The holidays should be a time of rest and relaxation. You may find yourself doing a significant amount of traveling over the holidays to see your loved ones. If you’ve found yourself having to deal with a traffic ticket while visiting another state, know that enlisting the help of a qualified criminal defense attorney can help you deal with it swiftly and get back to enjoying the holidays in no time.
Will I Receive Points Off My License?
While your traffic offense will be reported to your home state, each state has vastly differing rules regarding how they handle out of state infractions. Some states, such as Nevada and Maryland, do not take points off of your license for tickets received while traveling out of state but do record your infraction for future reference.
Be sure to check with your state’s specific laws regarding traffic violations that have occurred out of state before deciding if you will pursue the case in court.
Decide If You Wish to Contest
As anyone who has gotten a traffic ticket in their own state knows, taking a morning off work to contest the ticket in traffic court can often yield a beneficial outcome for the offender. Often, traffic court will waive the ticket and associated fees altogether, as well as waive point deductions on your license.
If You’ve Already Returned to Your Home State
However, if you’ve already gone home and it simply is not feasible to return to the state, you must consider if you still wish to fight the ticket. If you believe you can win your case, it is likely in your best interest to speak with an experienced lawyer from the state in which you received your offense.
The lawyer will be able to inform you if they believe you truly have a chance of winning your case and if it is worthwhile to pursue in court. Hiring an out-of-state lawyer will allow you to continue fighting the ticket while decreasing the likelihood of your having to return to the state in which the offense took place.
Get the Advice of a Professional
As previously mentioned, there are a variety of factors that can influence your experience after you have received an out of state ticket. In order to be sure you are following the best course of action, and the law, be sure to reach out to a professional today.
Author Bio: Emma Sturgis is a freelance writer based out of Boston, MA. She writes most often on health and education. When not writing, she enjoys reading and watching film noir. Say hi on Twitter @EmmaSturgis2
