Speeding Ticket - How to during interview

[ImmigrantKrish 75]

I got a ticket in 2002/2003 (12 miles over the limit) and cant remember when it exactly happened (date/year). Paid the ticket fine, around 130$ and did not keep any records.

 

Called the court to find out if they have any information and they do not have it. They suggested me to call the DMV and did not get anywhere from DMV.

 

Entered this in the citation part of the N-400 application and wondering how this will go during my interview next month.

 

Any tips?

 

 

[Letspaintcookies 2,310]

Isn't it that only traffic violations over $500 fine have to be mentioned?

[Mike E 11,739]

@ImmigrantKrish
 

My research on the web shows lawyers divided on this issue.  Some say you don’t have to disclose such tickets. It was under $500, right?

 

If so, I would not (and did not) disclose. 
 

If you do disclose, I’ve seen such cases held in limbo because the ISO insists the applicant produce evidence the ticket was resolved and the applicant cannot produce it for the reasons you are seeing.  

Edited December 28, 2022 by Mike E

[ImmigrantKrish 75]

1 minute ago, Mike E said:

@ImmigrantKrish
 

My research on the web shows lawyers divided on this issue.  Some say to don’t have to disclose such tickets. It was under $500, right?

 

If so, I would not (and did not) disclose. 
 

If you do disclose, I’ve seen such cases held in limbo because the ISO insists the applicant produce evidence the ticket was resolved and the applicant cannot produce it for the reasons you are seeing.  

 

This is what I am afraid off.. cant get details and didnt want to omit it on the application either...

[Mike E 11,739]

2 minutes ago, ImmigrantKrish said:

 

This is what I am afraid off.. cant get details and didnt want to omit it on the application either...

Then you have dilemma. Good luck with your journey.  

[Nkrish83 65]

Here is my suggestion on how you handle it: (and also how i went about it) 
 

1) See if you can get a driving report from DMV. Generally tickets are listed there and some of the info you got there may help find the relevant info. I had a ticket from 2011 in a different state, but was listed on my driving record. It helped me locate the ticket # and then was able to get the details from the court. 

2) Check your old email for any payment receipts you made for the fine. I surprisingly found the receipt confirmation. 

 

Coming to the question of disclosure - My suggestion would be to mention this before you take the oath before start of interview. Lack of disclosure questions your moral character at best. From everything i have seen with my friends and brother who are already naturalized,  tickets under 500 as long as they were paid were just asked and ignored. Yes - there are folks and attorneys who would tell you to ignore this stuff, but ask yourself if this is worth it. In the end being truthful puts you on higher ground. 

[ImmigrantKrish 75]

10 minutes ago, Nkrish83 said:

Here is my suggestion on how you handle it: (and also how i went about it) 
 

1) See if you can get a driving report from DMV. Generally tickets are listed there and some of the info you got there may help find the relevant info. I had a ticket from 2011 in a different state, but was listed on my driving record. It helped me locate the ticket # and then was able to get the details from the court. 

2) Check your old email for any payment receipts you made for the fine. I surprisingly found the receipt confirmation. 

 

Coming to the question of disclosure - My suggestion would be to mention this before you take the oath before start of interview. Lack of disclosure questions your moral character at best. From everything i have seen with my friends and brother who are already naturalized,  tickets under 500 as long as they were paid were just asked and ignored. Yes - there are folks and attorneys who would tell you to ignore this stuff, but ask yourself if this is worth it. In the end being truthful puts you on higher ground. 

I got the ticket in CA, but I live in AZ. I will pay to get the driver record from AZ now.

 

I had put in the ticket information in the N-400 and it shows up online under documents tab as N400-additional reponse.pdf.

 

I wrote to CA DMV and was ignored. I will chase them after new years to see if I can get any traction. Paid to courts' site and did not get any information and also called the courts and they looked up info and said they do not have it in active or archived data either.

 

 

EDIT:

Pulled 10 year extended DL record and nothing is listed as this ticket happened in 2002-2003 time frame.

 

I will have to figure out how I can get the DL record from CA as that is where my ticket is from.

Edited December 28, 2022 by ImmigrantKrish

[Nkrish83 65]

14 minutes ago, ImmigrantKrish said:

I got the ticket in CA, but I live in AZ. I will pay to get the driver record from AZ now.

 

I had put in the ticket information in the N-400 and it shows up online under documents tab as N400-additional reponse.pdf.

 

I wrote to CA DMV and was ignored. I will chase them after new years to see if I can get any traction. Paid to courts' site and did not get any information and also called the courts and they looked up info and said they do not have it in active or archived data either.

 

 

EDIT:

Pulled 10 year extended DL record and nothing is listed as this ticket happened in 2002-2003 time frame.

 

I will have to figure out how I can get the DL record from CA as that is where my ticket is from.

The driving record should be pulled from the state where your DL was when you got pulled over. If you lived in AZ, then CA reports it to AZ DMV. CA DMV would have had no record of what happened. 

[ImmigrantKrish 75]

1 minute ago, Nkrish83 said:

The driving record should be pulled from the state where your DL was when you got pulled over. If you lived in AZ, then CA reports it to AZ DMV. CA DMV would have had no record of what happened. 

Correct, pulled form AZ and I live in AZ since before the ticket. AZ only goes back to 10 years max and the record is clean.

 

[STO Overland 137]

The question states “Have you ever been arrested, cited, or detained by a law enforcement officer (including any and all immigration officials or the U.S. armed forces) for any reason?”. A speeding ticket is a citation. Your call whether you want to say or not and the consequence of not saying but the USCIS find out. 
 

I had the same situation from the same period (2003). In 2020, I was able to pull my entire drivers record which listed the citation (only to confirm that my record was complete). I then researched all the courts in the area where the offense took place (there are 6 courts within that county) and emailed the clerk for each court with details of my drivers license and the date of the infraction. All of them came back within a few days including the one that handled my citation and payment. They sent me confirmation of the payment via email which I included in my N400 application.
 

During my interview, the IO had already pulled my drivers record and had it in front of her together with the court confirmation of my payment. She told me that they often pull drivers records to look for other infractions such as DUI and ALWAYS delve deeper depending how the applicant answered the citation question versus what they (USCIS) find with simple check of drivers records. 

Edited December 28, 2022 by STO Overland

[AnonymousImmi 0]

is there a website where we can find IF we have any traffic violations or any traffic records on our name in entire USA?

[ImmigrantKrish 75]

18 minutes ago, STO Overland said:

The question states “Have you ever been arrested, cited, or detained by a law enforcement officer (including any and all immigration officials or the U.S. armed forces) for any reason?”. A speeding ticket is a citation. Your call whether you want to say or not and the consequence of not saying but the USCIS find out. 
 

I had the same situation from the same period (2003). In 2020, I was able to pull my entire drivers record which listed the citation (only to confirm that my record was complete). I then researched all the courts in the area where the offense took place (there are 6 courts within that county) and emailed the clerk for each court with details of my drivers license and the date of the infraction. All of them came back within a few days including the one that handled my citation and payment. They sent me confirmation of the payment via email which I included in my N400 application.
 

During my interview, the IO had already pulled my drivers record and had it in front of her together with the court confirmation of my payment. She told me that they often pull drivers records to look for other infractions such as DUI and ALWAYS delve deeper depending how the applicant answered the citation question versus what they (USCIS) find with simple check of drivers records. 

 

How did you pull all your driving record? AZ only gives me the record for the last 10 years and the ticket was in 19 years ago.

[STO Overland 137]

3 minutes ago, ImmigrantKrish said:

 

How did you pull all your driving record? AZ only gives me the record for the last 10 years and the ticket was in 19 years ago.

Texas makes available online the entire history. Maybe visiting the AZ DOT office, you would be able to pull your entire record but…

 

if you intend to disclose that you have had a citation then there is no need to confirm that you have citation with the AZ or CA DOT. You already know that you have had one. If you decide to disclose the citation, it’s proving that you’ve paid the ticket what the USCIS cares about. If you know the county where the offense took place, research ALL the municipal courts within that county and email them. Clerk’s email address are freely available online. 
 

good luck

[ImmigrantKrish 75]

Just now, STO Overland said:

Texas makes available online the entire history. Maybe visiting the AZ DOT office, you would be able to pull your entire record but…

 

if you intend to disclose that you have had a citation then there is no need to confirm that you have citation with the AZ or CA DOT. You already know that you have had one. If you decide to disclose the citation, it’s proving that you’ve paid the ticket what the USCIS cares about. If you know the county where the offense took place, research ALL the municipal courts within that county and email them. Clerk’s email address are freely available online. 
 

good luck

Thank you and I guess I am going to visit DMV soon.

I had already disclosed on the N-400 and could not find any information from the courts clerk (called him earlier). Sent an email to the clerk as well and did a name search on the courts site and nothing showed up.

 

[STO Overland 137]

3 minutes ago, ImmigrantKrish said:

Thank you and I guess I am going to visit DMV soon.

I had already disclosed on the N-400 and could not find any information from the courts clerk (called him earlier). Sent an email to the clerk as well and did a name search on the courts site and nothing showed up.

 

The smallest county in Texas is Rockwall County. It has one municipal court and two district courts. It would need emailing the clerks of both district courts. Look for the district courts.  
 

anyway, some have said not to bother. YMMV.