Q&A: Will a traffic citation affect my citizenship?

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Question: I had 2 criminal citations back in 2007 (misdemeanor battery and loitering for the purpose of prostitution) that was dismissed. Will these citations affect my citizenship even though I was not arrested and do I have to declare traffic citations on my citizenship application?

 Answer: You do have to disclose all arrests/citations, including traffic citation (although traffic citation would not affect your eligibility for citizenship).  If you were not convicted of any crime, you will be fine for naturalization.  But if you plead guilty but later the court dismissed the case, you may be still considered to have a criminal record and you cannot apply for naturalization within 5 years (or 3 years if you married to US citizen and have been living with your spouse for 3 years since you became permanent resident) from the date of your offense.