Ticket scofflaws, take heed: This year’s statewide warrant roundup begins Feb. 16.

People with unpaid traffic, parking, city ordinance and other Class C misdemeanor offenses risk being arrested if they don’t settle outstanding warrants in municipal courts.

Starting with 50 North and Central Texas agencies, the “Great Texas Warrant Roundup” took off two years ago and grew to 170 agencies participating statewide this year.

Thirteen Denton County cities are participating in the statewide effort to get people who skipped their court dates to pay up.

Last year was Argyle’s first year to participate. Municipal Court Clerk Sue Kennedy said word spread fast and more than 100 people came in to clear their tickets.

“We only arrested about six people,” Kennedy said. The town had more than 700 outstanding warrants, with $164,000 owed on the warrants.

Even after clearing those tickets, the numbers rose this year. The town has more than 1,000 outstanding warrants from the past three years, representing about $250,000 owed to city coffers, Kennedy said.

In Sanger, last year’s roundup cleared 48 tickets and collected $10,737, according to City Court Administrator Christy Punches.

This year, Sanger has 839 outstanding warrants, representing more than $280,000 owed.

But that amount could change.

“I’ll get a few more activated before the roundup,” Punches said.

Denton County cities participating in the roundup are Argyle, Bartonville, Carrollton, Corinth, Denton, Flower Mound, Hickory Creek, Justin, Lake Dallas, Lewisville, Ponder, Sanger and Trophy Club.

PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6881. Her e-mail address is pheinkel-wolfe@dentonrc.com.