Legalities
I'm not sure how it is elsewhere, but in my U.S. state, at least, an automated traffic ticket of any type has no legal standing and simply doesn't have to be paid. By law, not paying it can have no effect on your driver's license, insurance, credit report, or what have you. In other words, paying it is a purely voluntary act, despite what the notice itself might say, or what the municipality where it was issued might say, or what the representatives from a third-party issuing company might say. In fact, they're trying to get a law passed right now saying that the "ticket" itself must clearly state this - "This ticket has absolutely no legal standing" (or words to that effect) - but they are of course having a bit of trouble getting this pushed through.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
