Citations happen when you get pulled over by a police officer while you’re driving on the road. When the police officer writes you a ticket for speeding, you may have to go to court or end up with a fine and points on your license. While citations are a hassle, you might wonder, does a citation go on your record?
Unfortunately, yes, citations do appear on your driving record. While most background checks won’t find them, citations can cause problems. Still, they might not remain on your record forever, and it’s good to know if you have one before applying to a job. Learn more about citations and how they appear on your record.
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What Is a Citation?
Citations, also known as tickets, are issued by police officers during traffic stops. They usually require the person who received the citation to appear in court. You don’t always have to go to court, but you can usually reduce the impact that a citation has on your record if you do.
Citations can also be issued when someone parks in the wrong place or does something else illegal on the road. Ultimately, citations are the result of minor and major traffic infractions.
What Are the Types of Citations?
Citations can fall into two categories: moving or non-moving violations, with moving violations being more serious than their non-moving counterparts. Some examples of citation-worthy offenses include:
- Speeding
- Parking in places you shouldn’t
- Not having your registration in order
- Not having insurance information available or driving without insurance
- Running a red light
- Running a stop sign
- Reckless driving
- Failure to signal when merging or turning
These are only a handful of possible citations you might receive when a police officer pulls you over.
Do Citations Go on Your Record?
Citations will appear on your record. Typically, they will only appear on your driving record unless they escalate to something more serious, like a misdemeanor or felony. Therefore, you need to be aware of them when you’re going through a background check. In some states, enough citations can result in a license suspension, so it’s a good idea to know how many are on your record and how they impact your record.
How Long Do Citations Stay on Your Record?
Citations don’t stay on your record forever, and the length of time that they remain on your driving record depends on where you live. For example, citations will only remain on your record for three years in New York.
After 18 months, the citation will fall off your record, and the points won’t impact you that much. This isn’t how citations are handled in every state, and some states might have citations for things that don’t involve driving, so keep this in mind.
It’s also important to note that driving while under the influence (DUI) citations are handled differently in most states. For example, some state DUIs can result in felonies, which can remain on your driving record forever. Other states have laws that require a DUI to remain on your record for seven to ten years before it no longer appears on a background check.
Stay Up to Date on Your Citations
Staying up to date on your citations is important, especially if you have a few of them on your driving records. Make sure you check your driving record often to determine how many citations you have to see if you’re at risk of losing your license. Furthermore, make sure you check for citations in other states because an old citation can turn into something serious if you forget to take care of it.
The best way to check your driving record is with a free people search tool, and the best free people search tool is available with FreePeopleSearch. It’s connected to millions of state, local, and federal databases to help you compile a full report about someone’s public records.
You can use the tool to view any citations on your record anywhere in the country or check to see if a potential applicant for your moving company has a DUI.
You can also check DMV records at your state’s DMV website or reach out to courts and police stations for details about felony charges.
For more information, visit Whatsmind.com
