What happens if you don't pay your speeding ticket right away?

[rheged]

Then you don't have to worry about it.

[piaras91]

You don't HAVE to pay it right away. You only have to pay it by the "pay by" date. And, if you don't do THAT, or go to court, then a warrant will be issued for you.

[chadburne48]

you will get a notice after a couple of weeks that if you don't pay or set up a court date a conviction will be entered because you didn't dispute the charge

[emek]

you will get a notice after a couple of weeks that if you don't pay or set up a court date a conviction will be entered because you didn't dispute the charge

If you don't pay your ticket by the due date, you will usually be given a notice by the baliff that warns you of the consequences of not paying your ticket and an extension on the due date. You can obtain an extension beforehand if you provide a reasonable excuse to the baliff. If you cannot pay your ticket at all or refuse to pay, the magistrate can summons you to court where he will decide what to do next. Often the baliff will be ordered to seize property amounting to the value of the amount owed, or a brief stint in jail is common as well.
You can always challenge a traffic ticket in court, as is your right.

[jordi]

Usually you are given a certain time in which to make the payment. If you can't pay in that time, then usually you can contact the court to get an extension or sort out a payment plan, Of course, if you decide to dispute the ticket before a court, then you don't have to pay at least until the court has issued its decision (if it upholds the fine, then again there is a time limit in which to pay).

If you don't pay, dispute, or arrange an extension, then normally you'll get a warning. If you still don't pay, a warrant can be issued for your arrest. It's rare that the police will actually come to arrest you, but if you are ever pulled over and your license is checked, the warrant will appear and you'll probably end up spending a night in jail.