What happens if I plead “no contest” to a traffic ticket?

If you plead “no contest” to a traffic ticket in Washington, you are essentially admitting that you are guilty of the charges without actually having to accept blame. The result of a “no contest” plea is identical to that of a guilty plea: you will be convicted of the violation and be required to pay any fines or other penalties associated with your offense. However, you will not be required to appear in court for a trial. Your “no contest” plea will also be entered into your permanent driving record and will remain there for up to five years. Your insurance company may also be able to access this information and could use it to increase your premiums for the next three years. Additionally, if you already have several points on your record, a “no contest” plea could result in your license being suspended or revoked. Finally, if you are cited a second time for the same violation within a two year period of your first offense, the court may double any fines associated with the second offense if you initially pleaded “no contest” to the first offense. In many cases, it may be better to plead “not guilty” and fight your case in court rather than to plead “no contest” and take the risk of having to pay increased fines should you be cited again.

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What happens if I plead “no contest” to a traffic ticket?

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