Ah, the plight of being a teenager. It would be nice if you could hide everything from your parents and only show them the highlights, but, unfortunately, that can’t always happen. If you get a ticket when you’re under 18, it’s almost a guarantee that your parents will find out. There are a number of reasons that this is true, but the main reason is that they’re technically still in charge of you. As long as they’re naming you as a dependent on their taxes, they’re probably going to find out about any tickets you get. Here’s what you need to know.
Unless you’re emancipated and you pay for everything on your own, chances are pretty good that you’re still on your parents’ insurance. Since they have to know about everything that happens with their policy, they’re also going to find out if a driver on their policy gets a ticket. Sure, they might find out later when it comes time to renew the policy, but they’re still going to know. And given the other facts on this list, they’ll probably find out before that anyway.
Most of the time, people under 18 live with their parents. If you live at home, it’s going to be really difficult to hide the fact that you got a ticket. For instance, you’ll probably get something in the mail giving you more information about it. Also, hiding the actual ticket will be difficult, and since there’s a lot of important information on it — information you could get in even more trouble if you lose — it’s better to just fess up.
Again, unless you’re earning enough to pay the ticket on your own, it’s likely that your parents will be the ones footing the bill. You might think you’ll just hide the ticket, and nobody will have to be the wiser. However, there are deadlines you have to meet for paying the fine. If you don’t meet them, you could have your license suspended, have to pay even more money, or even be summoned to court. It’s a lot easier to explain getting a ticket than it is explaining that you hid the ticket, and now your license is being taken away and there’s a $1,000 fine to pay.
Even if you want to go to court and fight the ticket because you feel you shouldn’t have gotten it, you’ll still need your parents. Most minors have to appear with a parent when they go to court. It’s not legal in most states to go through legal proceedings against a minor if their parents aren’t informed and/or present.
Here’s the thing. You can always fight your ticket. In fact, you usually should. You might be able to reverse it if your attorney can find enough proof to persuade the jury that you’re innocent. Regardless, your parents are going to be a lot happier that you were honest with them than they will be if you hide it and make the problem bigger. Deception never makes anything better, so take a deep breath and tell them the truth. They might be able to help you obtain representation if you choose to fight your case. If you don’t have a lawyer, that’s no problem. We can help match you with the best attorney for the job in your area.
At Ticket Void, we’ve worked for years with drivers just like you. We help pair you with a qualified attorney in your area who is vetted and capable of helping you with your specific case. By entering just a few pieces of information about your case, we can find and email you the information of an attorney near you who is best suited to help you with your case. The initial consultation is free, so what do you have to lose? Get started today, and exercise your right to fight.
Ticket Void is a web service that can help you find an experienced lawyer for Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), speeding tickets, careless driving, license plate violations, and other serious traffic violations. Ticket Void expedites your legal search for experienced and reliable DUI and traffic ticket lawyers.
All Right Reserved to Copyright © 2010 – 2024