What Happens To an Out-of-State Speeding Ticket?
When you leave the state, whether for business or for leisure, you can’t just do what you want in the hopes that nobody will find out. Maybe none of your personal friends or acquaintances will know what you did out-of-state, but there are some authorities who will. Your state’s DMV and your insurance company will be aware if you get a speeding ticket while you’re away. And unfortunately, this too means that getting a speeding ticket in another state doesn’t make you exempt from suffering the consequences back in your home state.
Differences Between States
Every state treats an out-of-state ticket different from other states. Though there are some interstate reciprocal agreements between states that make them share information with the state that issued the driver’s license, there are others that simply don’t. For example, Georgia and Tennessee do not take part in such agreements and if you receive a ticket in one of these states, but you live in Utah or California, your home state may not ever get news of your ticket.
That’s not always the case though, as many DMVs will still notify the driver’s home state of the ticket, simply out of safety and common courtesy. There’s also something called the Non-Resident Violator Compact and Driver License Agreement which most states belong to. This is an agreement that commits the home state to suspending your license if you don’t pay your ticket to the other state. In any case, the ticket will be on your driving record, which means you’ll get points added on to any that you might have already had.
Insurance Implications
There’s a chance because of how things are handled that your insurance company won’t find out about your infraction for years. While this might be nice right away, you’ll still suffer the consequences eventually, so it might be worth it to just inform your insurer right away. Auto insurance companies protect you regardless of where you’re driving, and they expect that same protection for themselves. If you receive points on your driving record, it’s most likely going to affect your premiums, even if the ticket was out-of-state.
Keep in mind different insurance policies and different states handle first-time offenses in different ways. One insurance company might not increase your premiums for a first offense, though another might increase it slightly, and yet another might increase it to a large amount. If you are facing a speeding ticket in Elizabeth, NJ, then you could consider seeking legal counsel from a firm like Rispoli & Borneo, PC.