Advice and insight please. I got a speeding ticket in Iowa on vacation. I forgot to pay it. They sent me a letter saying pay by July 17 to avoid escalation. I'm inclined to do this.

If I read correctly on this site, Iowa cannot advise Ontario, and that I will not get demerit points.

If I read correctly on this site, if I do not pay, Iowa will eventually issue a warrant for my arrest. If I visit Iowa again, I risk getting spotted and will be arrested. What if I don't visit Iowa? Would I be allowed to cross the border from Ontario to New York without issue?

TIA

Answered my own question as nobody here knows. Obviously, avoid Iowa. County Attorney will hire a collection agency. Courts will issue a bench warrant. DOT will create a record shareable with other states so that you cannot get a USA drivers licence anywhere.

Regarding the other 49 states, traffic tickets are administrative offences, not criminal offences, and so are not part of the border information database and so do not stop you from entering USA. Once in, if you are stopped by police, it is unlikely that the ticket is in the shared database, and even if it was they are not going to start an extradition process to Iowa over an unpaid traffic ticket.

Ontario only shares DL info with NY and Michigan so will not accept anything from the other states to be put on your Ontario record.... so no demerits or suspensions or insurance effects.

sensman wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 3:24 pm

Answered my own question as nobody here knows. Obviously, avoid Iowa. County Attorney will hire a collection agency. Courts will issue a bench warrant. DOT will create a record shareable with other states so that you cannot get a USA drivers licence anywhere.

Regarding the other 49 states, traffic tickets are administrative offences, not criminal offences, and so are not part of the border information database and so do not stop you from entering USA. Once in, if you are stopped by police, it is unlikely that the ticket is in the shared database, and even if it was they are not going to start an extradition process to Iowa over an unpaid traffic ticket.

Ontario only shares DL info with NY and Michigan so will not accept anything from the other states to be put on your Ontario record.... so no demerits or suspensions or insurance effects.

Excellent information to know! Thanks a lot for taking the time out and posting this update!

I would pay the ticket and move on. Keep in mind that the law and they type of information that is in databases can and will change over time. Who is to say that one day an immigration officer doesn't see that and use it as a reason for being inadmissible or that a cooperation agreement is enacted between states to collect unpaid fines and you happen to be pulled over.