Besides the hassle of court dates and fines, there are three ways that a traffic violation may affect you. Your driver’s license, your driving history, and your car insurance can all be impacted by impacted by a motor vehicle violation. If you decide to simply pay the fine on your traffic ticket, it is likely that your license, driving history, and insurance could be affected. Having multiple driving infractions may also increase these chances. When an attorney goes to court on your behalf to negotiate with the prosecutor, there is a good chance of getting a nolle, in which case, you do not have to deal with the possibility of these three things.
DMV Issues
If you pay the fine on your ticket, or you go to court and do not get a nolle, the traffic ticket is reported to the DMV once the ticket is disposed. This means that the DMV can assess the traffic violation to your driving history. If you live out of state, the Connecticut DMV may report the traffic violation to your state’s DMV and your DMV may assess the traffic violation to your driving history.
Points and Your Driving History
Without a nolle, you may get points on your driver’s license. If you pay the fine with the Centralized Infractions Bureau, then no points will be assessed against your driver’s license, but the ticket will show up on your driving history. If you go to court and do not end up getting a nolle, points will be assessed with a conviction, a bond forfeiture, or a court hearing. Points can be assessed by the DMV. If you do not get your ticket nolled, then the the traffic violation is assessed against your driving history or points will go on your driver’s license, or both.
Car Insurance Issues
Lastly, a traffic ticket may affect your car insurance. Insurance companies are the only ones who make the decisions about insurance rates and premiums. However, the insurance companies usually check driving histories before issuing new policies, and your driving history will reveal if you have paid fines for traffic violations or if a court has found you guilty of a traffic violation.
Getting Help
If you have received a traffic ticket, and you are worried about it affecting your driver’s license, driving history, or your insurance, call our office to speak with someone who can answer any questions you may have. We might be able to help with your situation, so give us a call and we can discuss the best way to handle your motor vehicle violation.
