St. Charles Courthouse

SEXNER’S PRO LEGAL TIP: Some may call certain traffic violations like speeding, failure to reduce speed and improper lane usage “minor tickets”, but often times, these “minor” violations can add up to “major” trouble.

If you are under 21 years old, it takes only two moving violation convictions over a two year period to create a suspension of your driver’s license. Such a suspension might be only a month long, but sometimes it can be three months, six months, or a year-long. Depending on how serious the moving violations are, it may even result in a revocation of your license with no actual end date and require you to do a hearing in front of the Secretary of State to get back any privileges.

If you are over 21 years old, suspensions or revocations such as these can also happen to you if you receive three such ticket convictions in a one year period. In addition to the potential for loss of license, there is also the concern that your insurance company may see these convictions and increase your insurance rates, costing you hundreds of extra dollars each year.

For truck drivers, known as CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) drivers, the danger is even greater, because their ability to drive a truck or semi-trailer may be lost (referred to as being “DQ’d or disqualified) if they get just a couple moving violations over a three year period. As most CDL drivers depend on their special license to earn a living and support their families, the loss of their CDL can be devastating.

So regardless of whether you are under 21, over 21, or a CDL driver, “minor” traffic tickets can affect you in a “major” way if not handled wisely. It’s therefore best to consult with a knowledgeable traffic attorney, such as Sexner & Associates LLC, who can examine your driving record and make smart, appropriate recommendations to help protect your license.