Will parking tickets go on your record

Getting a parking ticket isn’t the end of the world, but it can surely be a great inconvenience. All you needed was a few minutes to pick that package from the shop. The next thing you know, there’s a ticket on your window shield.

The worst part of getting a parking ticket is that you don’t even know why you received it. You checked carefully and there was no fire hydrant by the curb. What you failed to notice was the red marking on the curb.

The law in California has a consistent color scheme for marking on-street parking areas. Red specifies that parking and stopping is always prohibited.

Do Parking Tickets Affect my Record

Well, whatever the reason was, you now have a parking ticket at your hands. Your first reaction would be to worry how it will affect your driving record. Just to put your mind at ease, it will not affect your record directly. Wait for it.

As long as you pay them on time!

Overdue Parking Tickets

That’s the important point. People don’t realize what late parking tickets would do to their budgets. Even though parking tickets don’t have a direct impact on your driving record, but it will invoke some changes.

In California, you have a 21-day deadline from the day you received the ticket. If you fail to pay the fine within this time duration, you’ll be subjected to additional charges. In some parts of the state, you might even get a relief of 14 days after your first late warning.

These late fees are the real culprit. They can easily make your ticket double in the amount. If the late fee wasn’t enough, you’d also be expected to pay collections fee, all because you ignored the ticket for too long.

Hiked Up Insurance Rates

Insurance companies decide on your monthly premium by looking at the history of your traffic tickets. Needless to say, the more tickets you have, the higher premium you’d have to pay. If you have a colorful history of getting parking tickets, there’s a chance the insurance company might set a higher rate. There have been instances where insurance companies have increased rates every two years, while others opted for a format where your insurance premiums increase with each parking ticket.

Depending on your insurance company, parking tickets can greatly affect your insurance premiums. If you have been a long term customer of the same company, there’s a chance that one ticket won’t drastically increase the premium but you might have to discuss this with the service providers.

Committing Violations in Other States

Many states use the point system to keep track of parking tickets for each individual. The more points in the record, the more your insurance rates increase.

So take a careful approach and avoid getting any parking tickets. Don’t let them affect your prospects of having low insurance rates.