Everything You Need to Know About Out of State Tickets

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By: Taranjit | Last Updated: October , 2020

Driving in another state can be nerve-wracking, especially since you may not be familiar with all the local and state traffic laws. What might fly in your home state may not in another, so be careful what driving practices you engage in. You are already going to stick out to the locals and the police officers with your out of state license plate, and this makes it easier for an officer to know you are a tourist. Not to mention, it increases your chances of getting an out of state ticket, especially since the officer is less likely to let your off with a warning and more likely to ticket a tourist (because tourists are less likely to return to the state to fight the ticket. Meaning more money for the state).

Out of state tickets: Do I have to pay it?

Short answer is absolutely.

You got the ticket and that makes you responsible for paying it. No matter the type of traffic violation or the state in which you received, it was a violation and you will have to accept the consequences that come along with it. And don’t think that you can get away with not paying an out of state ticket because there are legal consequences associated with doing so, including a suspension of your license. Now you don’t want that, do you?

Should You Contest an Out of State Ticket?

Most people feel more compelled to pay an out of state ticket because it is harder to contest it.

Contesting a ticket you received in your home state is a lot easier than one you received out of state. All you have to do is take a day off of work and go to court. More often than none, the police officer usually doesn’t show up, which helps your case and increases your chances of either having the ticket removed in its entirety or at least getting the points dropped and/or the fee associated with the ticket dropped or reduced.

On the other hand, contesting an out of state ticket is more time consuming and can be more costly. For one, you have to return back to the state, and more specifically the county, in which you received the ticket. And often times it is just easier and cheaper to just pay the ticket than going through all the trouble to contest it.

Do out of state tickets add points to your license?

It could and it could not. It all depends on the state.

For the most part, the states typically share traffic violation information with one another, and this is largely due to the Driver’s License Compact (DLC). The DLC has been signed by 45 states and Washington D.C and basically is an agreement between the states to share traffic violation information with one another.

If a state suspends an out of state driver’s license, the home state is highly encouraged to do the same. And for the 5 states that are not part of the DLC, representatives from the MVAs in those states usually still report the out of state violation to the driver’s home state even though they are not a part of this agreement and are not required to do so.

So don’t think your home state won’t find out about your out of state ticket. Thanks to the DLC, they will know it all, and how it is handled in your home state will depend largely on the state you live in and can vary from state to state. Some may give you points in addition to the ones you have already earned while others may not. Some may record it on your record and others may not.

Of course, it also depends on the severity of the violation. For instance, a speeding ticket may not affect you as much in your home state, but a DUI will definitely be put on your record.

Examples of how different states handle out of state traffic violations:

If you live in…

New Jersey, you will get 2 points on your license for out of state traffic violations even if the points added by the other state were different.

New York, the violation will not go on your record if it happens within the United States, but if the violation occurred out of the country, for instance in Quebec, you will get points and it will be recorded on your record.

Pennsylvania or Colorado, the out of state violation will not be put on your record if it was a minor traffic offense, such as a speeding ticket.

Maryland or Nevada, the violation will be recorded on your record, but they will not issue points for the out of state violation received.

Florida or Texas, you will receive points and it will be recorded on your record. This also may affect your insurance rates causing them to increase.

Will an out of state ticket increase my insurance rate?

Insurance companies don’t usually care where you got the violation, but they look at it more as a risker driver as a result of it. But whether or not your insurance rate increases depends on the state and the severity of the violation. Keep in mind that your insurance company will see all your traffic violations, no matter how severe.

Each insurance company has its one criteria that it considers before determining whether to increase your rate or not. In regards to out of state tickets, the rate increase is dependent on number of factors, including:

Does your home state record the violation?

How severe was the offense?

Does your state allow increases in rate after one moving violation?

Some insurance companies may not punish you with an increase, but instead might take away discounts, such as the good driver discount. This can be largely dependent on how often your insurance company actually checks your record. If they check it more often, there is a higher chance your rates may increase. Check with your local laws or your insurance company to know the specifics of your plan and what factors can increase your premiums.

Final Thoughts:

Your best bet is to just not get a traffic violation. Then it doesn’t matter what the state you are travelling in or your home state does in regards to traffic violations. But, if you do end up getting an out-of-state ticket, make sure to do your research before determining whether it is better for you to go fight it in court or to just pay it off.