Think of your DMV record like you think of your credit report – it is a reflection of who you are, your level of responsibility as it relates to your ability to follow the rules. Also like a credit report, your DMV record will follow you for many years. Remember, when you are pre-paying a traffic ticket, you are admitting guilt. So, a traffic ticket you pre-pay today will affect you several years from now. Naturally, some traffic tickets are more serious than others. However, no traffic ticket should be taken lightly. Since the Commonwealth uses a points system, most traffic tickets, regardless of how minor, will stay with you for a period of years. Typically somewhere between 3-6 years. In other words, if you prepay two tickets over a period of three years, you could find yourself in disfavor with the DMV and also your insurance company.