Imagine standing at the DMV counter, ready to renew your license, only to be told, “Sorry, you’re ineligible.” You’ve always been a careful driver, with maybe one or two tickets decades ago. Now, an out-of-state ticket you barely remember has come back to haunt you.

This isn’t some fever dream nightmare—it’s exactly what happened to Jim Tubman, a driver from Fleming, New Jersey. In over 30 years, Tubman had received only two tickets. One was a minor speeding ticket from a 1991 road trip to Arizona, issued after he passed a slow-moving vehicle and got caught in what he called a police “speed trap.” Tubman thought he’d paid it and moved on.

That all changed in April 2024 when the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) stopped him from renewing his license. The problem? A letter informed him that he’d been flagged in the Problem Driver Pointer System (PDPS), which tracks unpaid out-of-state tickets across state lines.

“After all this time, Arizona is saying that I have an open citation,” Tubman said.

Arizona officials told him he owed $101.15. Tubman paid immediately, requesting a confirmation letter for the MVC. But things only got messier. His check was cashed, but no confirmation arrived. To add insult to injury, Arizona said he needed to pay an additional $10 processing fee before they’d clear his name.

The process dragged on for months. “Since the end of April, I’ve tried to resolve this matter with the determination of Ahab following the white whale,” Tubman said. Although he finally managed to renew his license, the ordeal left him frustrated.

“Catching scofflaws is fine, but a new state policy should not look back forever,” he said.

How to avoid problems with an out-of-state ticket

Attorney Barry Kowitt has seen cases like this before, and his advice is simple: don’t ignore out-of-state tickets. States routinely share traffic violation data, and what seems minor now could cost you big later.

Here are Kowitt’s top tips:

• Don’t assume the ticket will go away. “Florida will notify that other state that you’ve got a ticket,” he explained.
• Understand how your state handles points. Some states, like New York, don’t transfer points from Florida tickets. But others, like Florida, will apply points for out-of-state violations.
• Always keep proof of payment. Tubman’s ordeal shows how critical records are when clearing up disputes.
• Fight the ticket if possible. “Just because your state isn’t going to assess points doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider fighting it,” Kowitt said.

Ignoring an out-of-state ticket might seem convenient, but it’s a gamble that could cost you your license—or worse. Tubman’s experience is a cautionary tale of how even the smallest oversight can turn into a bureaucratic mess. By staying proactive and resolving out-of-state tickets promptly, drivers can avoid being blindsided by these unexpected roadblocks. Take the time to address violations, and you’ll save yourself from a DMV nightmare. You can hear the rest of Kowitt’s advice in the video below: