Last Updated on June 9, 2025 by Beltz Law Group
Texas Driving Records: Why a Clean Record Still Matters (The End of Surcharges)
Garland Ticket Defense Attorney
For years, the word “surcharges” struck fear into the hearts of Texas drivers. These annual fees, imposed by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) for certain traffic convictions or accumulation of points, caused significant financial hardship and often led to driver’s license suspensions.
Good news for Texas drivers: The Driver Responsibility Program, which assessed these surcharges, was ABOLISHED as of September 1, 2019!
This is a major positive change that has relieved many drivers of a heavy financial burden. This article is updated to reflect this new reality, but more importantly, to explain why it is still critically important to keep a clean driving record in Garland, Texas, even without surcharges. If you have questions about traffic tickets or driver’s license issues, feel free to contact Beltz Law Group today.
The End of Surcharges: A Cause for Relief
Prior to September 1, 2019, if you were convicted of certain traffic offenses (like DWI, no insurance, or driving while license invalid), or accumulated too many points from moving violations, DPS would assess annual surcharges ranging from $100 to $2,000 for three years. Failure to pay these surcharges led to automatic driver’s license suspension.
With the repeal of the Driver Responsibility Program, these surcharges are no longer assessed. This means:
- No New Surcharges: For any convictions or points accumulated after September 1, 2019, you will not face state surcharges.
- Outstanding Surcharges Waived: For many drivers, any unpaid surcharges from before September 1, 2019, were waived. While some specific situations may still require payment for certain periods, the vast majority were cleared.
This change has been a significant relief for thousands of Texans.
Why a Clean Driving Record is Still Essential in Garland, Texas
Even without the threat of state surcharges, a clean driving record remains paramount for several crucial reasons:
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Driver’s License Suspension: This is perhaps the most critical ongoing consequence of a bad driving record. The DPS still has the authority to suspend your driver’s license for:
- Accumulating too many moving violation convictions: Four or more moving violations within a 12-month period, or seven or more moving violations within a 24-month period, can still lead to a license suspension. Each conviction goes on your record and counts towards these totals.
- Specific Serious Offenses: Convictions for offenses like Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), Driving While License Invalid (DWLI), or Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility (no insurance) can lead to direct license suspensions, regardless of points.
- Failure to Appear/Pay (OMNI Holds): Outstanding tickets in Garland Municipal Court where you’ve failed to appear or satisfy a judgment can still result in a “hold” on your driver’s license renewal through the OMNIBase system, preventing you from renewing your license until resolved.
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Soaring Insurance Premiums: This is often the most immediate and costly financial impact of convictions. Insurance companies use your driving record to assess your risk. Each speeding ticket, accident, or other moving violation conviction signals increased risk, almost certainly leading to significantly higher auto insurance rates for years to come. These increases can easily amount to thousands of dollars over time, far exceeding the cost of fighting a ticket initially.
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Employment Implications: Many jobs, especially those that involve driving, operate company vehicles, or require clean background checks, can be negatively impacted by a history of traffic convictions. Even if your job doesn’t involve driving, employers may view a messy driving record as a sign of irresponsibility. For Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) holders, convictions have even more severe consequences, often leading to disqualification and loss of livelihood, as CDL drivers are often ineligible for options that keep convictions off their record.
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Future Penalties and Enhancements: For certain offenses (like “no insurance”), a prior conviction can automatically increase the fine for any subsequent similar offense you might receive. Keeping your record clear now prevents these future “enhancements.”
The Importance of Preventing Convictions
We are often shocked by the number of people who simply pay off traffic tickets, inadvertently creating convictions on their permanent record. This problem often stems from a lack of education about the long-term consequences and the various ways to resolve a ticket without a conviction.
The fact is, the only way a negative mark appears on your driving record, impacting your license and insurance, is after a conviction has been entered. If you have tickets in Garland, Texas, here’s what you need to know:
- Payment = Conviction: Simply paying your fine to Garland Municipal Court is legally equivalent to pleading guilty and results in a conviction on your record.
- Lawyers Keep Records Clean: An experienced traffic ticket attorney in Garland is hired precisely to prevent convictions from happening. There are a variety of ways to resolve a traffic ticket in Texas without it going on your record, such as deferred disposition, defensive driving (for eligible cases), or outright dismissal through defense.
- DPS Only Knows About Convictions: If these methods are utilized, your record remains clear, and DPS has no knowledge that a traffic ticket was even issued in Garland.
Don’t Let Your Guard Down
While the repeal of surcharges is a welcome change, it doesn’t mean traffic tickets are consequence-free. Ignoring them or simply paying them off without proper legal guidance is still a “careless handling” of your driving privileges that can lead to significant problems.
If you’re struggling with a suspended license, need an occupational license, or have new traffic tickets in Garland, Texas, don’t face it alone. Contact Beltz Law Group today. Our experienced Garland traffic ticket attorneys are here to help you understand your options and work to keep your driving record clean.
