Reader’s Question:

I received a speeding ticket in Illinois and have a Florida license. I am worried this may affect my car insurance premium rates. Can I take traffic school to write off the points of the ticket?

Chuck

Tallahassee, FL

Just so you know, Florida is part of the Drivers License Compact (DLC). Participating member states of the DLC are required to report moving violation convictions to the driver’s licensing state. As such, you can bet your bottom dollar that the speeding violation you incurred in Illinois had already been reported to your licensing state of Florida. An out-of-state traffic ticket’s information is received by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Services (HSMV) and is marked on your Florida record, with the corresponding points like it was a Florida traffic violation.

However, your car insurance company will not be notified directly by the HSMV or the traffic court concerned of your traffic offense. But don’t celebrate just yet. As mentioned above, your out-of-state violation will be marked and given the points as a Florida offense. Therefore, they will be able to pull up your Florida driving record with the violation when your insurer gathers your motor vehicle record (MVR). You will have to consult with your car insurance company how your out-of-state speeding ticket can affect your rates since insurance providers have different rating systems.

The Florida HSMV also states that any traffic school or program cannot write off points for an out-of-state ticket under Florida traffic laws.