If you require a driving licence for your job or have been caught speeding while in a company car then your traffic violation could cost you a lot more than just the penalty fine. If you’ve been issued with a speeding ticket and are worried it could affect your job, here’s what to do.

Find out How Many Points You Already Have

Do you know how many points you already have on your license as a result of driving offenses? If you have 4 points on your record within a year, 6 points within 2 or 8 points within 3 then the DMV will suspend your driving license. Even an employer who is lenient on the fact that you have points against your record will be unable to keep you on if you are no longer able to do or get to your job, so knowing how close you are to this limit is an important factor in how you need to proceed.

Plead Guilty

If you know that you were in the wrong, have no prior offenses, were driving your own personal car and do not need to declare any violations to your employer then pleading guilty and paying your fine is often the quickest and easiest way to proceed. Your ticket should explain the various ways in which you can plead guilty and pay your penalty charge which includes by phone, in person, and over the internet.

Fight It

If you’re up against the wire and have a lot of points already against your record, feel you were not in the wrong or know that a guilty plea will cost you your job then you may want to consider fighting your ticket. Although you may be thinking that this is just going to cost you money, a CVC 22349(a) fine, exceeding the 65mph freeway speed limit, could cost you thousands of dollars when you take into account your potential loss of earnings should you lose your job and the increase in your insurance as a result of taking the penalty point. By pleading not guilty to traffic violations you will be summonsed to court where you can appeal the decision in front of a judge or alternatively, you can use a professional service such as Ticket Busters, who will help you put together an application for trial by written declaration. A written declaration is often seen as the best way to beat your traffic ticket as you will not have to appear in person in court, the court systems themselves are already overloaded and the officer must write back in writing. As with any battle, there’s no guarantee that you will win but as this process takes little time, effort and financial input it’s the best way to tackle the system.

Apply for a Hardship License

If you do lose your license due to your ticket, it’s worth using a Hardship License Eligibility Tool to see whether you’d be likely to be approved for a Hardship License. This could allow you to still drive to and from work in order to keep your life in order.

To Tell or Not to Tell?

Each employment contract is different and whether you do need to tell your employer about your violation or not will differ from person to person. If you do need to declare it to your employer then it is often better to be upfront and honest than to hide the violation as if they were to find out later then they are more likely to take more severe disciplinary action.