Does Traffic School Remove My Ticket?

Did you just violate a traffic law? Too bad! Not only do you have to pay the fines, but you have points on your driving record now, which your insurance provider will somehow find out, like it or not. And when they do, we are all so well aware of what’s going to happen next.  Higher premiums and greater insurance rates.

Is there any way that you can hide your traffic violation from insurance companies and the general public? Yes! Traffic schools are a solution, but you have to seek approval from a court, and meet a number of requirements.  Attending these schools does hide the violation from your record, so insurance companies don’t get any whiff.  Yaay!

Sounds good? Not always! Unfortunately, this only applies to some specific offenses. If you’ve been driving a commercial vehicle, transporting some hazardous material or are under the influence of alcohol, then no traffic driving school can help you remove points.

So how does attending a traffic school affect your points? Let’s take a look at the details.

So specifically which and how exactly are the points removed?

Attending a traffic school doesn’t affect the points you have accumulated in the past. However, points which you recently got due to the violation are subject to removal.   The laws vary from state to state, but generally, when you receive a ticket, the points are added to you license automatically. Now you are either notified by the court or sent paperwork which explains the process of enrolling at a traffic school.

You have around 90 days (depending on where you are located) to deice if you’ll pay attend the traffic school or file a dispute. Once these 90 days are over, the points become permanent on your driving record. But if you show a certificate stating that you have completed traffic school, before these 90 days pass, then the points will be removed.

Please note that instead of following the default 90 days, the court can also give you a date by which you have to finish off driving school.

Which violations allow you to attend traffic school?

You can attend traffic schools and get you points removed for specific violations only. Once again, the laws vary from state to state, but in almost all regions, reckless driving, speeds over 100 mph or breaking the set limit by around 15 mph to 20 mph, hit and run accidents, and driving when drunk don’t make you eligible for a traffic school.

Simple violations like breaking the signal, changing lanes unsafely and taking illegal U-turns do allow you to attend a traffic school.

So attend a traffic school if your violation is eligible; it is often the best choice, not only because it keeps your premiums low but also prevents your license from being suspended if you have too many points.