help needed - n-400 traffic citation

[vjjmember111 5]

VJ members,

 

I am going through my n-400 application to prepare for my upcoming interview. I answered YES to the following questions  since i had citation for traffic violation (civil traffic i.e. speeding over the limit by 5 miles or making illegal turn etc).

         23) Have you EVER been arrested, cited, detained by any law enforcement officer (including any immigration official or any official of US armed forces) for any reasons?

They all happened long time ago probably 5-10 years ago. I don't have any traffic citation tickets nor the proof of payment. I don't have a single traffic violation within last five years. 

 

Also the question 29 (n-400) has table to complete with when the citation was received and how it was resolved etc. Unfortunately i didn't put anything in question 29 since i don't remember date or year when it happened because all of the traffic citations were before 5 years ago. The reason i said 5 years is because i don't have any citation since i had my GC and i am LPR for 5 years and 5 months. 

 

Would this be a problem for me during my interview? if so what can i do at this stage to mitigate my situation. Also how can i get the copy of traffic citation and fines paid? 

 

Since i have moved to different places over the past 10 years so it is ABSOLUTELY impossible to contact courthouses in different states and get the documents even if this is an option.  Please advise what should i do next?

 

Your valuable information will be highly appreciated. 

 

 

[hasheesha 45]

From the Guide to Naturalization (M-476) Chapter 3 question 7: "Note that unless a traffic incident was alcohol or drug related, you do not need to submit documentation for traffic fines and incidents that did not involve an actual arrest if the only penalty was a fine less than $500 and/or points or your driver's license.

 

So you do not need to submit anything with the application. However, whether this presents an issue during the interview or not is up to the officer interviewing you. They might ask for proof of payment and only accept court certified documents for it. Do you have no idea where you received the tickets? You could email the court asking them to mail you a certified copy (i got that done with my wife). Some even do this for free. They just ask you to email a signed release with scans of your ID.

[metaxas 0]

Hasheesha, could you please let us know exactly what to ask the court for? I plan on calling the courts regarding my tickets as well. Should I be asking for "court certified proof of ticket payment", or "court certified record of the ticket" -- is there a legal term for exactly what paperwork is required from the courts as evidence of ticket payment? Any info would be great.. thanks!

[hasheesha 45]

Here is the exact language of the release we submitted:

---------------------------

 

<NAME AND ADDRESS HERE>

 <DATE HERE>

 

Madison Municipal Court

City-County Building

210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Room 203

Madison, WI 53703

 

Re: Request for certified copies of speeding ticket

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am requesting the release of 2 certified copies of my speeding ticket with information showing that it has been paid in full. To assist you in finding the requested document, I am providing you with the following information:

Name: _______________

Date of Birth: _____________

Driver’s License #: _______________

Date of Citation: Not needed, but good to provide if you have it

This record is being requested for my application of naturalization with USCIS.

Please route the copies to the address above. Feel free to contact me at the above address if you have any questions or need any additional information. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

 

Sincerely,

[metaxas 0]

Got it.. thank you so much!

[vjjmember111 5]

I had one ticket in Smyrna Georgia back in 2006. Now i live in Phoenix. How do i find out which court should i be calling in to inquire about certified copy of speeding ticket? 

I am really started thinking if we really need those docs because as long as the citation is not related to DUI or drug they say the docs are not needed. I didn't put any information under question 29 in N-400 but marked YES ( q 23) if i had cited before. 

I wanted to get the docs before going to interview rather than being sorry afterwards. 

[hasheesha 45]

On 1/5/2017 at 7:30 PM, vjjmember111 said:

I had one ticket in Smyrna Georgia back in 2006. Now i live in Phoenix. How do i find out which court should i be calling in to inquire about certified copy of speeding ticket? 

I am really started thinking if we really need those docs because as long as the citation is not related to DUI or drug they say the docs are not needed. I didn't put any information under question 29 in N-400 but marked YES ( q 23) if i had cited before. 

I wanted to get the docs before going to interview rather than being sorry afterwards. 

Since it was so long ago, i dont think your driving record will have it anymore so you cannot find out by pulling your record. If your ticket was issues in Smyrna Georgia you could google that location to find out. When I google it i get the following court: http://www.smyrnacity.com/your-government/city-clerk-court/court-services

 

You could call them, explain you need certified copies of the ticket showing it has been paid in full and give your name and date of birth. If they have it, they will let you know. Good Luck!