traveled to Canada for the first time and didn’t understand the highway signs, I thought 100km meant I could go no more than a 100. Boy was I wrong not only did I get a speeding ticket for speeding I also got one for not having my up to date insurance. This is my very first ticket ever and I am so mad because I also have auto insurance, but I got speeding ticket and not having my current insurance. Will this show up in the U.S. where I live. I don’t want to pay, because I didn’t realize Canada has different speeding signs and I also have current insurance I just picked up the wrong out dated insurance card instead of current. I am so mad for not understanding there traffic signs and it being my first ticket in 30yrs of driving. Do I have to pay? or what can I do.
If you never ever plan on returning to Canada don’t pay the ticket. If you don’t pay the ticket and get caught in Canada they can make your stay there most unpleasent.
Of course you don’t have to pay. You’re an American. US laws take presidents over all others because in immigrant domain.
Does you car not have a metric (KM) and US (MPH) on the dash numbers?
This is like the German racing team said in California, (1970s) We thought Highway 101 was the speed limit allowed. (Guess what? They were fined, International Signs are part of driving exam)
The US and Canada have agreements of reciprocity.
The boarder officers will have your tag for the future with a name also.
I know of a service that charges a one-time fee $26 for 60 hours of representation in court. I hope this help you.
First: Find out if the state you live in has a points sharing agreement with the candian provience
that you commited the offense. For example. New York state has agreements with Ontario and Quebec so that any traffic infractions there count towards points on a NYS licence here and visa versa. So not addressing it can have insurance and license implications.
Minimally you need to address this because an unpaid ticket will resort in a bench warrent being put out for you and if you reenter canada even a few years later disregarding it, you might be asked to “please step out of the vehicle”.
My advice to you is to hire a canadian lawyer who specializes in traffic law. While it will cost you extra money, a good traffic law attorney can do a few things for you:
1. They represent you, and file motions on your behalf with the traffic court, and if needed appear in court on your behalf.
2. While the speeding ticket will likely stick (because your excuse for speeding is not valid), a good traffic atorney can get most speeding ticket infractions reduced in points. It is at the discresion of the court, but they may even reduce the ticket to a non speeding offense.
[They will however allways charge same value traffic fine even if they plea bargan down the ticket, they still want the money, they just might however if you have a good atorney not let it look as bad on your record with clever plea bargening, this is good because it saves you points on your license and reduces the risk surcharge on your auto insurance which could save you hundreds of dollars]
3. If you have conclusive proof from your insurance company (and I would even go so far as to get them to write a letter in addition to your proof of insurance testifying to the fact that your insurance was full and in force on the date of the allegeged infraction. Make sure they put it on company letter head and provide contact information.
You will provide this to the traffic attorney and he/she can use it to try and get that charge dropped.. however they could still opt to plea bargan down to a zero points violation.