How do violations fall off my driving record?

How Will Violations Leave My Driver History?

For any motorist, having a clean driving record is critical when looking for insurance coverage. Indeed, a history of traffic violations, tickets, and DUI convictions may taint your record and have you categorized as a high risk driver. Even worse, such issues accumulate points against your license. If you reach a specific threshold, you may end up having your license suspended.

The good news is that some traffic violations can fall off your record under specific circumstances. For example, if you take a safe driving course, contest a ticket, or maintain a safe driving record for a few years, certain infractions may fall off your record and result in a clean driving history. Here are instances where a driving violation may fall off your record.

Automatically falling off after a specific period

Some states allow violations to automatically fall off your record after a fixed period of time. Your state’s DMV will determine the seriousness of each traffic infringement and how it will impact your driving record.

In the same breath, DMVs also determine how long a specific violation will remain in your driving history. For example, drivers in Oklahoma will have most driving violations removed from their record after 3 years of the infraction happening.

By maintaining a safe driving history

If you go for a specific period without having your license suspended, committing a traffic infraction, or carrying out a criminal offence, you may have violations automatically removed from your record. These violations will “fall off” because you’ve demonstrated a commitment towards safe driving and lack of criminal activity.

Via a legal contest

Not all tickets issued to motorists are fair. Some officers may over-punish for a traffic stop or simply make a mistake when issuing a ticket. A legal contest allows you to fight back against unfair ticketing so the violation can fall off your record.

You may also contest a ticket if there were mitigating factors involved. For example, rushing someone to hospital (or being involved in an emergency) may cause you to over speed, run a red light, or otherwise drive unsafely. Such tickets should be contested to have the violation fall off your record.