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Traffic Ticket Points Transferability between Canada and the United States

Jul 15, 2009 More Saving

When Canadians travel in their vehicles throughout the United States, they have to be aware of what happens if they receive a traffic violation ticket. Many people think that if they receive a traffic ticket, it will not affect their driving record in Canada. If you are cited for a traffic violation in the US, there will be consequences in Canada.

Canadian drivers use to drive throughout the US and not worry about receiving a traffic ticket. If they did, they would just ignore it because there were not any consequences. Now, US State Governments and Provincial Governments share information about drivers and their traffic violations when there is a reciprocal agreement between the Province, Territory, and State.

The agreement among Provinces and Territories known as The Canadian Driver License Compact was put into operation in 1990. All provinces participating in the agreement agreed to exchange traffic offence information. Each province and territory agreed that traffic violations committed by a driver would result in demerit points given to the drivers license of the drivers home province. Each province and territory agreed to transfer the drivers license information if that driver was driving in another province or territory. Over the years, articles have been attached to the Canadian Driver License Compact. One important article as it relates to the US states:

“Appendix 2: If a driver of a motor vehicle is convicted, pursuant to Section 249 (1) of the Canadian Criminal Code, that information is shared with the other Provinces, Territories and specific U.S. State”

Many states have agreements with Canadian provinces regarding the transfer of demerit points for traffic violations received in the United States. For instance, in Ontario:

“Section 40 (1) of the Highway Traffic Act allows the Minister of Transportation to enter into a reciprocal agreement with the government of any state of the United States providing for the sanctioning by the licensing jurisdiction of drivers from that jurisdiction who commit offences in the other jurisdiction.”

If, for example, a driver from Ontario receives a traffic ticket in a state where points would normally be assessed in Ontario and that state has an agreement signed with the Province of Ontario, points will be assessed against the Ontario license. Most states have such agreements with most Canadian provinces

In Quebec, the SAAQ states “that an equivalent traffic offense committed in another province or in an American state with which Qubec has a reciprocal agreement results in demerit points as if the offence occurred in Qubec.” Quebec has reciprocal agreements with such states as New York and Maine.

Demerit points placed on a drivers record stay there for two years after the date of conviction. The more demerit points that you have, the higher you insurance premiums will increase. There is no notice sent out when demerit points are taken off a persons drivers record.

Driving through the United States is a beautiful and fun experience. For Canadians, it is important for drivers to obey all traffic laws to avoid demerit points from being applied to their drivers license.

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Canadian Citizens and Traffic Tickets in the US

Jul 14, 2009 More Saving

As in Canada, The United States traffic laws must be obeyed. Most traffic laws that Canadians tend to violate are speeding tickets and parking violations. When Canadians drive in the US, they should be aware of how the traffic ticket system works.

When it comes to speeding tickets, fines can vary because many states determine the amount of the fine based on how many miles per hour the driver was driving above the speed limit. The faster you are traveling, the higher the fine. Many US states have a higher maximum speed limit than in Canada. Many U.S. highways have a maximum speed limit of 65 mph and in some as high as 70 mph. When you sign a traffic violation ticket such as a speeding ticket, you are acknowledging that you are going to appear in court. If you do not appear at the scheduled court session time and return to Canada, you can be held in contempt of court. The court can then place a bench warrant for your arrest. If you ever re-enter that state where you have been alleged to have committed the traffic offence, you can be arrested.

The speeding ticket system is different in the US than in Canada. For instance, if you are driving in a state such as New York, and are stopped by a police officer, you will be issued what is known as a Uniform Traffic Ticket. This ticket will display the date of offense, time of offense, place of offense, as well as a description of the alleged violation. You must appear in the court where the alleged traffic violation occurred. You will then enter either a plea of guilty or not guilty. You must appear in person at your trial. If you plead guilty, the judge will assess your fine based on the type of traffic violation.

If you are driving a rental car and receive a traffic ticket such as a parking fine, the car rental agency will have to pay it, but they will charge the fine to your credit card. If you are driving your own car and receive a ticket, you may have demerit points placed against you drivers license, especially if the state and the province in which you live share an agreement. If you ignore any type of traffic violation, the state has the right to issue a warrant for your arrest. You can be arrested if you return to the United States.

When it comes to demerit points, nearly all insurance companies will increase insurance premium rates if a driver receives a major traffic violation that results in 4+ points. The best way for drivers to avoid demerit points from being applied to their record is to maintain a clean driving record in both Canada and the United States is to maintain a clean driving record when traveling within both Canada and the United States. It will also avoid any future criminal charges and an increase in auto insurance premiums.

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