How to Expunge Traffic Ticket in California
Traffic violations are on the rise in this country – a very dangerous and expensive norm. It’s partially the result of bad driving habits aided and abetted by carelessness, immaturity and intoxication. The simple mistake of having speeding ticket may cost you hundreds of dollars more on insurance premiums and additional points added to your driver record. Not to mention the stress and anxiety of getting your license suspended. As this information is written, you need to seriously consider getting the speeding ticket removed. What deters is how to successfully you can get speeding ticket off record before it’s too late. And what may really get you started are the costs that you may face down the road. After all, the cost of some mistakes are too high to stomach.
How do You Get a Speeding Ticket Off Your Record
So what do you do when it’s your first speeding ticket? One of the options is attending traffic school in place of having to pay the fine. Another option is to hire an attorney or talk to the judge before a case is registered against you. These options normally work when the ticket is outstanding and you are required to report its status to the court. If the ticket already made it to your record, talk to the relevant authority or put a request to delete it after attending traffic classes.
So what is the hypothetical price tag of more than one speeding ticket issued for your fault? You can take defensive driving courses and request the judge to set up a date in order to show the proof of attendance and have your ticket dismissed. Some classes can be registered online, but make sure to see if there are any other recommendations from the court. There are certain fees associated with these classes but these dollar amounts don’t even come close to the ticket price you could pay.
In the meantime, request the clerk’s office to offer deferred judgement as a way to place a temporary hold on the verdict, so that you can have sufficient time to complete any required classes and remove speeding ticket from record. This extended time is sufficient enough to prove yourself as not guilty or gather proof of your innocence. You can always negotiate with the ticket issuer or the clerk’s office to drop the number to lower speed limit in case of any discrepancy. For instance, some states reduce the speed limit to 10 miles less than originally issued number upon request, which will not make it to the driver’s record. Most speeding tickets drop automatically after a certain period of time, usually three to five years. Some people can live without the need to update the record, whereas others may want to get it off the record for credit or employment reason.
Remember that fast, fun and reckless driving has appeal only in action movies. Most of us only fantasize about driving this way, but for those who actually do, there is a huge price to pay. People multitask while driving – text, talk on the phone, check the GPS and so on. These activities not only interfere with staying on the road but a sure-fit way to kill someone. In fact, distracted driving is the cause of about 80 percent of all vehicle crashes nationwide. Blame the phone call? Traffic police officers make you pay, from the highest price (running around thousand dollars) to the much lower cost of a new car insurance premium. We all would prefer to have the latter in case a speeding ticket is issued, but getting a ticket can land you in much trouble than the couple of dollars in fine. The highest price you would pay would be possibly harming yourself or some innocent driver on the road and the lowest price, a possible fine. But in between those extremes, you need to make a good impression on the ticket issuer and save the fierce arguments for the court. So be polite and respectful to the officer who pulls you over, but without admitting the fault.
How to Expunge Traffic Ticket in California
These are the basic steps to follow in order to have your traffic violation expunged from your driver record.
1)The first step is to verify the presence of traffic violation (in this case speeding ticket) on the record. Call the DMV location near you or log onto their website to find out.
2) Second, obtain a copy of the record, if you do not already have one, by paying a small fee. Make sure whether you are eligible for a sealed or expunged record. If not, submit the necessary paperwork to petition for it.
3)Compete the required form and mail it to the Superior Court.
4)Schedule a court date or let the court mail or call you with a date for the hearing, which would take a few weeks after the violation.
5) In the court, you will need to argue as to why you are eligible to get your record expunged with evidence. Focus on things like previous driving history. A parole office may come to your rescue by favoring the expungement. You may also have the option of hiring an attorney.
6) If the judge rules against you, you have the right to re-appeal. You may win an appeal if you meet all the criteria for expungement or on the basis of judge’s error.