Traffic Citations

[clark918]

How much of an impact to these have on getting hired? I'm talking regular speeding tickets.

Also, do they count if you got them before you were 18? I got two when I was 17 and a OWI when I was 17. Something I really regret and I had no idea I was going into this kind of career at that time. I'm currently 19 and finishing up FF Level 1 Cert. I know there have been plenty of questions like this, but I wanted to ask for myself. Thanks in advance.

[the1141man]

How much of an impact to these have on getting hired? I'm talking regular speeding tickets.

Also, do they count if you got them before you were 18? I got two when I was 17 and a OWI when I was 17.

The DUI will hurt you more than speeding tickets would.

What were the citations for and how far apart? How many still currently show on your driver's record?
The biggest issue with citations isn't necessarily your "criminal background", but simply the fact that a number of citations means you're either a bad or careless driver, which in turn means it costs more to insure you...believe it or not, even municipal entities like PDs and FDs carry insurance in case you have an accident driving a city/county/state vehicle, and those insurance providers have to be provided a copy of every potential driver's driving record before deciding to permit them on the municipality's insurance.

Further, the municipality itself may set artificial limits (ie--we won't hire guys with 3 or more tickets on their record) so as to keep the insurance low.

The DUI, most likely being a misdemeanor, will follow you for life. The speeding tickets, depending upon your state's laws, may come off after 3-7 yrs or upon completion of traffic school.

The biggest thing in a pre-employment background is to be honest. If it asks if you've ever been arrested, answer yes and give your explanation of what happened. Don't make excuses, own up to it, and express how you learned from it and will not repeat it.
If it asks about speeding tickets, etc, then you'd best be honest about those, too.

DUI or tickets in and of themselves may not disqualify you from a pre-employment background... providing false or evasive answers most certainly will, though.

[clark918]

Well the DUI was when I was 17. Most people have told me that things that happen before you are an adult do not count. I only have 1 speeding ticket since I turned 18. When 17 I had 1 and that DUI.

[the1141man]

Well the DUI was when I was 17. Most people have told me that things that happen before you are an adult do not count. I only have 1 speeding ticket since I turned 18. When 17 I had 1 and that DUI.

OK--DMV doesn't care how old you were when you got a cite. You don't get a "clean slate" at 18, no matter what. Citations and accidents stay on your record a set number of years, set either by law or by DMV policy. Once the number of years has elapsed, they remove it automatically (in most cases) off your record.

The DUI--I'm assuming that since you're using the term "OWI", you're not from California. In California, all convictions count after age 15, not 18, for public safety positions.

How your state handles things will depend upon your state laws--here's where you need to do some footwork and research. Chances are, though, if convicted at 17 you were probably tried and sentenced as an adult, in which case the charges would still appear on an adult criminal record, and would still count for the purpose of "Have you ever been arrested for a crime?"

Depending upon the complexity of your state laws and whatnot, you may need to consult with legal counsel to determine what the status is on your particular situation.

[doughesson]

No matter what the outcome,make sure to keep your nose clean after this.If you want to get into public safety,you don't want anything hinky in your past that would make people think you're untrustworthy.