N400 Question
- Thread starter TEE2
- Start date
As Dave28 pointed out, TECHNICALLY it does. If you search this forum for "traffic violations", you'll see that this has been a subject of a heated debate, probably for as long as this forum has been around. Read some of the threads and decide whether or not you want to disclose traffic tickets on your N-400. There have been lots of people who disclosed them and became citizens, but there have also been lots of people who didn't disclose traffic violations and became citizens as well. If you decide to disclose yours, make sure that you bring proof of payment and/or court dispositions to your interview. Despite the fact that it clearly states in the Guide to Naturalization that you don't have to submit proof of payment for non-DUI/DWI traffic violations with fines less that $500, the IO will more than likely demand proof of payment, regardless how minor a traffic violation is.
When I submitted my N-400, I answered "NO", upon the advice of every citizenship applicant I know. As a result of the aforementioned debates on this forum, I considered changing my answer to "YES" at the interview and bringing proof of payment for as many violations as I could get a hold of. However, I eventually called the USCIS customer service and asked what the procedure for disclosing traffic violations is. The rep did a brief search on his computer and told me that minor traffic violations (non-DUI/DWI with fines less than $500) do not need to be disclosed on the N-400.
With that being said, I've read and heard various reports regarding the treatment of traffic tickets at interviews. There are IOs who get annoyed with applicants who try to disclose minor traffic tickets, there are IOs who don't want to see proof of payment, and there are IOs who refuse to approve an application until the applicant submits proof of payment for an extremely minor $50 violation. If you have proof of payment for your speeding ticket and it makes you feel better to disclose it, by all means do it. If you don't have proof and you know that it won't be easy to obtain, you may want to think twice about the possibility of opening a Pandora's box and delaying your application because of an overzealous IO.
Yes, that and printout of http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/n-400ins.pdf
"For example, if you have been arrested or convicted of a crime, you must send a certified copy of the arrest report, court disposition, sentencing and any other relevant documents, including any countervailing evidence concerning the circumstances of your arrest and/or conviction that you would like USCIS to consider. Note that unless a traffic incident was alcohol or drug related, you do not need to submit documentation for traffic fines and incidents that did not involve an actual arrest if the only penalty was a fine of less than $500 and/or points on your driver's license."
