Traffic Violation Expungement in Maryland
Those individuals in Maryland with traffic violations on their driving record understand the problems that past mistakes can cause even years down the road. Though you may have paid your fines and suffered the immediate, temporary consequences of your mistakes, your past can still haunt you with increased insurance rates and other problems.
What Does Expungement Mean in Maryland?
In Maryland, expungement refers to the removal of points and violations from your driving record that were placed there after you were convicted of various traffic infractions. Expungement is a great way to start over with a clean slate and can help when others, like employers or insurers, perform background checks.
Who is Eligible for an Automatic MVA Expungement?
The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) handles all traffic violation expungements. The MVA says that it will automatically expunge a violation from a person’s driving record three years after a conviction, assuming the following criteria are met:
- You cannot have been convicted of another traffic violation or criminal offense in the past three years.
- Your Maryland driver’s license cannot have been suspended or revoked.
- You must never have been convicted of or granted probation before judgment (PBJ) for fleeing the scene of an accident with injury or death, DUI, DWI, or other similar offenses.
Assuming the driver meets these three requirements, the MVA will purge their driving record of an offense three years after it was recorded. The law says that so long as drivers meet the three requirements, their traffic violations will be removed from their driving record automatically after three years. The question becomes, what happens if the driver does not meet the criteria?
If you do not meet the three separate requirements for an automatic MVA expungement, don’t give up hope. Drivers can still request what’s known as a manual expungement, under certain circumstances. The success of your expungement request depends entirely on the specific facts of your case and the length of time since your conviction. Given the right set of circumstances, a driver could request that an offense be manually expunged from their record.
Submitting a Manual Expungement Request
Drivers who do not qualify for an automatic expungement must submit either a completed Expungement Request form to the MVA’s Administrative Adjudication Division or a letter containing the following information:
- Full name
- Address
- Driver’s license number
- Date of birth
- A statement explaining what criminal or traffic offenses you have committed, including the date and location of the offense
- A statement indicating whether you have any pending criminal charges or summonses outstanding in Maryland or any other state
After making your request, the Administration Adjudication Division will review your record and determine if you are eligible. The MVA will notify you in writing whether or not your request has been granted.
Skilled Maryland defense attorney Seth Okin can guide you through the expungement process to request a manual traffic violation expungement in Maryland. Whether it is for a minor traffic infraction or a more serious offense, having an experienced lawyer to help you through every step of your case will give you the best possible chance for a positive outcome. Call Seth Okin’s Maryland law office today for a free case evaluation.