markwm

I got a speeding ticket when I was here on holiday last year. At that time I didn't have a US driving licence (I showed the cop my UK licence and all the details he took were my UK address, etc). Now I have a US driving licence and am buying a car do I have to declare that ticket for insurance purposes? Appears to make quite a difference in the monthly premium.

scrubbedexpat099

Yes

Manc

The insurance company will charge you according to your motor vehicle record.

markwm

So, one person says yes and another sort of says... something. My point was that the ticket was against my UK id, it wasn't attached to any US record (which did not exist at that point) so, apart from the honesty angle, am I legally obligated to declare this ticket for insurance purposes?

I'll go through an agent I've been recomended to, I guess they'll know the correct thing to do. Thanks.

fizzeruk

Do you think that if you had an accident that the insurance company are going to connect your UK drivers licence to the US? A couple of years ago I also got a ticket and produced my UK licence to the cop. I now have US car insurance and went through a broker, he didnt ask, I didnt tell.
The premium that I paid was based on not having previous US insurance, as I assume is the case with you. As such my US driving record started then.
Only stating my opinions though, I dont claim to be a legal expert in this case.

lisa67

I would be concerned that if the OP bought car insurance and didn't declare the ticket, then got into an accident, that when they ran his name through the police computer it may come up and therefore make his insurance invalid. Or am I looking too deeply in to this

scrubbedexpat099

Non disclosure of material facts would invalidate the policy.

markwm

I have now asked a broker and an insurance company and a few others for good measure. The broker said that they are only interested in your US driving record against your US license: when they do a search against you (which they do) the ticket won't come up as it is not against your US id.

I was a bit concerned about this (I don't want to find myself in the position you have stated for the sake of a few dollars a month). However, it appears that what you get against a foreign license and address has no bearing on that happens here.

I would be happy to be legally corrected or otherwise.

Bob

It probably depends on the state.

Down my way, at least when I did things, if you want to take the driving test without going through the drivers ed requirements, they took a copy of your foreign license and recorded any infractions from it, so they would appear on your state license.

Now I've no idea if the cop would bother send the details to the DVLA to get the ticket put on your license, probably not, and it might not even be a concern in your state, but just something to be aware of I suppose.

tinman0

In the UK it would not invalidate a third party claim. I doubt the US is any different as UK and US law have a lot in common. Not that I would want to try it out.

scrubbedexpat099

Invalidate is the wrong word, it would be voidable, but I did not want to complicate matters.

Bob mentioned that each State has each own laws and regulations. Certainly Insurance Law/Practice is more different amongst than it is amongst the other English speaking nations.

I did contemplate an Insurance career sic in Colorado before I came to my senses. I remember some confusion amongst terminology that had the exact opposite meaning of my understanding.

I do remember that the prospect was required to declare misdeeds and in most cases they would also run a check against the DL, but not always.

The confusion may arise because once you were with that insurer if you were a bad boy you did not have a requirement to declare at renewal. It was however normal practice after a claim to check the Drivers record with the State.

If memory serves me correctly the reason they did not run a check more regularly was that each enquiry cost a few bucks and it added up.