Pleading Nolo Contendere is basically stating that you are not contesting the ticket and not pleading guilty or innocent. So you are neither admitting to nor disputing the charge. A plea of "nolo," as the phrase is often shortened to, in court usually has the same affect as pleading guilty since you are not contesting or fighting the citation.

Different states have different rules and laws regarding a plea of nolo but in general it is the same as a guilty plea in that you get points and the violation placed on your driving record. Whenever a moving violation, such as speeding, is placed on driving record your insurance company can see it the next time they pull your MVR.

One state that we are aware of that has somewhat special rules for the Nolo plea is Georgia. According to information we received from the Athens-Clarke County Municipal Court you may plead nolo contendere once every 5 years. Jurisdictions within Georgia may differ so if you live in GA you may need to again speak to a clerk of the court as you stated you were going to do, if you live outside of Georgia the guidelines will be totally difference so your courthouse clerk will need to advise you of what advantages, if any the nolo plea should have afforded you.

This GA county court notes as we mentioned above that you may plead nolo contendere (“no contest”) to a traffic offense, but only if you have not entered a nolo contendere plea to another traffic offense in the last five years. The judge has discretion whether to accept a nolo contendere plea. A nolo contendere plea to a moving violation will be reported to GA DMV as required by law, and the nolo contendere plea WILL appear on your driving record.

The difference between a nolo plea and a guilty plea is that a nolo plea does not result in points against your license. However, since you are allowed only one nolo plea every five years, if you plead nolo to this citation and you have another nolo on your record from the last five years, the Georgia DMV will consider this nolo contendere plea a guilty plea and points may be assessed against your license.

So it appears that in Georgia with a nolo plea one would not receive points on their driving record but the offense is listed on the record. Since the violation does go on your driving record then your insurance provider will see it and it could affect your rates. To find out how much it could raise your rates you would need to speak to your agent about your specific carrier's rating system. If your premiums go up you can shop around for new auto insurance with a low cost quote here with us.