Attention nurses in California: a traffic ticket may cost you your nursing license.

The Board of Nursing requires nurses to report any traffic ticket to the BON, if the fine exceeds $300. There are dozens of traffic offenses that carry a minimum $300 fine; if the penalty assessments are included, that number fairly triples.

It is unlikely that a simple speeding ticket would trigger disciplinary action, though it is certainly a possibility. Other violations may be considered crimes of dishonesty, fraud or deceit, if they involve falsifying a report or lying to a public official. If you do not disclose the ticket, that itself is considered a violation of the Nurse Practice Act.

Common disciplinary actions include a public reprimand, probation or suspension. The sanction may be lifted once the BON is satisfied that the nurse has been rehabilitated.

Tickets and your professional license

Each profession has its own rules and regulations regarding who is fit to practice. U.S. Immigration Services does not require any reporting at all when it comes to traffic tickets. But the BON's requirement is fairly typical of most professions. Especially if a person collects a number of tickets, the governing body may find that the person does not have proper respect for the law, may not be able to continue to drive, or that the tickets may be evidence of some larger problem.

If you receive a traffic ticket, an attorney regularly practicing in Kern County may be able to get the fine reduced. Even better, an experienced traffic attorney can usually find a way to get the ticket dismissed entirely or reduce it to a lesser charge.