, call the Traffic Division to find out. Give them your name, driver's license number, address and date of birth, and they'll look up your record.

If you arrange to pay your fine before receiving a letter from the collection agency, you can escape a 25 percent surcharge. Letters go out on Monday to people with fines in 2003 and 2004.

The Marion County clerk's office maintains an online Traffic Ticket Payment Center at civicnet.net/
apps/citizen/traffictickets/.

The Traffic Court Division of the Marion County clerk's office also provides information on how to pay your ticket at www.indygov.org/eGov/
County/Clerk/Court/

By the numbers
$17.5 million
Estimated dollar value of moving violations from 2000 to 2004 that remain unpaid.

52,236
Number of tickets written to Indiana residents in 2003 and 2004 that remain unpaid.

3,228
Number of tickets written to out-of-state violators in 2003 and 2004 that remain unpaid.

120
Days to pay traffic tickets in Marion County before they are sent to a debt collection agency.

50
Approximate percentage of people with unpaid traffic tickets who have multiple violations.

Source: Marion Superior Court