unpaid speeding ticket = suspendended drivers license = nursing over??? please help!!

[IHeartPeds87]

Hi everyone, thank you in advance for your help and time!

Okay, so here's the story. I got a speeding ticket in february. I forgot to pay this speeding ticket, which resulted in my drivers license being suspended. I then moved to a different city and didn't officially change my address on my drivers license, so I wasn't getting the notices reminding me to pay, etc (my fault, I know). So then, I get pulled over for "driving left of center" when the cop informs me that my license was suspended for this unpaid speeding ticket. The police officer then impounds my car, handcuffs me, puts me in the back of the cop car, takes me to the police station where my pictures are taken and I am fingerprinted. Then I called my parents, who came and got me and paid 100.00 dollars bond money.

I paid the speeding ticket and license reinstatement fee the very next morning. I confirmed with the secretary of state that my license was reinstated, and officially changed my address. I sent a letter via certified mail to the prosecutor explaining the situation and apologizing for my actions.

I had an appearance date, where I pled "not guilty" to the driving while license suspended charge.

I then went to pretrial, where I met with a substitute prosecutor, who did two things. He dismissed the "driving left of center" civil infraction. He also reduced the "driving under suspended license charge" to "driving without license on person" charge. I accepted that.

What concerns me? The "Driving without license on person" charge is also a misdemeanor. the prosecutor said it was a traffic misdemeanor, which meant that it would NOT show up on my criminal background check, but would show up on my driving record.

I am confused. Does this mean that I do not have to report it? I want to become a nurse. Nursing schools run criminal background checks, they don't run your driving record. So would I be obligated to report this? Or no?

How bad is this? Please help! I have NOTHING else on my record (criminal) or on my driving record, just other speeding tickets and a ticket for having my high beam on....nothing else.

Any information would be greatly appreciated. If i am NOT obligated to report this to nursing schools, I would be so thankful.

[ShannonW]

It probably depends on the school. For example, I don't think it'd matter much to WCCCD. In order to apply for the nursing program at WCCCD, you just need to get the background check from the Michigan State Police website (the ICHAT tool) - if nothing shows up/it comes back with no records, WCCCD considers your record "clean." Even if your misdemeanor did show up, it might not count against you - at the info meeting, Mrs Norris said even an isolated DUI/DWI wouldn't count against you, so I doubt your misdemeanor would disqualify you.

Other schools, however, have their own program rules. Your best bet might be to call up the schools you're considering to ask them directly or attend a nursing information meeting, if the school you're interested in offer them. :)

[msnice1]

I have always been told by nursing instructors to always put every little traffic offense down and tell what happened, what you did and why it will not happen again.

[oguesswhat]

If they ask tell them...if they don't...don't bother. Usually they ask if you have any felonies or sometimes misdemeanor that are not traffic violations (minus dui's and all that) If they do ask just write it was driving without license on person. I hardly doubt they would ask more. Don't lie of course! But only tell if needed.

[roma4204, BSN, RN]

nursing schools do not have time to look up every traffic ticket a student who is applying has gotten. i have had 2 tickets (one for speeding and one for speeding up through a red light) and i had no problem getting into school. the only things they care about are drug use and charges like fraud to avoid nurses that would do things like steal drugs or increase liability, etc.

if a school does look at the driving record they have got a lot of time on their hands which means not a lot of people are applying - which means there is probably a reason!!!

good luck :)

[LadyEJ BSN, RN]

I think I might have the worse driving record in the state of Michigan...I graduate from Eastern Michigan's BSN program in December. Don't sweat it.