Out of State Traffic Tickets

With the holidays approaching, many people will find themselves driving out of state to visit loved ones. Unfortunately, there is often an uptick in traffic tickets issued this time of year, partly because of the increased number of drivers on the road. If you are issued a traffic ticket out of state, it may be worth your time to hire an attorney in the area in which you were ticketed to contest the charge. 



Regardless of where the ticket was issued, there is a good chance your insurance company will get notification about your ticket. Insurance companies often check their insured’s traffic records regularly to check for recent violations. And although less common, courts sometimes do report fines to insurance companies. Often, traffic violations stay on your record for several years, so if your traffic ticket caused your insurance rates to increase, that increase will likely be in effect for at least 3 years, but sometimes as much as 5 years. Premium increases are dependent on your previous driving record and the severity of your violation. If it is a minor charge, such as 5-10 mph over the limit, the increase may be relatively small, but for more serious violations, the rate increases could be dramatically higher. When you add up that costs over 3-5 years, those costs could easily reach the hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. 



Although hiring an attorney comes with an upfront cost, it could end up saving you money in the end. If you retain an experienced, local attorney, they often have the ability to reduce your charge to a no-point violation. While this is dependent on several factors, such as the prosecutor, the severity of the charge and your prior driving record, a good attorney will usually be able to get the charge amended to something less serious. An attorney who regularly practices this type of law can navigate the court process easily and knows how to best work with the system to get your charge reduced or amended. Daniel Finder of Finder Law, LLC, has over ten years of experience in traffic litigation and can help you aggressively fight your traffic ticket. Because tickets can impact not just your insurance rates, but potentially other areas of your life, it is well worth the investment to hire an attorney in many cases.

If you’ve been issued a traffic ticket in mid-Missouri, call our office today to get a quote and see if we can help you keep your insurance rates low.