How to pay your traffic ticket and why you shouldn’t
Getting a traffic ticket can really ruin your day, but it can ruin a lot more than just your day. The effects that can result from simply paying your traffic ticket can not only have an immediate impact, but can also keep rearing its ugly head for years after receiving it and thinking that it has been resolved by paying the fine.
Most people know that receiving a traffic ticket can increase your insurance rates, but by how much and for how long are variables that the average person will not know about. This is because these are subjectively based on the policies of individual insurance companies and the number of points that are assessed based on your license. The number of points you receive depends on the traffic violation you were charged with. A misdemeanor is not going to result in the same points as a criminal traffic violation, and when it comes to speeding, the points can vary depending on how much you exceeded the speeding limit.
Some estimates indicate that insurance rates can increase by hundreds of dollars per year for three to four years. This can be a tremendous burden for someone who cannot afford the traffic ticket to begin with, much less the other penalties that flow from it. Of course, the consequences of just paying the fine are a fine, court costs, and the insurance rate increases mentioned above, but sometimes there are other costs that you don’t anticipate when you make the decision to pay the fine.
These ancillary costs can be quite varied depending on the course of action you choose to take. One of those costs that may not occur to you at the time of the traffic ticket is the fact that paying the ticket is an admission of guilt and will show up on your driving record … forever. This can be devastating if you are applying for a job.
The obvious jobs that a poor driving record can affect are those that involve driving, such as a truck driver or taxi driver. Even if the amount of time you spend driving is brief, like acting as a valet or running errands, your job could still be affected. If your employer requires you to drive to work and is responsible for insuring the vehicle you drive for this purpose, the cost of insuring it may be prohibitive for that employer.
Something to keep in mind is that there was a time when you showed up for a job interview and sold yourself based on your past work history and how you presented yourself. With the increased demand for a good, stable job, especially one with benefits, it’s a hell of a lot harder to get a foot in the door, let alone get the job. The ever-increasing omnipresence of the Internet in our lives makes it that much more difficult. Even if you are very cautious about what you post on social media sites, there are an unlimited number of websites that will provide potential employers, or anyone else who is willing to pay a fee, your background information. This, of course, includes your driving record. Many interested parties can find this information without going to one of these websites. Consider how easy it can be to find almost any information about someone online these days. Regardless of whether that information is obtained through social media or other for-profit websites, suspicious details about other people can have devastating consequences.
There are those who may think that, instead of paying the traffic fine, they can declare themselves unopposed or nolo contendre. Although this is true, it can still have a negative impact on your license. Choosing this course of action may give you the opportunity to plead a misdemeanor, but you will still have to appear in court and will likely have to pay a fine and court costs. Also, even a reduced guilty plea will likely continue to affect your insurance and your driving record.
Please note that if you decide to pay your traffic ticket in full, you only have 30 days from the date of the citation to do so. If your traffic ticket does not list a due date, contact the clerk of court’s office in the county where the ticket was issued to make sure the expiration date is not missed. You can mail the payment to the Clerk of Court in the issuing county or some counties; You can avoid the headache and wasted time by paying your traffic ticket online through the county website. Other acceptable payment methods include personal check, money order, cash, or credit card.
Another option you may consider, depending on the offense you are charged with, is attending traffic school. This will prevent points from showing up on your driver’s license and help you avoid an increase in the insurance rate, but as with paying the fine in full, this is not something I recommend. If you choose to attend a basic driver improvement course, you need to make sure you understand the ramifications of this choice. You will still have to pay the fine and court costs, plus you will also have to pay the cost of the class. You should also remember that you can only choose this option a limited number of times, so if you are a regular traffic violator, this may not be an option available to you, but it is an option for some who receive fines for committing infractions. traffic.
These are all things the average driver receiving a traffic ticket should consider, but the considerations are a bit different for the drivers who drive for a living that I mentioned earlier. If you have a Florida CDL (commercial driver’s license), you must inform your employer once you are found guilty of the fine. This includes an admission of guilt by paying the traffic fine. You should also inform the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles if you receive a conviction in another jurisdiction. This applies to another county or out of state. Unfortunately, drivers with a Class A, B, or C driver’s license do not have the option to enroll in a driver improvement class if they receive a traffic violation. According to the FL DHSMV website, the license classes are as follows:
A CLASS: Trucks or truck combinations that weigh with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 pounds. or more as long as the towed vehicle weighs more than 10,000 pounds.
CLASS B: Straight trucks weighing 26,001 lbs. Gross vehicle weight rating or more.
CLASS C: Vehicles transporting placardable quantities of hazardous materials or vehicles designed to transport more than 15 people, including the driver, with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 26,001 pounds.
Almost without exception, it is always in your best interest to please the not guilty and fight your traffic ticket, and it is also almost without exception in your best interest to hire a good traffic ticket attorney to fight for you. Notice that I used the words good traffic ticket lawyer. Not all attorneys who are willing to represent you in court to defend your traffic violation are experts in the field of traffic law. However, we have many years of successful experience in the traffic court field, so if you want to fight your traffic ticket, and I highly recommend that you do, give us a call at 954-967-9888 for a free consultation.