Each state has their own laws or statutes regarding how long a ticket might stay on your driving record. In general, states usually allow for moving violations or tickets to stay on your record for 3, 5 or 7 years.

If the violation was more serious, for something such as driving under the influence, states typically keep this offense on your record for a longer period of time. Some states keep it on your driver's history for life.

Insurance companies typically look back at your record for a period of 3 to 5 years depending upon what the state insurance regulatory body allows and an insurance company's guidelines.

You might want to contact your state's Department of Vehicles to get a copy of your driving record. A periodic check of your record can ensure that anything listed, and that could affect your driver's license or insurance rates, is correct. Not all driving records contain your total driving history. Some states have shortened records that do not show violations that have been dismissed by the courts or by attending traffic school.

To make certain that you are getting the most comprehensive driver's history, order a complete record. These records in some states go back 11 years and show all citations, including those dismissed and tickets issued by other states. If you find an error on the record you will need to contact the Division of Driver's License for your state.

To get a definitive answer of how long a ticket stays on your license in your state or for information about this law in other states, contact the Department of Motor Vehicles in each area.