<p>I was lucky enough to get a speeding ticket on my way to work this morning courtesy of the CHP, whom I assume are trying to meet their quotas before the holidays (I know 80 is fast, but if that’s the speed of traffic and there are people driving FASTER than you, it would seem more logical to pull over the more egregious speeder). Regardless, I was the proud recipient of my first speeding ticket and of course have questions.</p>
<p>I hold an out-of-state (MN) driver’s license although I currently live in California. I never switched when I was in college and haven’t gotten one as of yet, though I have been residing here for work since September. Does this mean I am not eligible for traffic school? That would obviously be the preferred option in this case, as I really would like to avoid an increase in insurance rates along with the astronomically high fine I will inevitably face.</p>
<p>Has anyone else been in this situation before? Any and all advice is appreciated!</p>
<p>And yes, parents, I have learned my lesson. No more speeding to work for me.</p>
<p>See if you can get a traffic attorney to work hsi magic for you. They cost around $300 in Boston. Ideally, you then just pay him, and pay neither the fine nor get increased insurance points. They should be good at finding loopholes and technicalities (was the radar calibrated? do they have the documents? documents showing the cop was trained to use it? etc. etc.). Works miracles in Massachusetts.</p>
<p>It may not even go on your MN record, so just pay the fine. Do you have CA or MN insurance? In any case, one speeding ticket won’t affect your insurance rates much if any.
Usually you need to get an in-state license 30 days after becoming a resident, so you may not want to make a big issue of it.
Not having an in-state license is one of the charges that got Brittany Spears in trouble.</p>
<p>You need to check with an attorney there. Each state has different rules, and it can come back to bite you. States do communicate with each other, and if you pay the fine, especially going 80, in some states of original license, you would loose your license for 3-6 months. If you know an attorney in CA, they can advise you or send you to a local (where ticket issued) expert…it really does need to be someone who knows the county, its personnel, and local procedures. Good luck.</p>
<p>Nobody in California uses an attorney to handle a speeding ticket. Just pay the ticket when it arrives and do online traffic school so that your insurance doesn’t go up. You take an online course that costs around $150, print out a form, take it to the DMV – or someplace, can’t remember where my kids went – and take a simple quiz.</p>
<p>When son received his speeding ticket in LA county earl this year. I checked the website. I don’t recall anything different for out of state. We live in so CA Fine & traffic school was about $300 traffic school was online. For us, wasn’t the chance of it just being one ticket, rates go up after 2 somethings. Son already had a fender bender. The ticket might have info, if not, the ticket n the mail will. Have you asked around at work? I only hear about using lawyers for more serious car problems.
Good luck
Son’s online school was about $30.& school sent in the info to DMV</p>
<p>If you have no other tickets then go to traffic court and plead ‘guilty with an explanation’ and tell the judge you felt you were going with the flow of traffic but realize it was speeding and that you’ll pay much closer attention to your speed from now on. If you have no other tickets the judge will likely give you a reduced fine. Also, sign up for traffic school so it doesn’t go on your record and impact insurance rates in case you get another ticket in the next year or two.</p>
<p>To reduce the chances of getting stopped for speeding - </p>
<ul>
<li>Stay out of the left lane on the freeway.</li>
<li>Make sure there’s always someone going faster than you. This’ll usually happen if you stay out of the left lane.</li>
<li>Don’t weave through traffic since that draws attention to you.</li>
<li>You could try not actually speeding but that can be tough to do on California freeways.</li>
</ul>
<p>Like ‘momof2inca’ I don’t think it’s normal to hire a lawyer for a routine traffic ticket around here. I’ve never heard of anyone doing so.</p>
<p>What momof2inca says is correct. But be careful in the next year. You can only erase one ticket a year by doing the online traffic school. The next one goes on your record and it can really make your insurance costs jump in you are below 25.</p>
<p>“Like ‘momof2inca’ I don’t think it’s normal to hire a lawyer for a routine traffic ticket around here. I’ve never heard of anyone doing so.”</p>
<p>It’s not normal here either, but it works. Plus you get that warm tingly feeling of being above the law. Seriously though, you may as well just go to court if you’re not violating any other laws (i.e., if going to court won’t make it worse). If the judge is in a good mood, you could save yourself some time and money.</p>
<p>Might be cheaper to just pay the fine and do the course though, as long as you don’t get higher insurance premiums.</p>
<p>I believe the traffic school requirement requires you complete it in the county where the ticket was issued- it should not be a problem with an out of state license</p>
<p>Thanks for all the advice everyone! I think I’ll likely pursue the pay the fine + traffic school route (and get my CA license as well). I don’t drive much (commute by train) so I’m not 100% used to California freeway driving. I thought I was doing everything right - I was in the third lane (not the furthest left), there were cars whizzing by me in the left lane, and I truly was just following the pace of traffic. I drive an older car, so maybe that made me sick out a bit.</p>
<p>It’ll be a pain but if you go to the court the judge will likely reduce the fine from the default amount. It’s not guaranteed though. Attitude counts.</p>
<p>You want to find out if California reports it to your home state…that is where the trouble can be. D had an out of state speeding ticket, that research with home DMV revealed would have meant a suspended license, because there were reciprocal reports with that state. A local attorney put us in touch with an attorney in the district of the other state, handled it for us, got a reduction to improper equipment or something like that, which mean paying a fine (and the attorney). It would have been a big mess if D had paid the ticket!</p>
<p>Definitely depends on the area. In our CA town I went to court with DS to try to plead down a $300. noise ticket. Cop felt his stereo was too loud. Before the judge entered the room, the baliff told everyone not to even think about pleading not guilty. Guilty with an explanation maybe. DS pled guilty with an explanation explained how that amount was a lot for a kid who was working as a busboy and saving for college. The judge knocked the fine in half.
They basically tell everyone though that they do nothing for speeders and if you were going 100 or over you will lose your license and don’t waste your breath.
I would pay the ticket and do the online traffic school.
They are almost all reciprocal now. The Vermont DMV recently found a 30 year old ticket of my husbands and reported it to CA. You can’t imagine the mess it was to untangle.
No matter what state, one speeding ticket shouldn’t result in a suspended license.</p>
<p>I have read up on both Minnesota and California laws and it seems that unless one is caught going 100+mph the biggest problem to face is a fine (at least on the first offense) in either of these states. What I still need to figure out is whether or not I can go to traffic school and have the points removed from my license; in California this is possible. In Minnesota, nothing you do can remove the points from your license. The safest bet is likely to pay the fine, go to traffic school, and hope the points are removed. It does seem that a first offense is unlikely to affect my insurance, though who knows. 7 years of driving and this is what I get.</p>