In Georgia, all traffic tickets are technically criminal misdemeanor offenses. They do not go on a criminal history unless you are arrested for the offense. However, because Georgia traffic citations are criminal misdemeanor offenses, any Georgia traffic ticket received before you turn 17 is handled in Juvenile Court instead of in municipal, probate, recorders, state, or superior court depending on the jurisdiction where the traffic offense occurred and in what court that jurisdiction handles traffic offenses.

Juvenile court operates differently than other Courts

Juvenile Court operates in a different manner than other courts. You do not have the right to a jury trial in juvenile court. There will generally be two court dates. The first court date will be the date where they notify you of delinquency, which is a more formal way of making sure you understand the pending traffic charge. The court will also ask you how you plead to the charge. If you plead guilty, the case will be resolved that day and if you plead not guilty it will be set down for an adjudicatory proceeding (very similar to a bench trial) at a later date. You are allowed to have an attorney present with you in juvenile court and there will be a prosecutor who represents the county where the incident occurred as well as the state of Georgia in the matter.

In Georgia, an accumulation of 4 points by under 17 drivers will result in a license suspension

It is important to understand that for juvenile drivers, an accumulation of 4 points on your driving history in any manner will trigger a suspension of your Georgia drivers license. Any accumulation of 4 total points or more in any 12 month period before a driver turns 18 will trigger a 6 month suspension of their Georgia drivers license. It is important to know that the accumulation of points does not occur at the time the traffic citation was issued. The points will only begin to accumulate at the time the case is resolved to a points based conviction. If you plead guilty of are found guilty of a traffic ticket that involves points, those points will be assessed on your license at the time the guilty disposition is entered by the court. Nolo Contendere (no contest) pleas are not available for drivers under the age of 21, so there is no way to avoid points on a points based violation unless the charge is dismissed, you are found not guilty of the offense, or the charge is amended to a non points based offense. Even if you are not found delinquent of four points, a Juvenile Court judge can still suspend your drivers license based on the facts and circumstances of your citation even if it is your first offense and not a four point violation.

Traffic tickets for young drivers increase insurance rates substantially

Every time an insurance policy is up for renewal, your insurance company will get copies of your driving histories and see if there are any new offenses. While they may already know about a car accident ticket because you needed to file a claim, other traffic offenses would not be reported to insurance until they are recorded on your driving history. Preventing traffic citations from being reported on juvenile driving histories should be a primary goal in handling any traffic ticket you receive. Insurance rates for young drivers increase substantially when violations are reported.

There are often ways to avoid first offense traffic violations being reported on your driving history. An experienced Georgia juvenile traffic ticket attorney can also help you prevent points and save your ability to drive. They may be able to appear in court on your behalf to avoid you missing work or school. If you would like to discuss a traffic citation for a young driver, please call or text me any time at 678-753-6431 for a free consultation. I’d be happy to speak with you about your situation and help you decide if you would like representation in your matter.