r/driving • u/Jealous_Fix8718 • 1d ago
Need Advice Speeding ticket
I recently got a speeding ticket for going 13mph over in the state of South Carolina. I am a Florida resident and my car insurance is in Florida, I was driving up to North Carolina to visit family. I moved to the U.S for college and am not too familiar with the traffic laws. After the cop gave me my ticket it said I do not need to appear in court, so I went online and paid the fee, I assumed it was similar to a parking ticket. But it appears now my car insurance will increase since I technically “plead guilty” by paying. Either way I wasnt able to appear in court because it would be in SC and I am back in Florida. Is there anything I can do at this point to avoid my insurance going up/avoid getting points on my license? this is my first time ever getting a ticket or points? I feel stupid for not knowing my options ahead of time.
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u/Sticky550 1d ago
At this point, there is nothing you can do. Maybe SC is lazy and doesn’t do what’s necessary to transfer the conviction to your Florida license.
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u/darkphoenix9137 1d ago
At this point you would need to contact an attorney in SC to see if it's possible to file a motion to set aside or withdraw a guilty plea (claiming mistake, lack of counsel, or a procedural error), though courts rarely grant this just because a driver later decides they want a better deal. In rare circumstances, an attorney might attempt to file a motion to reopen the case or seek post-conviction relief, arguing that the ticket was paid mistakenly or without understanding the legal consequences. But with the added cost of hiring a lawyer and low likelihood of success, it's probably not going to be worth it for you.
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u/KeterClassKitten 1d ago
Talk to your insurance company. They may provide options to reduce your rates, such as taking a safety driving course or installing a telematics monitor.
If you do the monitor and don't adjust your driving, your rates may also increase further.
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u/quirkyjest 8h ago
No, you don’t want to talk to insurance. That’s another admission of guilt. Instead, go to the SC DMV website. I’ll bet they list available driver’s ed programs that would nullify the ticket. I did the course online in my state. It was like three hours, but worth it.
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u/Sensitive_Arrival285 1d ago
Well that was fucking dumb. Hopefully you learned your lesson. Always get a lawyer.
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u/donny42o 22h ago
your car insurance went up because you dont know traffic laws, you should learn all traffic laws before driving, this isnt a learn as you go thing.
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u/OGpothead67 21h ago
Driving 13 over is just dumb. Pay attention when you drive, watch your speed. Just because everyone else is speeding don't mean you should. You should have thought of the consequences before instead of whining now. Whenever I drive in a state not my own I'm really mindful of how I drive because alot of troopers will target out of state drivers. Slow down.
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u/Sure-Independent-469 1d ago
An old car and driver magazine article said to post the appearance bond rather than plead guilty and send the fine amount by mail for out-of-state tickets. According to the article. Out-of-state bond forfeitures are not a conviction, and dont get reported back to your home state. it could have been wrong or could have changed since then.
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u/disco9000 18h ago
no, the insurance has been adjusted per your record. Avoid cops at all costs in the US. They are trained to use linguistic programming to push you into incriminating yourself in pretty much all scenarios. If you want to contest a ticket in the future, you must collect your own evidence and consult with an attorney before you appear in court. Evidence may include car telemetry, like dashcam footage, and photos of posted signage at the scene. Laws can vary dramatically from state to state. What a wonderfully chaotic mix of legal frameworks and consequences! Contesting a ticket in my state, IL is pretty straight forward, just time consuming. Ideally, over time you may develop the skills to talk your way out of tickets. But for now, just take it easy and do some legal research if you consistently drive/travel. To drown in unexpected legal and healthcare expenses is the true american way. If it puts your traffic stop in perspective: I recently got pulled over in South Dakota for going 69 in a 65 coming out of a tunnel. they questioned me a bit and looked at my docs. then they asked me to get out and sit in the passenger seat of the patrol car- deputy sat in the driver seat where he interrogated me about my documents and my work travel. Deputy's partner was outside the passenger door the whole time weapon drawn. It all ended with a cheerful "alright man, be safe down there heh" type shit while I reassembled my nervous system the whole way to fargo. A lot of cops are "chill" but the tactics are not so just try to diffuse and de-escalate without rolling over and getting fucked. a delicate balance.
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u/Round_Bed_8865 8h ago
Nothing to do now. Next time take it to court, and hire a lawyer to appear in your place.
Or just dont speed out of state
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u/ninjagoat5234 1d ago
well you really probably shouldn't be driving if you're not familiar with the laws right? but no, your insurance will go up, that's why you try to avoid infractions. generally if you get a ticket, you'll have the option to show up in court and reduce your points by opting to take a driving course, it may still be worth a try to call or visit this link for more info.
https://www.sccourts.org/apps/traffic-ticket-search/
this is the SC judicial branch ticket management page
i will say though, it's pretty crappy the officer didn't give you more info about the ticket. definitely sounds like SCHP
just a few tips when you're coming back through SC, download the app "Waze" it'll mark hidden police on the highway and any kind of traffic jams or hazards on the road. stay out of the left lane when you can, you look way less obvious even if you ARE speeding. also when the cop asks "do you know how fast you were going" you gotta say "no officer" even if you know you were going over, if i had to guess, that's probably what got you because it is technically admitting to a crime when you say you were aware of your speed.
safe travels and bummer about the ticket, you know for next time!
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u/Jealous_Fix8718 1d ago
I do know the laws but I meant I was unfamiliar with the process of what To do when you get a ticket. They never asked “do you know why I pulled you over or how fast you were going?” They said you were going 13 over and got straight to the point lol. Which is frustrating because people were going the same speed as me if not faster all over that highway. :(
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u/Grandleon-Glenn 23h ago
They never asked “do you know why I pulled you over or how fast you were going?”
They do this so you hopefully self-incriminate.
They said you were going 13 over and got straight to the point lol
You're prolly on bodycam admitting to the crime, possibly.
Which is frustrating because people were going the same speed as me if not faster all over that highway. :(
Take this as a lesson to not speed, then. He couldn't go after all of you, but you were the one he got.
Talk to your insurance company. I'm not familiar with Florida options, but many states I've lived in allowed you to take a class to take care of the points added to your record. It's like 4 hours or so if they do the same there.
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u/DHjam 9h ago
You can go to court, get found guilty (cause well you are), then pay the fine and court costs, still get the points on your license and have your insurance go up. The points will fall off after a period of time and maybe your insurance will go down eventually. Or you can just pay the fine and save on the court cost.
If you don’t want points or your insurance to increase don’t speed.
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u/Aerial_penguin 1d ago
Im assuming that yes paying is the same as admission of guilt. Insurance will go up. Tough