Host: Should I get a copy of my driving record before traffic court?

Steve Duckett: Absolutely you need to keep the copy of your driving record. There is couple of reasons for this. First of all, you are going to need to know what they already know. The officer is going to pull a copy of your driving record before he ever comes to go. So, if you show up there and don't know what he knows, you are going to be at disadvantage. This is particularly important if you are an out of state driver. For example, if you get a speeding ticket in Virginia and your license is to drive in New York, or New Jersey or anywhere else, they will be have access to your driving record. So, if it's a good driving record, then you should pull a certified copy of it from your home State's DMV and bring that with you to traffic court. They won't know that you are a good driver unless you can prove it to them. This is particularly important in cases where you are sort of on the edge of a certain speed. If you don't have any particular defenses, but you have a good driving record the judge may show some leniency and if the judge doesn't know about your driving record they can't be lenient on you.