Speeding Ticket - Urgent advise needed (Austin, Round Rock: rental car, rental, insurance)

[sunjunkie]

All,
Need some urgent information on how to handle a speeding violation that I got in N.Austin Area.

I am in the process to relocate to Austin area.
While commuting to Temple TX, I got a speeding ticket in the Temple TX area, while driving a rental car that I had for a couple of weeks.

I currently hold a New Jersey Driver's license.

I was asked by the officer to contact the local DPS (Public Safety/Court) to determine the details. The clerk in the office mentioned that the speeding violation attributes to 6 points (woah!!) as I was doing 20 mph above the speed limit, which I disagree with in the first place.

The questions that I have is:
1. If I plead guilty and pay the penalty on the ticket, the 6 points will go on my NJ driver's license. When I apply for TX driver's license, will they be carried over?

2. If the answer to the above question is Yes, is there any way that I can avoid that situation?

3. Would you suggest applying for TX driver's license before the deadline of the ticket surpasses or after ?

4. If I want to contest the ticket, what would be the usual process? Will I have to go with an attorney? If possible, can anyone tell me what the costs involved here are?

Your thoughts and opinions are really appreciated.
Thanks
-Sun

[AustinTexan]

Originally Posted by sunjunkie

All,
Need some urgent information on how to handle a speeding violation that I got in N.Austin Area.

I am in the process to relocate to Austin area.
While commuting to Temple TX, I got a speeding ticket in the Temple TX area, while driving a rental car that I had for a couple of weeks.

I currently hold a New Jersey Driver's license.

I was asked by the officer to contact the local DPS (Public Safety/Court) to determine the details. The clerk in the office mentioned that the speeding violation attributes to 6 points (woah!!) as I was doing 20 mph above the speed limit, which I disagree with in the first place.

The questions that I have is:
1. If I plead guilty and pay the penalty on the ticket, the 6 points will go on my NJ driver's license. When I apply for TX driver's license, will they be carried over?

2. If the answer to the above question is Yes, is there any way that I can avoid that situation?

3. Would you suggest applying for TX driver's license before the deadline of the ticket surpasses or after ?

4. If I want to contest the ticket, what would be the usual process? Will I have to go with an attorney? If possible, can anyone tell me what the costs involved here are?

Your thoughts and opinions are really appreciated.
Thanks
-Sun

Do yourself a favor and get an attorney. You'll be bombarded with solicitations in the mail from attorney who do this. Everyone I've talked to who has done this claims it's the best way to go. It may get a little sticky since you have a Jersey driver's license though. I'm not sure how that works. I'd probably go to the DPS office ASAP and apply for a Texas driver's license. FYI, local cops and DPS love to pull over cars with out of state plates, so do yourself a favor and get Texas license plates as soon as you get here to avoid the harrassment. If you still have an out of state drivers license or plates after 30 days of being here, you'll receive a $300 ticket that you can't get out of. Make sure your insurance, DL, and plates are converted ASAP.

[pbnj07]

ALWAYS fight a speeding ticket in court. The WORST that can happen is the ticket stays as is, but in most cases, they might reduce the amount of excess speed, thus lowering the penalties. Your current driving record will have an impact.

An good attorney specializing in these cases helps. It's worth the cost.

[jwb123]

If you still have an out of state drivers license or plates after 30 days of being here, you'll receive a $300 ticket that you can't get out of.

Actually, if you prove that you went and registered your car, etc by the court date - they will dismiss it.

[sunjunkie]

In the interim, I did get TX plates on my car. I still need to apply for TX driver's license. I did not get any solicitations from any attorneys as I am currently living in a temporary corporate housing, which is valid until end of July. This time around, I think I will have to about trying to reach out to these attorneys (Yellow Pages Style?) rather than relying on them reaching out to me.

I did not get my Insurance converted yet, again, since my current address will not be valid after july. I was hoping to do it in August. But if the situation demands, I think it would not hurt to get it done right away.

When I contacted the DPS in temple tx, they did not even give me the option of attending any defensive driving course, as I have out of state license.

Its been around 20 days that I have come around to the Round Rock area. Quite unfortunate that I have fallen into this predicament, but I surely want to get it taken care of with minimal impact.

Thanks.

[AustinTexan]

I actually got pulled over for speeding when I first moved to my 1st house in NW Austin and I hadn't bothered to change my driver's license to reflect the new address, so the cop gave me a ticket for having the wrong information. When I went to court, they told me I had to pay the $300 fine because I had lived at the new address for more than 30 days (my insurance already reflected the new address).

Yeah, definitely find yourself an attorney who specialized in speeding tickets, not just a defense attorney. I think the cost ends up being the same but you don't have to do much. Good luck.

[atxcio]

Nm

[atxcio]

Pick an attorney in Temple, if that is where you got the speeding ticket. You can do it yourself, too, but the $300 or so for a local attorney would not be wasted. As others have indicated, the worst thing is to have the ticket remain on your record -- both for insurance (will count against you whether NJ or TX license) and the danger if you were to get more tickets.

The attorney will probably ask for deferred adjudication, which will dismiss the ticket provided you don't get another one in a given time period... seems like it was 6 months when I did. You can ask the judge for it yourself, but an attorney would be better... the judge will know the attorney, and everything should go smoothly. But be careful not to get another ticket!

Edit: The attorney (or you) can ask for defensive driving even though your driver's license is out of state. It's up to the judge. So the attorney may very well pursue that route. See the last paragraph in 'ticket dismissal' section on this link --

Information about Texas Driving Safety Classes (http://www.tea.state.tx.us/drive/dsinfo.html - broken link)

[LongTimeAustinite]

Here's a link (http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing_control/drp/drp.htm - broken link)that talks about points.

I don't think it'll cost you 6 points.

The points will probably carry over, the last I heard more and more states are sharing data.

There are a couple of ways to take care of the ticket. You can take a defensive driving course. That will keep the tickets off your record. You won't lose any points. There is also something called deferred adjudication. It's basically a three to six months probation. That will also keep your record clean.

Since you hold an out of state license I'm not sure the above options pertain to you. I would go to court. You'll most likely talk to the prosecuting attorney. He or she will tell you all your options to keep your record clear.

Call the court and ask about the out of state thing. You may not have to talk to the prosecuting attorney.

Unfortunately I'm too familiar with getting tickets, but my record is clear.

[mimimomx3]

How much does an attorney charge these days to 'fix' a ticket? Does that keep it off your insurance/driving record? Does anyone have a recommendation for an attorney who might do this? PM me!