help understanding Traffic Ticket??? (New Castle: vehicle registration, insurance, high school)

[newmassphd]

Hi Everyone,

I'm a transplant to Delaware and recently was pulled over yesterday for an expired vehicle registration.
I've never had any traffic violations in my life (save a handful of parking tickets due to expired
parking meters).

My registration had been expired 3 weeks and 3 days when I was pulled over.

The officer was very polite and professional. He gave me a sheet of paper (Ticket)
that sayd "Uniform Traffic Complaint and Summons" and lists the organization
as "County of New Castle City or Towns of New Castle Voluntary Assessment Center."

Things have been fairly busy and I totally wasn't paying attention to when my
registration expired and forgot. I don't recall ever receiving any reminders from the DMV
(albeit, I should have entered one into my electronic calendar).

The fine listed is for $131. I started reading information on the state web-sites about it
and don't completely understand the process and what it means. So I'm hoping that
someone, anyone, can clarify a number of questions (numbered for convenience).

1) Is an expired vehicle registration a non-moving violation? So does it mean no points on insurance?

2) Is it considered having "a record" if one pays the fine (which I understand means entering a guilty plea)? This is important to me since because of various certifications I maintain.

3) I've never received notification that my registration's expiration is approaching. I recently
learned you have to request to have your email entered into a response system.
Has this always been the case? In the state I came from, they always mailed you a post-card.

4) The state web-site listed something called "Probation before Judgement" and I was wondering
if I pursue this process, what happens if they deny the request? What happens if they approve
the request?

5) Requesting a court appointment means pleading "nolo contendere." Is this the same as
not guilty? If I remember all those years of Latin in high school, doesn't nolo contendere
mean "no contest?" If one pleads not guilty in order to get a court appointment doesn't
it look like you are lying if you then ask to participate in "Probation before Judgement?"

Any insight or help is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[longnecker]

Sounds like you have a mail in. Great. Why would you want to go to court?? It is not a moving violation so will get you no points. Pay the fine and get your vehicle tagged.

[newmassphd]

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

I forgot to write that I renewed the registration the same day I received the ticket.

So, I was mostly wondering if the accompanying guilty associated with paying the ticket
constitutes a "record"

Certain professional certifications require DoD background checks and
I was wondering if my ticket/violation will appear in such things.

[longnecker]

Originally Posted by newmassphd

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

I forgot to write that I renewed the registration the same day I received the ticket.

So, I was mostly wondering if the accompanying guilty associated with paying the ticket
constitutes a "record"

Certain professional certifications require DoD background checks and
I was wondering if my ticket/violation will appear in such things.

o

Do not worry about it. It will not cause a criminal record.

[jtees4]

No points. No record. Unfortunately, you were guilty because, well...you were guilty there really would be nothing to fight. Don't worry, all is well.