I Got A Traffic Ticket Out Of State – What Do I Do?

You’re on vacation, driving along, sunroof open, radio blaring, having a grand old time….and then….you see flashing lights behind you. Oh no, it’s a traffic stop. You anxiously wait for the officer to approach your car, and inwardly cringe when you hear the words, “License, registration, and proof of insurance.” The result of the stop? A traffic ticket. And not just any traffic ticket, but an out-of-state traffic ticket. Now, what do you do?

Under any circumstances, handling traffic tickets can be time-consuming and expensive. You might have to take off work to appear in court to either pay your fine or try to plea down the offense to one with fewer or no points added to your license. Depending on the seriousness of the violation or the circumstances, you may decide to consult an attorney who specializes in traffic law and traffic ticket defenses.

You Can Run, but You Cannot Hide

In the 1960s, forty-five states plus Washington, DC signed what is known as the Driver’s License Compact (DLC). Most states also participate in the Non-Resident Violator Compact (NRVC). Both of these agreements allow participating states to share information about drivers and traffic violations, both moving and non-moving, and essentially make getting a ticket out of state the same as getting a ticket in your home state. You should never ignore any ticket; it will not go away. The repercussions of an unpaid traffic violation can range from hefty fines and penalties, the temporary or permanent loss of driving privileges, an arrest warrant, or even jail. You might lose your job if it requires you to have a “clean” driver’s license (a driver’s license with no moving violations on it). Your insurance company may drop you. In that case, not only will you have to deal with the hassle of finding a new insurance company that will accept you, you but may find yourself placed in the assigned risk category which carries higher premiums.

Out of State Traffic Tickets

You have several options for dealing with a traffic ticket out-of-state:

• You can simply ignore the ticket. This is a terrible idea and the worst option of all. The ticket will catch up to you, and when it does, the repercussions and expense of the ticket will be much greater than if you had taken care of it in a timely fashion.
• You can simply pay the ticket and be done with it. Although this option may be appealing because it is the fastest and easiest, it is quite often not the best option. Paying the ticket is an admission of guilt. You will probably incur points on your license, as well as an increased insurance rate. In addition, the end cost of the ticket may be quite expensive. Courts often charge a mandatory administrative fee. Additionally, just paying the traffic ticket may not be an option. Depending on the court and the charge, the ticket may require a mandatory appearance. A mandatory appearance means that either you or an attorney must physically appear in person even if you just want to pay the ticket.
• You can show up for the court date to try to fight the ticket. This may or may not result in a lesser charge, but will rarely end with a dismissal. If found guilty, you will be subject to all the fees discussed above. In addition, you will have the added expense of having to travel back to the state where you got the ticket. Further, fighting a ticket may require two separate appearances in court. Appearing in the state where you got the ticket is just not always practical or feasible particularly if it requires you to appear twice. Imagine the time and expense you can incur if the violation happened in a state across the country.
• You can hire an experienced attorney to appear in court to fight the ticket for you. Hiring a traffic ticket attorney to represent you will eliminate the need for you to travel back to the state where the violation occurred. An attorney specializing in traffic tickets may be able to plead your ticket down to one that carries fewer points or no points, or possibly get your out-of-state ticket dismissed entirely. An attorney from the locality where you received the ticket will know the way the local courts operate, may be familiar with the police officer involved and will know whether the court will accept your participation in a point reduction program or some kind of online traffic school to lessen the severity and cost of the violation. Although hiring a lawyer does not guarantee anything, it gives you the best opportunity to fight the ticket, save points on your license, and keep your insurance premium down.

If you have received a traffic ticket out of state, reach out right away for a free consultation to see how we can help you fight it.