Out of state speeding tickets...do they 'follow' you?

[yelloboy]

If my drivers license is from California and I receive a speeding ticket in, say, Colorado, Missouri, New York, etc, will that "point" end up on my driving record in CA? Will it impact my insurance rates?

My current understanding is that the ticket will only show in your home state if your home state and the ticketing state have an agreement to share such data. I am under the impression that these agreements are rare outside of neighboring states (i.e., NY and NJ, CA and NV, etc).

Anybody know otherwise? Can anyone speak from experience? Would welcome any feedback. Thanks.

[Robert Schaller]

About 45 of 50 states belong to the Interstate Compact. Not only do the tickets follow you, if a member state suspends your license privileges for failure to appear on a traffic citation, all other member states suspend as well.

When you state your intent to drive at triple digit speeds (I read your other post), you are stating your willingness to endanger everyone else that shares the road with you. None of us has that right. In my state, speeding at triple digit speeds doesn't get you a traffic ticket in many cases, it instead can get you a trip to jail where you'll be held to see the judge when court opens.

I don't advise what you are planning to do.

Bob

[yelloboy]

I think I described those trips as 'traffic permitting' meaning essentially an empty road where my speed would be endangering only one person - me...I'm not going to be weaving in and out of traffic with a 30mph differential...dude, I'm not nuts. I'm just one of many who enjoys an open road and a fast car...

[Mark Sedenquist]

I think I described those trips as 'traffic permitting' meaning essentially an empty road where my speed would be endangering only one person - me... I'm just one of many who enjoys an open road and a fast car...

I have been known to engage in a degree of triple digit driving myself. A car with the proper suspension, tires, etc. has a tough time living its life soley in the 70's -- that being said, it is pretty tough to find such open and "safe" roads in America these days. I would suggest you keep it down in the 70's with very brief interludes at the upper speeds. Arizona Bob is a defensive driving expert and certainly knows of what he speaks. I can also tell you that you should never speed anywhere in Maricopa County in Arizona -- the sheriff in that jurisidiction likes to make examples out of people -- don't press your luck!

Mark

[lhuff]

Geeze, I'm known as a fast driver and I never go more than 10 miles above the speed limit and that's only on roads around here where I know even the cops think the speed limit is two low. I stick to the speed limit or less than five above on any out of state roads. I always figure that my Louisiana license plate is a big beacon to all cops to come and hunt me down.

Go to the Richard Petty Racing Experience instead. From all the money you save on speeding tickets you should be able to afford that.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Go to the Richard Petty Racing Experience instead. From all the money you save on speeding tickets you should be able to afford that.

Laura, I hate to disappoint you -- but I have never had a speeding violation and my last moving violation was for turning right on a green signal on Broadway in NYC between 5 and 6 pm (right turns are permissable with a green signal any other time of the day).

Mark

[SouthernOracle]

I think it also depends on what the ticket is "for."

For example, my very first time driving through Kalispell, MT, the speed limit was 40 entering a particular intersection and 30 immediately upon exiting the intersection. Naturally, I was pulled over and given a speeding ticket, with an option to appear if I wanted. Given that I live in SFL, that was not feasible. I asked the officer what to do, as I was a tourist, and he stated that if I paid a $20 moving violation fine, he would waive the speeding ticket. I paid the $20 and was on my way. I followed up with a phone call several weeks later when I returned home and everything was fine, ticket was waived, etc.

On a side note, I truly believe I was pulled over because I had an out of state plate (NV, as that was where I picked up the rental car I was driving), and that a significant portion of Kalispell's yearly budget comes from "fines." Grrr!

[Mark Sedenquist]

I think it also depends on what the ticket is "for."

I am a big proponent of slowing down in western towns, I will frequently hover right around the 25 mph when driving through a small town, no matter how fast the local population might be zinging by. One sees more interesting stuff at 25 mph and my out-of-state license tag force-field attraction ray won't get activated by the local sheriff.

Mark

[RoadTripper Brad]

I can also tell you that you should never speed anywhere in Maricopa County in Arizona -- the sheriff in that jurisidiction likes to make examples out of people -- don't press your luck!

I can say that is an accurate assessment. Sheriff Joe's 'jails' are actually tents, inmates wear pink undergarments, the only meal you get is a bologna sandwich, and chain gangs have been re-instituted. Although, down here, people speed 100+ all the time and rarely get caught.

My advice is if anyone has the need for speed, rather than risk getting jail time/fines/death doing it on the open road, find a controlled environment. Some smaller raceways have public nights where you pay a fee and can drag race or whatever, or a race school. What one may see as a clear stretch of road with not a soul around (which may be the case), what they don't see is the bump or pothole 3/4 of a mile away, or the deer ready to wander on the road. Is the 10 minutes of adrenaline rush worth thousands of dollars in fines, legal issues, unfriendly encounters with cell mates, paralysis, death, or manslaughter? When one really thinks about it, the fun goes right out the window.

I myself have traveled 100+ (in California after getting the one-fingered-wave from 2 CHP officers because I wasn't going 99-100 like the rest of traffic), but I regret it now. I can remember my car vibrating and shaking, and still the lady in the SUV behind me having a fit because I wasn't going 110 in the left lane, and I couldn't merge right because traffic was overtaking me consistently there. It was quite scary.

I'll leave you all with this quote, and this is not directed toward anyone, just something to think about. Tom Hanks said it best as Forrest Gump when he said "Stupid is as stupid does."

Keep safe everyone,

Brad