What Does Ticket Dismissal Actually Do to My Tennessee Driving Record?
When a Tennessee court grants ticket dismissal through traffic school, the violation is not entered as a conviction on your driving record. The court clerk submits "traffic school" as the disposition — not "guilty" — which means no points are assessed, the ticket does not appear as a conviction, and your insurance company does not see it as a moving violation on your record.
This is different from point reduction, which removes points from a conviction that is already on your record. Ticket dismissal prevents the conviction from being entered at all.
What Ticket Dismissal Does
The traffic violation is not recorded as a conviction on your Tennessee driving record
No points are added to your record for that violation
Your insurance company does not see a moving violation conviction — which typically prevents an insurance rate increase related to that ticket
Any fines associated with the citation may still apply — confirm with your court whether fines are waived or still owed
What Ticket Dismissal Does Not Do
It does not erase the fact that you were cited — the citation itself occurred
It does not automatically waive any court fees — check with your court
It does not apply retroactively to a conviction already on your record (that would require the separate point reduction process)
It does not guarantee your insurance rates stay the same — insurers may still ask about traffic school on applications, though most do not treat traffic school dispositions as convictions
How the Court Processes It
Under T.C.A. § 55-10-301(b)(5), when a judge intends ticket dismissal, the court clerk submits "traffic school" as the disposition on the Court Action Report — not "guilty." If a clerk accidentally submits both "guilty" and "traffic school," a conviction is entered. This is why it is worth checking your driving record a few weeks after submitting your certificate, to confirm the disposition was recorded correctly.
Quick Facts
Detail | Information |
Conviction entered | No — disposition is "traffic school" not "guilty" |
Points assessed | No |
Insurance sees violation | No conviction reported — typically prevents rate increase |
Court fines | Confirm with your court — may still apply |
Vs. point reduction | Point reduction removes points from an existing conviction; dismissal prevents the conviction entirely |
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the ticket still show up if someone does a background check on my driving record? The ticket will not appear as a conviction. A traffic school disposition may appear as "traffic school completed" depending on how the record is queried, but it is not a conviction. Check with your court if you have specific concerns about what will appear.
Does ticket dismissal mean I don't have to pay my fine? Not necessarily. In many cases the fine is waived when the court grants traffic school in lieu of a conviction, but some courts still require payment of court costs or fees. Confirm with your court what fees remain due after you submit your certificate.
My insurance company asked if I've taken traffic school. Do I have to disclose it? Answer your insurer's questions honestly. Traffic school is not a conviction, and most standard insurance applications ask about moving violations or convictions — not traffic school completions. If your insurer specifically asks about traffic school, answer truthfully.
How do I confirm the court recorded my dismissal correctly? Request a copy of your Tennessee driving record from the DSHS a few weeks after submitting your certificate. The disposition should show "traffic school" — not "guilty." If it shows a conviction, contact your court immediately.