Has anyone not mentioned a traffic ticket on their N-400, causing the IO to deny ur case?

sssfo

Registered Users (C)
Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to ask this mundane question that has been discussed in this forum enough times. But I didn't ever see anyone mention the consequence of missing out on mentioning a very common traffic ticket on their N-400 and subsequently have their case denied only on that basis alone. Has this ever happened to anyone? Looking forward to hearing from people who have experience with this. Thanks.
 
I didn't mention it. I have/had about 6 speeding ticket over the course of 17 years. All were under $500 though. In fact, I recently got ticket during my n400 process which I didn't mention on interview either as it is not required for under $500.
Interviewer didn't ask me about it, I didn't mention it about it. But, I did take the copy of ticket and receipt from court just in case.
 
I've seen denials for people who didn't mention arrests, and I think I remember one for somebody who had a bench warrant for an unpaid ticket. But I can't remember hearing or reading about any for minor traffic tickets that were paid and didn't involve an arrest or warrant for arrest.
 
I had one minor speeding ticket in the last 5 years and was never asked about it on the form or by the officer and I never mentioned it. Was I supposed to?
 
You are already a USC, don't worry about it. Rajiv Khanna's advice is to diclose the ticket to the best of your knowledge.

The question asked about have you EVER been cited , arrested..., so it's looking for any time you were cited..not just within 5 years..

But if you didn't and it was really minor, fine paid, I don't think they have the time and resources to comb through naturalized citizens files and see if anyone didn;t disclose the tickets and go after them.
 
Thanks everyone...Appreciate your response. As u must hv guessed already, I didn't think that a traffic ticket was something I would need to consider as a citation/arrest and answer the question related to it on the N-400 as a "yes". I have answered it as 'No'. But I will def. take whatever records I can find of my ticket and take it with me to my interview, 'just in case'. Thanks again for ur inputs.
 
sssfo,
You could always ask the Interviewing officer before the start of any interview questions that you were not sure about the answer to "have you ever been cited.." if you have traffic tickets. So I checked No. the tikets were paid and I have the proof of payment. He may or may not change the answer to Yes but you will have peace of mind. Remember the N-400 application is not final until you sign there in the interview and interviewers make corrections based on your answers ...

I have read in the forum in some caes, when applicant mentioned traffic tickets and they were under $500 and non-DUI, interview wrote fine paid or something like that on teh form and moved on.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks everyone...Appreciate your response. As u must hv guessed already, I didn't think that a traffic ticket was something I would need to consider as a citation/arrest and answer the question related to it on the N-400 as a "yes". I have answered it as 'No'. But I will def. take whatever records I can find of my ticket and take it with me to my interview, 'just in case'. Thanks again for ur inputs.

Do not volunteer information and so answer questions directly to what is being asked. So do not mention the ticket unless the IO asks you specifically whether you have had traffic tickets. My own experience was I answered yes to the citation question (because of a traffic ticket) but at the interview, my IO changed my answer to no when I told her the citation was a traffic ticket. She told me that this question did not apply to traffic tickets.
 
I got a speeding ticket and worse than that i got the court date wrong and went to the court 2 days later than the hearing date. the clerk told me that a warrant had been issued and i saw a judge right away. He told me to pay the court fee and cancelled the warrant.
is this considered that i have been arrested, cited, charged, indicted, convicted, fined, or imprisoned for breaking or violating and law or ordinance? i guess i need to answer yes to this question. Then what supporting document should i enclose? I have a letter of "Order for cancellation of warrant" from the court saying "Defendant surrendered him/herself to the court". I think i will need to submit this letter. what else do i need?
 
No, No, No. You are complicating things !!! No letter, no supporting docs, no affirmative answer to the question, you were never arrested, indicted, convicted or imprisoned. You were cited, charged, fined, end of story. Speeding tickets are usually non-criminal offenses. Whether your plead was guilty or no contest (adj/whit). The bench warrant was for not showing up before the judge. Nothing to worry about. Nothing to tell. The I/O dont care about anything that is non-criminal and under $500.
 
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