How to Check if You Have Traffic Tickets Online

What Happens When You Get a Speeding Ticket?

1. 1

   Remain calm and respectful

   As soon as you become aware that the patrol officer is going to issue you a speeding ticket, remain calm and respectful. Never argue with the officer or attempt to persuade him or her to recant the citation.

2. 2

   Sign the paper copy of the ticket

   Oftentimes the officer will head back to his car to draft up the information needed for your citation. He will then present you with a paper copy of the ticket for you to sign.

   Your signature doesn’t mean that you agree with the ticket, but make sure you sign it (Mike Allyn)

3. 3

   Check your contact information on your ticket copy

   After you sign, the officer will present you with a copy of the ticket for your records. On this ticket will appear your contact and personal information, the location of your offense, the officer’s name, the posted speed limit, the speed you were going when the officer first signaled you to pull over, and a preliminary court date for the offense. If any of your contact information is incorrect, notify the officer so that he or she can make the proper changes.

4. 4

   Make sure you know how to handle the citation

   The officer may give you verbal instructions on what you need to do to handle the citation or he may refer you to instructions on the piece of paper. Even if the officer does not explain to you what you need to do next, the information should appear somewhere on the ticket.

5. 5

   Read the instructions on how to pay your speeding ticket

   After you have safely arrived at your destination, read over the instructions on how to pay your speeding citation. Usually, you will have the option to pay online, by phone or at your local municipal courthouse. There should be a contact number listed on the ticket that you can call if you have any questions.

   A man and woman reading a speeding ticket

6. 6

   Attend defensive driving school instead of paying the fine

   If the speeding ticket is your first, you may be allowed to attend defensive driving school in exchange for the fine. You can call your local municipal courthouse to find out more information about enrolling. This possibility is only available in certain areas.

7. 7

   Know your options if defensive driving school is not possible

   If you are unable or not allowed to attend defensive driving school, you have two options. The first option is to pay the fine in full before the court date that is printed on the ticket. The second option is to appear in court to see if you can get the citation dismissed. If you choose to appear in court for your speeding ticket, be aware that you may be required to pay court costs. Here are several pieces of advice from an attorney if you want to try and beat your ticket:

8. 8

   Notify your auto insurance company

   You may need to notify your automobile insurance company after being issued a speeding ticket. In many cases, your automobile insurance rate may increase after one or more speeding tickets. In the worst case scenario, an automobile insurance company may drop your policy if you are issued several speeding tickets in a short period of time.

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How to Resolve a Massachusetts Speeding Ticket

Visit the Mass.gov website and you can pay your speeding ticket online withing the first 20 days of issuance. After that your driver’s license may be suspended and you will need to call the Mass RMV to find out how to proceed. The Mass RMV phone number is 800-858-3926

How to Check the Points on Your Record

If you want to see how many points you currently have, you can order a DMV-authorized copy of your driving record from Florida Driving Record.

Widespread Drivers Ed Course Cuts

Faced with the need to reduce expenses, a trend developed in which schools first made driver’s ed an elective and then eliminated it altogether. This course isn’t the only casualty of budget cuts. Parents and students commonly express dismay when schools eliminate courses in music, art, and physical education. Eliminating driver’s ed creates an additional problem since learning to drive is an important life skill that most people want to master.

Points for Common Traffic Violations

Point penalties will vary depending on the severity of the traffic violation. Some examples of the penalties for specific violations are listed below.

For a complete list of Florida traffic violations and the associated point penalties, see Florida’s Uniform Traffic Citation Manual.

How To Clear Your Driving Record With A Traffic School Or Defensive Driving Course

If you have too many citations or points on your driving record, it could skyrocket your insurance rates. One of the most popular ways to clean up a driving record and lower insurance rates is to take an online traffic school or defensive driving program. The way that works varies by each individual state, so just choose your state below and find out how to take traffic school where you live.

DMV Traffic Citation Search

If you need a physical copy of a traffic citation then you’ll want to visit your DMV or motor vehicle department. There you can get a copy of your driving record abstract which includes all traffic and driving records.

Nationwide DMV Finder DMV Driving Record Request Forms

How to Fight a Speeding Ticket: FAQ

1. Can you fight a speeding ticket?

   Yes. You may choose to appear in court for a chance at having your speeding citation dismissed.

2. Is getting a speeding ticket bad?

   It doesn’t have to be! First offense speeding tickets are typically pretty harmless if they are not super-speeder or reckless driving offenses. You may even be able to choose to attend defensive driving school in exchange for paying the fine and avoiding any points on your DMV record.

3. If I pay a speeding ticket, what happens?

   Once your speeding ticket is paid for, the violation will show up on your DMV record as a ‘point.’ Having too many convictions or points on your DMV record may result in your auto insurance charging you more money or asking you to cancel your policy with them.

4. Is a speeding ticket worth fighting?

   If you feel that you have received a speeding ticket undeservingly, then it is worth a chance at fighting for it’s dismissal. Sometimes, all it takes is for the officer not to show up in court, or not to have his paperwork to match your citation, for your ticket to be dismissed.

5. Do cops show up for traffic tickets?

   Most of the time, officers will show up for traffic but occasionally they do not show up if they are needed at a more important event.

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