Get a Ticket in Louisiana? Know How To Keep it Off of Your Record?
Getting a speeding ticket is not cool. Even if you're speeding just a little, going to court and dealing with the aftermath of a traffic citation sucks, a lot. The interruption in your schedule, the spike in your insurance - it's just all around not cool. Full disclosure - I haven't gotten a speeding ticket in the Bayou State, yet (fingers crossed). I have gotten a few in Texas, and after learning that it is so easy to get your speeding expunged in Louisiana, I am a little ticked off.
If (when) you get a ticket in Louisiana, flip it over. Look for "DA P.T.D." This has got to be easiest way to deal with a ticket next to suggesting that the officer may have dropped that wad of cash that just fell out of your car. It stands for "District Attorney Pre-Trial Diversion." If you find this option in the back of your ticket, not all of your luck is bad. Those 5 letters mean you have the option of mailing in a money order to the address given on the back if the ticket. Doing so will not only keep you on the right side of the law, it will remove the "Moving Violation" infraction from your record entirely (it converts the charge to a non-moving violation)! That saves you court costs, and most importantly keeps your insurance from going through the roof.
Not all parishes are the same. Some require you to simply send in the payment, while parishes like St. Bernard Parish also require you to complete an online class. Not everyone is a fan of this system. Parishes across the state say that this option severely cuts the funding they receive from collecting regular fines and court costs. The Lens has a very in-depth look at how this may not be as good for the state as it is for you here.