Your Guide to Speeding Tickets in New York
If you have received a speeding ticket in New York, you will need to know how it all works in this state. NY has its own laws about traffic violations that all residents should be aware of. In this article you will learn everything you need to know about these types of tickets, especially if it’s your first time.
Table of Contents
What To Know About Speeding Tickets in New York
Point System
If you plead guilty to a speeding ticket in New York, you will have points put on your license. If you accumulate enough of these points, you can face serious consequences. The number of points you get will depend on how far over the speed limit you were traveling.
Points for NY speeding tickets include:
- 1 to 10 mph over the speed limit: 3 points
- 11 to 20 mph over the speed limit: 3 points
- 21 to 30 mph over the speed limit: 4 points
- 21 to 30 mph over the speed limit: 6 points
- 40+ mph over the speed limit: 11 points
If you have 11 points on your license at any given time, your license will be automatically suspended by the state.
Cost of NY Speeding Tickets
The amount of money you pay for speeding tickets in New York depends on a number of factors. The farther you go over the speed limit, the more costly the ticket will be. These tickets range from $80 all the way up to $1,200. Speeding in school zones during school hours will cost you the most by far.
If you get six or more points on your license within 18 months, you’ll need to pay additional fines and surcharges.
You can also refer to our speeding ticket calculator for average fines on other states.
How to Fight a Speeding Ticket in NY
If you want to go to court over your speeding ticket in NY, there is a specific procedure that you’ll have to follow.
The first thing you need to do is select the “not guilty” option on your ticket and turn it into the courthouse in the proper jurisdiction. You will then receive a court date, which you must show up to by law. You have 15 days to make a decision either way.
There is a chance that you can meet with the prosecutor and get your ticket reduced to a lesser charge. It is important that you keep in mind there are no guarantees. This means that the prosecutor might not offer you a deal at all. If you have a good driving record, you can probably get the ticket bumped down to something not quite so bad.
You might want to consider hiring an attorney who specializes in traffic tickets. This will give you the best possible chance of getting a favorable outcome. It is particularly important to do this if you are facing any criminal charges like reckless driving.
A good lawyer can go a long way towards helping you get the best possible deal for your traffic ticket. There is even a chance that they will be able to get your citation dismissed outright, though you shouldn’t expect this.
You will need to prepare yourself for court by gathering any evidence you might want to present. The more organized you are, the easier it will be to get your ticket dismissed. If you don’t have any evidence whatsoever to help you, it is unlikely that you’ll get a favorable outcome. No idea what to say in court? Read this: https://www.ratedradardetector.org/ticket/speeding/say-in-court/
Once the judge has heard your side of things as well as the police officer’s testimony, he or she will make a decision. If you are found guilty, the judge will tell you exactly how much you money you owe the court.
Filing an Appeal
If you go to court to fight your speeding ticket and lose, you can always file an appeal. You will be able to do this online or through the mail. Just remember that most speeding convictions are not overturned once a judge has made a decision. You should other bother doing this if you have compelling evidence that you have not already presented.
Traffic School
New York offers drivers who get a speeding the ticket the chance to get their points wiped by taking a driving safety course. Keep in mind that this will only take care of up to 4 points that you have received from traffic tickets at the time of enrollment. For other states, like Texas, this is determined by Texas TDLR (see here).
This is an excellent means of handling your speeding ticket so that you don’t have to worry about any points marring your driving record. The last thing you want is to accumulate too many points. You will only be able to take a driver’s safety course one time per 18 months. It is an option that is worth considering to say the least.
How to Plead Not Guilty to a Speeding Ticket in NY
When you want to plead “not guilty” to a speeding ticket in NY, you just have to select that option on your citation and mail it in. Make sure that you choose the right one, because otherwise you will definitely be stuck paying the ticket. The outcome of this will vary per officer or per state, so if you’re in Virginia, you might have a different strategy (read it here: https://www.ratedradardetector.org/ticket/speeding/virginia/).
Take a look at your ticket and you will see a section for admitting guilt (this requires you to pay the ticket outright) and not guilty (which means you go to court). There will be detailed instructions on the citation explaining everything.
Pleading not guilty doesn’t automatically mean that your ticket is going to be dismissed. It is ultimately up to the judge to make this decision. It is always better to speak with the prosecutor to see if you can negotiate deal. If the prosecutor does not offer you a deal of any kind, you can appeal directly to the judge.
Final Thoughts
The state has some fairly strict laws regarding speeding, and getting speeding tickets in New York is never fun. You should always try to avoid getting a ticket (we have tips for you here), but if you end up getting one, you have numerous options to explore. You can choose to plead guilty and pay the fine, go to a good traffic school (maybe), or go to court to fight it. It is a good idea to weigh your options carefully before making a final decision.
For speeding costs and ticket info in California, head on over to this article: https://www.ratedradardetector.org/ticket/speeding/california/.
William Johnson is the owner and founder of RatedRadarDetector.org. He writes about car accessories, with his passion stemming from a deep enthusiasm for all things automotive. His website, RRD, focuses on in-depth reviews of car accessories to help people find the best and latest products in the market.
