Traffic/moving Violation History

[Fly_Navy146]

Can anybody tell me how far back to list traffic/moving violations? I figure 10 years is probably realistic or do I need to go further than that?

 

[Uppercrust]

If you have had a felony traffic conviction, you had better list it. Don't lie about your DUI's. List all of them. They will understand and respect your honesty. All other misdeamoners I would go back 10 yrs.

 

[FurloughedTwice]

Only list the ones on your driving record from the DMV. Most states are 7 years but some are 10. When you go to the DMV and pull your driving record it's the same one they will see when they pull your record. There is no need to tell them about tickets from 15 years ago because they will never see it.

 

[Fly_Navy146]

Ok, I have a Washington Driver's license and in the last 10 years, I have 2 tickets in Califnornia and 1 in Texas.......do I list all 3 still? I was counting on it

 

[CesnaCaptn]

I thought when an application asks for an applicant to list all violations, they wanted you to list ALL violations...

 

[FurloughedTwice]

If you go to the DMV and look up your record it will only show for the last 7-10 years. That's the same record they will see when they pull your state record. You can tell them more if you like but if it's not on your record anymore then you are not obligated to tell them anything.

They may only pull your national record which only shows suspensions and DUI's. I would list any suspension or DUI because I don't know how far back the National record shows.

Good luck!

 

[FurloughedTwice]

Ok, I have a Washington Driver's license and in the last 10 years, I have 2 tickets in Califnornia and 1 in Texas.......do I list all 3 still? I was counting on it

I would list them because some states have reciprocating agreements. Again, they should show up on your record at the DMV if they reciprocate though. If you have a few tickets in the last ten years it's not going to keep you from getting the job. I would just list the ones you have for the last 10 years and you will be fine.

 

[Big Slick]

I am from Texas. I got two tickets in North Carolina. I paid for a lawyer to defend me and he managed to get one of them taken off my record. Specifically, he had one of the tickets exponged from my driving record.

So, my NC drving record showed one ticket. HOWEVER, both of the tickets were on my Texas driving record. When I ordered my TX drivers record, I was unpleasantly surprised. By that time, I had moved back to Texas. I had to call my lawyer in NC and have him go back to the courthouse at send a message to Austin to drop the second ticket. Then I had to drive to Austin to sign a bunch of paperwork.

My point: Make sure you order driving records from everywhere you have lived or gotten a ticket.

I would list the ones that show up on your records. No need to disclose a ticket from when you were 16. If you follow this advice, however, you had better know what is on all of your records.

By the way, I got hired by two airlines with a speeding ticket still on my record. Don't make excuses, just own up to your mistake.

One more thing, Texas only went back five years. It's different for every state.

 

[Andy]

There is no need to tell them about tickets from 15 years ago because they will never see it.

WRONG! They should disappear after 7 years, but not in every state.
I got my driving records from Maryland about a year before I started applying to airlines. They had moving violations going back 14+ years. (I was a very reckless driver in my teens). I called the Md MVA and they told me (back in the early 90s) that they stay on your record forever unless you write a letter and request that they be expunged. I wrote a letter and then got a copy of my record about 6 months later .... it was now clean.

Bottom line ... you should know which states you have moving violations. Get the records from those states, along with every state that you had a driver's license. Don't be unpleasantly surprised in an interview.

 

[FN FAL]

WRONG! They should disappear after 7 years, but not in every state.

I got my driving records from Maryland about a year before I started applying to airlines. I called the Md MVA and they told me (back in the early 90s) that they stay on your record forever unless you write a letter and request that they be expunged.

Bottom line ...

Bottom line? Yea, don't live Maryland.

But you are correct, each state has their own laws on when court records "may" be destroyed. Since a traffic citation requires some sort of happy day in court, whether you appear and plead or sign the back of the ticket and mail the money in, the adjudication of that traffic ticket IS a court record. Which means even DMV has to toss them out sooner or later (not talking about the NDR here).

Here's another one for you, "written warnings" are NOT court records and as such, do not fall under the laws of when court records may be destroyed...those may actually have the words "citizen contact report" on them. The police department that issues those usually keeps them in a file cabinent until the day YOU die [they have a lifetime warranty ha ha ha!].

Maybe airlines don't ask for what happened on your "written warnings", but I would think anyone that must apply for a security clearance might have to consider whether they want to see any of those again while sitting at a table discussing happy memories of yesteryear with people who are wearing ties and windbreakers with fancy yellow writting on the back. It's just a thought, I don't know if anyone cares about written warnings or not, but they do sit as part of your "local files" dossier for life.

 

[FurloughedTwice]

WRONG! They should disappear after 7 years, but not in every state.
I got my driving records from Maryland about a year before I started applying to airlines. They had moving violations going back 14+ years.

Know what's on your driving record before you fill out the application. Again, whatever you see on your record is what they will see on your record.