# Traffic Ticket is Different

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-ticket-is-different/657424>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 3, 2013, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-ticket-is-different/657424 "2013-05-03T15:59:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![inaud4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@inaud4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inaud4)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-ticket-is-different/657424/1 "2013-05-03T15:59:28Z")

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I was pulled over a few weeks ago and received a traffic ticket for improper lane change. However, when I went online on the Clerk’s website, the ticket is showing as failure to drive in a single lane.

Why would the ticket I was issued be changed? Is this something I could fight since it doesn’t agree to the ticket that was issued?

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-ticket-is-different/657424/2 "2013-05-03T16:06:02Z")

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> [@inaud4](#):
>
> I was pulled over a few weeks ago and received a traffic ticket for improper lane change. However, when I went online on the Clerk’s website, the ticket is showing as failure to drive in a single lane.
> 
> Why would the ticket I was issued be changed? Is this something I could fight since it doesn’t agree to the ticket that was issued?
> 
> Thanks.

If you have a hard copy of the ticket you were issued at the time, I’d take it to the clerk’s office and talk to them about it.

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**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-ticket-is-different/657424/3 "2013-05-03T16:35:35Z")

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Not sure I get the distinction. You were in a lane you were supposed to stay in and didn’t, correct?

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**Author:** ![NeonMadman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58f4c7/32.png) [@NeonMadman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeonMadman)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-ticket-is-different/657424/4 "2013-05-03T17:44:53Z")

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It may be as simple as the difference between the officer’s wording of his description of the offense on the citation vs. the specific wording of the law. It certainly couldn’t hurt to question it, though.