WA Traffic Tickets, Points, & Fines
Whether you have an appointment that you are a bit late for and step on the gas a bit too heavy or just happen to miss the stop sign coming ahead, a traffic ticket could be headed your way, no matter how carefully you drive any other time. It always seems like the one time that you decide not to drive by your standard rules you seem to get caught – but that just goes to show that it always pays to drive as safely and carefully as possible.No matter who you may be, if you are driving unsafely and not following the rules correctly, you must just expect to be pulled over and cited, as it is the law. If you continue to get traffic tickets in Washington, your driver’s record becomes marred and your insurance rates become much higher, with suspensions and revocations often leading to SR-22 insurance, which is very costly and difficult to obtain.
You don’t have to worry about DMV points in Washington, but you do have to worry about continuous violations which can easily lead to suspension. If you are wondering what these violations are, here is an example:
- 4 moving violations during one year or just 5 during the course of 2 years, which can cause 30 day license suspension in Washington.
What if You Receive a Washington Traffic Ticket?
If you do get caught breaking the traffic rules and are cited by a law enforcement officer, your ticket is going to be processed by the court of the county – not the Department of Licensing. In most cases you are given the option of a fine or a court date, which is listed on your ticket when it is issued.
If you fail to pay the fine or appear in court by the date indicated, you can expect to face:
- A bench warrant issued by the court’s judge, which will be a misdemeanor “Failure to Appear”, or FTP. The fine is typically the easiest way to resolve the ticket, but in some cases you may not feel you were guilty and may have a good case to defend yourself properly, at which time you can go to court to avoid a strike against your driver’s record.