Old traffic tickets keeping me from getting a driver's license

[planetjeffy]

I have lived in California for the last 20 years and have gotten and renewed many driver's licenses here. I went to renew my DL and was told I can't and have a 22 year old ticket to clear up in Tennessee. I sent in my $25 and got it cleared up. Now I am told I have a 25 year old ticket to clear up in Oklahoma. Is there some kind of time limit on these things, especially since they did not show up for over 20 years?

 

[The Occultist]

The limit you are hoping for is called the Statute of Limitations, but unfortunately it doesn't apply to you because it refers to the time between when the offense occurred and when charges were pressed.

Many people are running into problems lately as technology improves and allows the DMV's from other states to communicate with each other. You're just going to need to pay off any and all old tickets that need paying off.

 

[Zigner]

And ya'll thought it wouldn't matter if you ignored it...

 

[planetjeffy]

An Update...

I called Oklahoma and they are holding up my drivers license for tickets in Kansas and Texas. I paid those tickets - because I remember having to drive with the deputy to the nearest post office to mail in the fines. Do you have records like that back 25 years?

Seems this is a very recent phenomenon and is the result of your lovely government requiring all dmv computers to connect. Of course, try and reach a dmv by phone these days. They said they are swamped with calls like mine. After I am done paying my $130 total fines and another $75 "reinstatement" fee to Oklahoma - I am sure these states are now flush with cash and don't need any fed stim. Am I angry, no. Am I frustrated having to be on dmv hold hell for 5 or 6 hours, yes.

So, if you have any (and I mean any) ticket out there somewhere (even from your high school or college days and over 25 years ago - it will happen to you.

 

[swrdmbo]

YEAH!!! I, for one , am thrilled! I absolutely DO NOT understand why "some people" think they are above the law.

EVERYONE should have to pay their tickets! I have NEVER understood the people that think they can just ignore these types of things. I am so glad this is catching up with them!

 

[cyjeff]

The law has been historically reluctant to award innocence to the guilty based upon the accused's ability to avoid prosecution.

 

[I_Got_Banned]

I called Oklahoma and they are holding up my drivers license for tickets in Kansas and Texas. I paid those tickets - because I remember having to drive with the deputy to the nearest post office to mail in the fines. Do you have records like that back 25 years?

Seems this is a very recent phenomenon and is the result of your lovely government requiring all dmv computers to connect. Of course, try and reach a dmv by phone these days. They said they are swamped with calls like mine. After I am done paying my $130 total fines and another $75 "reinstatement" fee to Oklahoma - I am sure these states are now flush with cash and don't need any fed stim. Am I angry, no. Am I frustrated having to be on dmv hold hell for 5 or 6 hours, yes.

So, if you have any (and I mean any) ticket out there somewhere (even from your high school or college days and over 25 years ago - it will happen to you.

Lucky for you the DMV (and unlike the IRS for example) has not opted to utilize the basic principle of penalty & interest on your fines... I could only imagine what $130 fine would have been 25 years later!!!

 

[Maestro64]

Lucky for you the DMV (and unlike the IRS for example) has not opted to utilize the basic principle of penalty & interest on your fines... I could only imagine what $130 fine would have been 25 years later!!!

But the IRS can only go back so many years, even if you never paid taxes many years in the past.

Unlike these tickets so call unpaid tickets, even if you paid them, the states know you could never prove it unless you happen to keep your own records for all those years. They know banks are only required to maintain records for so long before they are allow to destroy them. I can tell you 25yrs ago the DMV did not have these kind of records computerize they were manually entered after the fact so who's to know how much bad information exists in those databases today.

Oh, what makes this all worse is the US supreme court last week said that the police and authorities are not responsible for their actions due to bad information in their data bases. So if they arrest and prosecute you because the information is wrong its not their fault and they can not be held responsible because of the bad information.

 

[swrdmbo]

Just a note..if you are going to have this in your signature

"I will not make an value judgment on why your asking a questions. "

..it should read "you're", not "your",also, it's question,not questions.

ALSO... It's "a value judgment" not "an", It's decision,not decisions.take it for what IT IS worth, not "what is worth".

It's also versus not verse, drop the "the" before "your outcome", or leave the "the" and drop the "your".

Just trying to help.

 

[I_Got_Banned]

Just a note..if you are going to have this in your signature

"I will not make an value judgment on why your asking a questions. "

..it should read "you're" not "your".

Just trying to help.

Was that the only error that you were able to correct in that sentence? Seriously!

Maestro, I hope you don't think I'm being sarcastic towards you, I am not!

 

[I_Got_Banned]

Was that the only error that you were able to correct in that sentence? Seriously!

Maestro, I hope you don't think I'm being sarcastic towards you, I am not!

What I meant to say is that the mistakes in Maestro's posts & signature balance each other out. Fix one & you'll have to fix them all. And frankly, for our purposes here, & unless you're a 18 year old female who's boyfriend just got arrested a 2nd time on a posession charge, it's all good!

 

[swrdmbo]

Sorry about the lapse...when I fixed the first one, I thought..I should fix them all. And I really wasn't trying to be a jerk. I just thought if someone is going to use that as a signature, it really should read correctly.

Sometimes these things just get to me. But quite right... it did not need to be corrected...we all knew what was meant!

 

[I_Got_Banned]

Sometimes these things just get to me.

That's OK...

Can you answer this question: have you ever thought of hurting yourself or anyone around you because of this?







I'm just kidding you... I really am!!!

 

[patstew]

And frankly, for our purposes here, & unless you're a 18 year old female who's boyfriend just got arrested a 2nd time on a posession charge, it's all good!

It's moderately entertaining, as was your sentence above.

 

[FlyingRon]

But the IRS can only go back so many years, even if you never paid taxes many years in the past.

That's only for commencing the action. I.e., if they don't detect your crime for three years you can escape.

Once the IRS determines you OWE money, they will attempt to collect it FOREVER.