Should I hire an attorney to get points taken off my record for reckless driving?

Reckless driving is charged when the arresting officer considers the driver to have wanton disregard for the care of others and the rules of the road. The penalties are often severe for this criminal misdemeanor, fines may reach over $1,000, and jail time may be as high as one year. These charges can remain on someone’s driving record for several years or a lifetime.

Reckless driving convictions may be removed from your driving record, depending on your state laws, in various ways:

• They may drop off a driving record in a specified number of years

• They may be removed if someone attends driving school

• They may be expunged

Expungement is the process of legally removing a criminal record. It can mean that there is no record of the criminal charges and the offender is not required to list that conviction on employment applications, nor will it be revealed in most background checks; however, law enforcement officials may access it.

The opportunity to expunge criminal convictions from your record depends on your state laws. Expungement may only be allowed for charges that were dismissed, pardoned, or set aside; after a specified number of years have passed; or for certain types of crimes. If your state does allow expungement for reckless driving, you will require the services of a criminal attorney to file the paperwork and argue for the expungement in your hearing.