Can a 'no contest' plea bite you later in life?

A no contest plea -- known often by its Latin name "nolo contendere", has the same legal effect as a guilty plea. If you plead no contest to a criminal charge,you will have a conviction on your record, just as though you had plead guilty or been convicted after a trial.

The advantage of a no contest plea compared to a guilty plea is that a no contest plea cannot be offered into evidence in a civil case. Let's say that your alleged reckless driving damaged a storefront. The owner of the store might file a civil complaint against you seeking to obtain a money judgment for the damage you caused to the building. If you plead guilty in the criminal case, the building owner can offer that plea into evidence in the civil case to prove you are responsible for the damage. But if you plead no contest, the owner cannot offer that plea into evidence in the civil case. This is the main reason for pleading no contest rather than guilty.