How Long Do Traffic Tickets Stay on Your Criminal Record?

Did you get a traffic ticket? It can seem scary, but you are not alone. Every month, over 32,000 people visit our site for advice on tickets and fines.

This article will answer your questions and ease your worries. Here is what we’ll talk about:

•  Why you might get a traffic ticket
•  Which driving offences can go on your record
•  If not paying a parking fine can give you a criminal record
•  How long a driving offence stays on your criminal record
•  What happens if you do not tell about your driving convictions

We know how you feel, and we are here to help you learn more about traffic tickets and your criminal record.

Let’s get started!

Why would I get a traffic ticket?

You could end up with a traffic ticket for several offences committed on a public road. 

The result could be:

• An expensive fineHigher insurance premiums
• Penalty Points on a driving licence
• A driving ban

The police or another authority could give you a traffic ticket for any of the following offences:

• Parking violations on public land
• Speeding
• Using a mobile device whilst driving
• Dangerous driving
• Driving without due care and attention
• Driving under the influence of drink or drugs
• Driving without valid insurance
• Driving whilst disqualified
• Driving without a valid MOT
• Causing death by driving
• Causing a person serious injury whilst driving when disqualified

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How Long Does a driving offence stay on your criminal record?

A driving offence on a criminal record is typically ‘spent’ after five years.

However, some driving violations are classed as more serious so that the record could remain on your record for over five years.

This includes the following offences:

• Drink driving
• Drug-driving

That said, under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 when a crime is deemed ‘spent’, the record no longer appears on your criminal record.

What penalties are associated with driving offences?

I’ve included the penalties associated with specific driving offences in the table below.

What driving offences show on a DBS check?

You may worry that a driving offence will appear on a DBS check if a potential employer carries one out.

If the driving offence is not serious, it should not appear on a DBS check.

However, if you were convicted of a serious motoring offence, such as any of the following, it will show up:

• Drink driving
• Persistent speeding offences
• Driving without valid insurance

In short, if a driving offence appears on a criminal record, it will also appear on a DBS check.

In my experience, it’s best to be transparent about motoring offences to avoid any confusion, especially when you are applying for a job with a potential employer.

What are the top motoring offences?

According to data published by a leading insurance provider, the top motoring offences committed in the UK are shown in the table below:

Will a speeding ticket count as a recordable offence?

A speeding ticket could earn you a criminal conviction depending on the seriousness of the driving offence and how you deal with it.

When the authorities catch you speeding, whether on a motorway or elsewhere, you must respond to the notice you receive within 28 days.

Failure to respond could lead to prosecution and a conviction.

Do all driving Offences go to court?

No. Not all driving offences end up going to court.

If you receive a Penalty Charge Notice, for example, it doesn’t automatically mean you have to attend a court hearing.

Everything is done via letters and notifications.

However, if you’ve committed a serious motoring offence like speeding on a motorway, chances are you will have to go to court, and you may even need a barrister.

This is often the case when you’re facing a disqualification from driving.

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What happens if you don’t declare driving convictions?

You would risk having your vehicle insurance cancelled when you don’t declare driving convictions to an insurer.

As previously mentioned, a serious driving offence could remain on your record for 5+ years.

So, if you fail to disclose any unspent convictions, you are committing a crime.

Can you get a criminal record for not paying a parking fine?

You have 28 days to pay or challenge a parking fine. So, in short, you’ll get a monetary penalty but no points on your driving licence.

You won’t get a criminal record either, and the parking fine itself won’t impact the amount you pay annually for vehicle insurance.

However, the issuer will take you to court if you fail to pay the Penalty Charge Notice. You could get a default registered on your credit file because an unpaid parking fine turns into a debt.

Enforcement officers (bailiffs) will be instructed to recover the debt once a court order is issued.

It means the original penalty charge increases because you’d have to pay the following:

• Court costs
• Enforcement officers’ fees

It’s worth noting that a Penalty Charge Notice is not the same as a Parking Charge Notice issued by a private car park operator.

The latter is not a real ‘fine’ but rather an invoice that can only be legally enforced when there’s a court order to pay it.