Tickets and Your State Driving Record

With regard to state driving records, most people want to know the answer to two questions:

1. How does a ticket impact a driving record?
2. Does a driving record transfer from state to state?

The answers to these questions are not clear-cut because all states have different laws concerning these matters. Usually, tickets always appear on a state driving record unless the driver is given the option to complete traffic school. In that case, the violation may be removed from the driver’s history. To answer the second question, most violations do not follow the driver to a different state with a few exceptions. In this post, we’ll explore these issues in more detail.

The Point System

More and more states are adopting a point system that links drivers’ records and licenses to the violations they receive. Every violation, with the exception of those forgiven through traffic school attendance, goes on the driver’s record. In addition, for each violation drivers commit, they will receive a certain number of points against their driver’s licenses. The number of points assessed is commensurate with the severity of the offense. When the number of points reaches a certain threshold, the driver’s license is suspended or revoked. For example, in California, a minor speeding ticket is worth one point, while a DUI offense is worth two. California drivers who accumulate four points in a 12-month period have their licenses suspended.

Driving Record vs. Insurance Record

Drivers need to remember to distinguish between a state driving record and an insurance record. When you move from one state to another, your traffic violations might not follow you, but your driving history for insurance purposes will. In other words, your license in the new state will probably not reflect the points you had on your license in your old state. However, your insurance rates in your new location will reflect the violations you committed in your previous state. Insurance companies will check your driving record from your previous state as far back as six years, so you cannot escape higher insurance premiums by moving.

National Driver Register

Earlier, we mentioned that traffic tickets usually do not transfer from state to state with a few exceptions. Those exceptions include serious traffic violations, such as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Once you are convicted of a violation of this magnitude, your name is put on a list called the National Driver Register (NDR). The names of drivers who have had their licenses suspended or revoked go on this list. When you apply for a license at your new state’s motor vehicles department, they will check this computerized database to see if your name is listed. If you have been reported to the NDR, the DMV will most likely not issue you a driver’s license.