How Can a Civil Ticket Impact Me If I Have a CDL?
cdl ticket
A civil ticket is not a matter that commercial drivers should take lightly.
If the traffic offense is serious enough, drivers run the risk of losing their commercial driver's license (CDL).
For the most serious offenses, drivers can even have their CDL revoked or face a potential lifetime suspension, effectively ending their career as a commercial truck driver forever.
It is important to understand your home licensing state determines the points you will receive – not the state where you are cited.
If you have received a civil ticket, here are the steps you should take to reduce the risk of lasting negative consequences for your career.
What Should I Do If I Have an Arizona CDL and Receive a Civil Traffic Ticket?
If you have merely received a traffic ticket and have not yet been convicted, it is also in your best interests to contact an Arizona attorney who help you navigate any and all legal issues.
It is extremely important to understand what the potential consequences of the citation. Does it give you points? Is it a “serious” citation? Does it come with a mandatory suspension?
Being convicted of a serious traffic violation carries lasting consequences for truck drivers since the driver is held to a higher standard than ordinary drivers.
An attorney who fights to have your traffic ticket dismissed is your first line of defense against the negative consequences of a traffic violation conviction.
Here are just a few of the severe penalties a commercial driver can face if they are convicted of a traffic violation.
Consequences of a Civil Ticket Conviction for Arizona CDL Drivers
Under Arizona law, CDL holders are ineligible for Defensive Driving School.
Arizona law makes it irrelevant whether the traffic violation was criminal or civil in nature.
As a result, commercial drivers are often left with only two choices: pay the ticket and receive the negative repercussions or hire a lawyer to defend them in court.
A conviction causes the driver to have points assessed to their driver's license, which potentially impacts the carrier's insurance rates.
Naturally, this will also harm the truck driver's individual safety scores as a driver, harming their career in the process.
Commercial drivers are also held to federal standards known as Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA), which assess the driver's fitness for continuing to work as a commercial driver.
Civil infractions will also rack up points under the CSA system as well, which can lead to career-harming or even career-ending penalties.
Worse, the state of Arizona considers some commercial driving violations to be criminal misdemeanors, which can result in potential jail time, fines and fees, and points that are assessed to both the driver's license as well as their CSA scores.
For some of these violations, a conviction means consequences that cannot be removed.
A single traffic conviction may mean the difference between a truck driver keeping or losing their CDL and, by extension, their livelihood.
This is why truck drivers need an Arizona CDL traffic violation lawyer who is familiar with both state and federal laws, as well as the violations you are charged with committing.
Most of all, you need an attorney who will minimize the consequences to your CDL and your livelihood as a commercial driver.
Don’t let these charges go uncontested.
Contact Tyler Allen Law Firm today for a defense that you can rely on.
Our experienced CDL traffic attorneys are here to help! Call us today at 602-456-0545.