Traffic Tickets
Traffic Offences / Impaired and Reckless Driving / Serving and Defending You Against Driving Charges
When you receive a traffic ticket or violation notice, your first instinct is to pay the fine and forget about it. But did you know there are ways to dispute a traffic ticket?
When you receive a ticket, you have thirty days, including weekends and holidays, from the issue date to file a dispute. Your dispute can be filed in writing or in person.
Filing your dispute
You can dispute your ticket in person by making an appointment with ICBC, by bringing your ticket to a provincial court, or by mailing a letter to the court. Once you file a dispute for your ticket, a court date will be scheduled. Your court date will be mailed to you if your dispute was submitted by mail. You may reschedule your court date by contacting your local court should the date be inconvenient. If you are submitting your dispute via mail, your letter should includeꓽ
- The type of dispute, whether you are disputing the allegation or fine
- Ticket number
- Your full name, address, driver’s licence number, and date of birth
- Act and section number of the offence, which can find on the back of the ticket
Reasons to file a dispute
Here are five reasons you should contest traffic violationsꓽ
- It helps you maintain a clean driving record. If you plead guilty and pay the fine for a ticket, the violation will stay on your record for a number of years, which can affect things like your insurance rates.
- Penalty points are added for traffic violations. Accumulating too many penalty points may lead to a suspension of your licence.
- A dispute provides options such as pleading to a lesser offence that carries a less harsh penalty.
- The officer may not show up for court, which could possibly result in the charges being dismissed.
- A lack of evidence could work in your favour.
For the duration of the dispute, the ticket will not appear on your driving record. You are also not required to pay the fine and are not at risk of any penalty points or driving prohibitions. Disputing your ticket will also not result in a harsher punishment as it is your constitutional right. It is also your right to have a lawyer represent you in this process
Traffic ticket lawyer in Vancouver
In order to successfully dispute a traffic violation, you will need a lawyer who is experienced in handling such matters. If you wish to dispute a ticket in Vancouver, contact us at the law office of Tom Doust. Our traffic ticket lawyer is your best option for a successful dispute with years of experience handling traffic violations.
Call our office to schedule a free consultation.