Do You Get Points for Out of State Tickets

Dealing with a traffic ticket is already complicated, but what happens if a New York driver gets a ticket in another state? Just as complex is the situation in which an out of state motorist gets a ticket while driving in New York. What can people in either of these situations do? If you’re a New York driver and you got a ticket in another state, will you get points for an out of state ticket? What about NY drivers who get tickets in New Jersey, Florida or elsewhere? Can they fight the charges?

Because these situations can be complicated, it is always wise to consult with a New York traffic ticket attorney. Simply paying a fine is the same thing as pleading guilty, and this can have expensive and far-reaching consequences, especially since the DMVs in many states are more connected than ever before.

Out of State Tickets for New York Drivers

It’s possible for New York drivers to receive traffic tickets no matter where they travel in the U.S. and Canada. According to New York’s DMV website, points are not added to your New York driving record if you receive a ticket in another state.

The exception to this is tickets that are received in Ontario and Quebec. This is thanks to a reciprocal agreement entered into by New York and these Canadian provinces. Getting a ticket in one of these provinces has exactly the same effect on your driving record as if you had received the ticket in your home state of New York.

Accordingly, a traffic ticket that you received in Ontario or Quebec may affect your point total and the necessity for you to pay the Driver Responsibility Assessment.

New York’s DMV website also states that they do not keep records of the out of state tickets that are received by the state’s residents. This means that these violations likely will not affect your points total.

There are a couple of exceptions to this rule. The first is for alcohol-related violations, and the second is for drug-related violations. Clearly, the New York government considers these infractions so serious that they prefer to keep tabs on them.

Even though New York isn’t necessarily keeping track of the traffic violations that are allegedly committed by drivers in other states, it’s wise to treat them with just as much seriousness as you would a NY traffic ticket.

Failure to respond to a traffic ticket, failure to pay the applicable fines and surcharges or to comply with any of the other stipulations, can lead to serious trouble, up to and included a suspended license.

Keep in mind as well that some states require drivers to appear in court for traffic violations, especially if they are not immediately pleading guilty. Depending upon how far away you were when you received that ticket, this can be prohibitively expensive.

Can You Hire an Attorney?

If you’re a New York driver who received a traffic ticket in another state, then it may make sense to consult with a traffic attorney to determine what your options are. Remember that states like New Jersey require traffic ticket defendants to appear in court. Your attorney may be able to file an Affidavit of Hardship so that he can act in court on your behalf.

Out of State Drivers Ticketed While Driving in New York

Did you know that most of the U.S. states are members of the Interstate Driver License Compact? A majority of American citizens probably aren’t aware that 45 states and the District of Columbia are signature members of this agreement.

The effect of the Driver License Compact is that driver’s license data is shared among the member states. Accordingly, a traffic violation or license suspension that occurs in one state is communicated to all of the other members. This means that there’s no way to make a secret of the fact that you got a ticket in New York while driving with a Massachusetts driver’s license.

With the Driver License Compact, it can seem like the governments of the member states got together to make life difficult for drivers who get tickets. For instance, each state has its own rules and procedures for how to deal with an infraction. Some may put points on your license as if the violation happened in your state. Others may completely ignore points.

If you are an out of state driver who receives a ticket while you are in New York, you must treat it with the same seriousness as you would if you received a ticket in your home state.

This is because the failure to respond or pay a New York traffic ticket can have serious consequences for your driving privileges. If you don’t respond to the ticket, don’t pay the fines, don’t pay the Driver Responsibility Assessment or accumulate three speeding convictions or eleven points in an 18-month period, then your license is subject to suspension, regardless of which state issued that license.

When a ticket is written in New York, it provides a deadline by which the motorist must respond with their plea. If no plea is entered, then the DMV may mail a notice to the driver that their right to drive in New York is being suspended. Because New York shares such information with most other states, this easily can affect your ability to drive in your home state.

Can a Traffic Ticket Attorney Help?

If you are from another state and you got a traffic ticket while driving in New York, then you may benefit from hiring legal practitioners like those from the Law Office of James Lynch and Associates.

It is rarely advisable to just pay a ticket. Instead, it makes sense to plead not guilty, which provides you with a day in court. When you hire a lawyer, he can appear in court on your behalf.

Many out of state drivers are able to get their tickets reduced or dropped thanks to the help of an experienced attorney.