Will a traffic violation appear on a background check?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Will a traffic violation appear on a background check?
I am currently applying to medical school and within the application I am asked if I, “have been charged with a misdemeanor, felony, summary charge, or any other criminal charge (whether or not you were convicted), including traffic violations”. Over the summer I was given a speeding ticket (1st offense) and I completed traffic school and paid a fine. Will that speeding ticket appear in the background check medical schools conduct? What’s the best way to answer the question about criminal charges within the application?
Asked on December 4, 2015 under General Practice, Texas
Answers:
B.H.F., Member, Texas State Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
Unless it has been permanently expunged from your record, there is a chance that it will shop up on a background check. If the ticket has already been resolved and expunged, then it will not appear. To know if the record has been expunged, you can contact the clerk of the court where your ticket was handled and see if it still appears on their records. If it does, then you need to disclose it on your application--otherwise, you risk being disqualified on your application because of dishonestly.
If your application is not due right now... consider hiring an attorney to help you get it expunged asap-- and then submit your application. Once something is expunged, you can honestly answer no to any of these questions.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.