Do Speeding Tickets Appear on Background Checks?
You have the job opportunity of a lifetime. You’ve got the experience, and the interviewer seems to love you. It’s a slam dunk, you think. You’ll surely have an offer by the end of the day.
Then the interviewer says, “We’d love to hire you. We just need to run a background check first.”
You remember that recent speeding ticket and break out into a cold sweat. Do speeding tickets appear on background checks? Could that one little ticket cost you your dream job? Find out below.
Will a Speeding Ticket Appear on Your Background Check?
Good news: Speeding tickets and other minor traffic infractions (rolling through a stop sign, for example) do not appear on background checks. That means an employer will never know about your tickets. As far as they’re concerned, such minor infractions don’t exist.
While speeding tickets show up on your driving record, an employer will typically only check this record if the job involves driving.
For example, an employer might check your driving record for jobs like these:
- Truck driver
- Ambulance driver
- Taxi driver
- Delivery driver
- Construction worker
- Valet
- Chauffeur
- Mail carrier
So, if you’re wondering, “Will a ticket show up when an employer runs a background check?” the answer is no. However, that ticket could impact employment for a job that involves driving.
Serious Traffic Infractions Will Appear on a Background Check
Do speeding tickets appear on background checks? No, but more serious traffic infractions and criminal offenses like reckless driving will. Here are some examples of infractions that would appear on a background check.
- Leo sped through an intersection and crashed into another driver’s car, seriously injuring her. Panicked over what might happen to him, he decides to flee the scene before the cops arrive.
- Farrah has a suspended license but has to get to work. She decides to take the risk. Just a few blocks away from her job, those telltale flashing red and blue lights appear in her rearview mirror.
- Casey is enjoying a night out with friends. After a few stiff drinks, it’s time to head home. Nobody can give him a ride, so he decides to slip behind the wheel and drive himself.
- A driver cuts Josie off on the highway. Enraged, she aggressively tailgates the driver to teach them a lesson. The driver panics and careens off the road into a ditch.
- A cop tries to pull Harold over for speeding. He can’t afford a ticket, so he tries to evade the police. His stunt turns into an hour-long chase down the freeway.
How Long Do Traffic Infractions Stay on Your Record?
We’ve established that traffic violations appear on driving records, but how long will they stay there? That depends on the state where you live and the severity of the violation.
In Florida, a speeding ticket stays on your record for five years. In several other states, tickets only stay on your record for one or two years.
In the Sunshine State, serious infractions can stay on your record for a long time. Take DUIs, for instance. In most states, a DUI drops off your record after 10 years. In Florida, though, a DUI will stay on your record for a whopping 75 years. To make matters worse, Florida doesn’t allow you to expunge a DUI from your record.
What’s on Your Background Check? Find Out Now
Do speeding tickets appear on background checks? Fortunately not, but if a job involves driving, your speeding ticket might be a barrier to employment.
Reach out to Professional Process Servers & Investigators, Inc. at (844) 530-0255 today.










