Parking tickets and other things: do they affect your driving record?

[gadget--gal]

I'm curious about how this works in other countries. particularly the US because in TV programs I've heard phrases like  " they never so much as found a parking ticket on my record"

In the uk, when you get a ticket (e.g for parking in the wrong place or parking for longer than you've paid)  they stick the ticket to your windscreen.  

You  normally have 14 days to contact the issuing body and pay the reduced rate, (50%). After this,  you must pay the full fee. If the fine hasn't been paid after a few weeks,  they write to the registered driver to ask for payment. After a few more weeks they threaten court action.

So, if someone borrowed a car,  got a parking ticket and settled up quickly, the owner would never know about it. There'd be nothing on the drivers license or any official record either.

On the other hand, if a driving/parking offends was recoded by camera, the driver would be the one on the hook. They'd have to prove it wasn't them, like the time my mother had  *already*  reported her car stolen. Or get 
the real miscreant to own up.

Another thing I've seen (on Judge Judy!) is people losing their license for owing money to the state. This doesn't happen here either. I wonder how common this is in other parts of the world?

[violinp]

American here, though what happens in my state may not happen for all.

If you have any kind of infraction, you have points put on your license. Typically, speeding would get you 1 or 2 points, while more dangerous things would have higher points. Once you hit 12 points, your license is automatically revoked, and you can't get it back for 6 months to a year.

[gadget--gal]

American here, though what happens in my state may not happen for all.

If you have any kind of infraction, you have points put on your license. Typically, speeding would get you 1 or 2 points, while more dangerous things would have higher points. Once you hit 12 points, your license is automatically revoked, and you can't get it back for 6 months to a year.

We have a points system too. Speeding without another offence is 3 points, i think. Max 12, but drivers with less than 2years experience are a allowed 6 maximum. When a newbie earns 6 points they're banned for two years and then they need to re-take All The Tests.

 We don't get points for parking offences though. Do you? you get point

[Hmmmmm]

In my state parking tickets do not show up on driving records.  However, if you have a ton of unpaid tickets, the state may suspend your license which would show up.  I've always thought the phrase more of an out dated figure of speech.

[rashea]

I believe in my state unpaid parking tickets can eventually show up, but only if you refuse to pay them for a long period of time. If you ever watch parking wars, it shows that in cities you usually get your car booted and towed.

Where I live now, there just aren't a whole lot of parking spaces, or cars, so I can't remember my last parking ticket.

[Slartibartfast]

As I understand it, parking tickets don't go on your record here in the US for the purposes of "points" or whatnot.  However, that doesn't mean they go away - if the authorities ever had reason to research you and your driving record, they would be able to find out if/when/where you had parking violations in the past.  (Assuming the car is properly registered to you!)

[katycoo]

Australian here:

Parking tickets are attached to the car, not the driver.  They won't show on your driver's record, but if they go unpaid the registered owner will be chased.  If they do not swear a stat dec naming the responsible party, its will be attached to them.

Unpaid fees can cause a driver to have their licence cancelled but I don't know if this relates solely to road related fines or anything to th government.

[Shopaholic]

In Israel parking tickets are attached to your car.
There are two types: police-issued (when you are parking illegally i.e. on the sidewalk) and city-issued (when you are parking legally but haven't paid for your parking or parked where you aren't licensed to).
City-issued parking tickets have a statute of limitations - so you can not pay for 7 years, and the ticket will be cancelled.
The city-issued ones aren't put on your record. I don't know about the police ones.
I pay both.

[WillyNilly]

In NYC parking tickets are attached to the car.  But the registered owner of the car is legally on the hook for them.  A basic parking ticket starts at $65, with some offenses being even higher (blocking a hydrant for example is more expensive).  The price remains that for about 30 days then starts creeping up, in something like $20 increments every 2 weeks or so.  Once you accumulate about $400 in tickets (one old/expensive one, or several lesser ones) to one license plate the owner is considered a "scofflaw".  The car can be booted or towed.  To get the vehicle released one needs to pay the tow/boot fee, plus all back tickets.  Scofflaws I do believe are 'on record' although I doubt its a police record, but rather a Dept of Finance record.

[nutraxfornerves]

In California:
Cars must be re-registered annually. If you have "been mailed a notice of delinquent parking violation relating to standing or parking" you will have problems with registration. The unpaid fines get tacked on to your registration fees. You can pay the DMV or pay the appropriate local agency. If you don't pay them, the Dept. of Motor Vehicles will refuse to register your car.

In addition, some municipalities will "boot" or tow a car that have more than X paid tickets. In Los Angeles, it's 5. (A boot is a device placed on the car wheel. The car can't be driven until the boot is removed. To get it removed, you have to pay the fines.) 

In some cities, including my own, parking enforcement has cars that drive around with cameras aimed at license plates. The plate number is fed into a computer. If there are unpaid tickets, the boot crew is notified. If the car has been reported stolen, police are notified.

It was pretty embarrassing when the mayor of a nearby city had his car booted for unpaid tickets in Sacramento,  the state capitol. It made the news because the manager of the mayor's opponent in the upcoming election happened to be driving past just as the mayor's car was being booted. Naturally, the media were notified.

Edited to add: the state can also deduct unpaid ticket from your state income tax refund.

Some states, according to a CNN article are now suspending drivers license for unpaid parking tickets.

[Pippen]

Here in NZ you can rack up tens of thousands of dollars in fines for

Unregistered car $200
Unwarranted car $200
Driving a car that has been ordered off the road about $800

and stuff all will happen. If they do catch up with you for something else the judge will remit your fines in return for community service so if you owe $20,000 you might have to do 100 community work and your fines are wiped. It is a total joke. Basically the type of person doing this is some young guy who doesn't care and has no intention of ever paying them.

Your community work can be something like patting cats at the local SPCA to socialise them.

[SiotehCat]

I don't know about parking tickets, but I know that my state uses the point system for moving violations. One of the last times I was pulled over, the police officer told me that if I got one more ticket, they would suspend my license. I've always paid my tickets, but apparently, that's not good enough.

[nayberry]

boot = wheel clamp for the uk among us (learnt from watching parking wars!)

[Mmirth]

In the US:

I know from past back ground checks:  A ticket will stay on your record.  The FBI back ground checks always come back with past tickets.  Even if you pay the ticket, it stays on record.   At a job interview, the interviewer can/may ask about the tickets.   

For insurance:  My guy--well, woman--told me that tickets stay on  record for insurance purposes for any where from 3-7 years.  Depends how many tickets you have.  Cos they can and will raise insurance rates for 3 tickets in specified time periods.  Depending on the company and your driving records.

[KenveeB]

Every US state is going to have different rules. In Texas, we don't do the points system at all. Parking tickets are basically administrative, so they'll be on your record for certain state agencies but not as part of a criminal or official driving record. For insurance purposes, only "moving violations" get reported, so a parking ticket won't show up but something like speeding will. But for something like parking tickets or toll violations, if you don't pay them off then it may ultimately result in a criminal charge that will show up on your record.