How do traffic tickets work in NYC?

Most non-criminal traffic tickets issued in the state of New York are processed by the local city, town, or county courts. In NYC and Rochester, violations are instead processed by the Traffic Violations Bureau.

Traffic fines in New York and other costs associated will depend on various factors, such as:

• Type of violation.
• Number of points on your driving record.
• Court handling your case
• County where you received the ticket.

If your ticket doesn’t list the fine, it may provide you with steps for calculating it yourself. Because the fine amount is affected by your driving history, your lawyer cannot help you determine the fine until you’ve hired them to represent you.

Unlike many other states, New York traffic tickets cannot be automatically plead down-- this means that while judges are able to make exceptions, in most cases, if you pay a traffic ticket without fighting it, you’re accepting a guilty verdict on your record, and may see higher insurance premiums as a result. The only way to definitively keep your record clean is by fighting and winning your ticket. The best way to increase your odds of winning? Hire a lawyer!