How to get a complete list of my traffic tickets from the past 21 years?
May 3, 2015 4:32 PM   Subscribe

I'm applying to the bar in Virginia, and just realized I need a list of all traffic violations I've ever committed. My regular DMV record doesn't go back that far. I need this information in the next 7 days. Where to go?

I thought I had gotten all the information I needed, but just realized that I have to provide a complete list of any and all criminal violations including traffic tickets. I've had around 10 or 12 traffic tickets in the past 21 years of driving, but I just realized that my DMV history only provides the last three, since the rest are off my record. I apparently can get a more comprehensive list, but only one that goes back 11 years. Well, I have a traffic ticket from as far back as 1994 I think, so I need something better than that. Any ideas about the best place to get this information? Good news is I don't need anything official, I just need the accurate information for the application, which presumably they will check. There are many, many websites that claim to put together this information for you, but they all look sketchy as hell, so I'm hesitant to use them.

edit: To be clear, I need a lift of all criminal violations I've ever committed, which thankfully for me, only include traffic tickets like speeding. I have no idea how they expect people to have records for this sort of thing from 20 years ago.
posted by skewed to Law & Government (5 answers total)
 
Best answer: Don't go to a third-party service. Call the VA Board of Bar Examiners and ask them if you can get the data stretching back 11 years and then fill in the rest to the best of your knowledge. Also, call the DMV to ask again and clarify why you're asking. You're not the first person with traffic violations to apply for the bar. Also, go to your dean of students and ask them what other students with this problem have done; you're not a trailblazer, many people have been in this predicament before. And remember, if the board getting the data from somewhere then you can too.

More than anything, the board wants you to put down the information to the very, very best of your ability, but the easiest way to find out what that means is to call them. You may have to call them once or twice. You'll probably have to call the DMV 7 or 8 times to get someone on the phone who's familiar with bar applicants asking for this kind of information; a lot of times, if they don't know why you're asking they're less likely to help you.

I just applied for the Minnesota bar and I was surprised at how accessible the board was. It varies state-to-state of course, but remember that they are going to be SWAMPED after the deadline and you don't want to make them do any more work than they have to. They would much rather give you guidance now.
posted by good lorneing at 4:42 PM on May 3, 2015 [2 favorites]


Have you searched online court dockets for your name? In Virginia, you are probably looking for General District Court case information. If the online docket doesn't help, you may want to call the court clerks and ask for their assistance, and then profusely thank any clerk who assists you.
posted by Little Dawn at 4:44 PM on May 3, 2015


Did you pay your fines with checks? Do you have your check stubs going back that far?
posted by bottlebrushtree at 6:00 PM on May 3, 2015


Response by poster: Thanks for the tips, I actually did try to get the info from the Virginia District Court website, but they only seem to show data from the last few years for minor tickets. I've worked with court clerks before, that might be a decent last shot.

After doing some figuring, I think I can remember fairly accurate dates for the four tickets I got that are older than 11 years. So I'll talk to my school and call the bar people to see what I should do about those remaining tickets. Thanks again!
posted by skewed at 7:03 PM on May 3, 2015


Best answer: And if all else fails, work from memory and throw in an asterisk for the tickets you don't have records for, indicating that the date/offense is approximate and despite your best efforts you couldn't locate records. Especially for traffic violations, they just want to see you've made an effort and are attempting to disclose everything.
posted by craven_morhead at 9:03 AM on May 4, 2015


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