What Connecticut Drivers Need to Know About New York Speeding Tickets

By Adam H. Rosenblum, Esq. and Attorney Allan F. Friedman of www.trafficticketguys.com

As a Stamford Traffic Ticket Lawyer and owner of www.trafficticketguys.com I get to collaborate with some of the best traffic ticket layers in the nation. In this article we hear from Attorney Adam H. Rosenbum who handles traffic tickets defense matters for us in New York City. While we are really close to each other the laws in our two states are really different so if you pick up a ticket in New York you should not mail in the ticket and plead guilty. The New York ticket can effect you here in Connecticut.

New York and Connecticut are close neighbors with a lot in common. The two states have similar socio-economic spectrums and political leanings. They even share workers, with many drivers who make the trek to neighboring NY counties or even New York City, and vice versa. Unfortunately, the two states also share speeding ticket information. Both New York and Connecticut are part of the Driver’s License Compact, an interstate agreement that ensures drivers cannot ignore tickets issued while out of state.

That means Connecticut drivers who get hit with a citation for speeding or any other infraction while in New York will have to deal with it. This can be tricky, as New York tickets do not work the same way as CT-issued tickets, including the fines, points, and other penalties. Here’s what drivers from Connecticut need to know about being issued a ticket in New York.

Connecticut allows you to simply mail in the ticket and plead “no contest.” While the fine print on the back of the ticket claims that you will not get any points for the offense, the offense will still go on your permanent Connecticut Driver’s history and effect your insurance rates for years to come. While you can plea “no contest” and just mail in the ticket in Connecticut that would not be a good idea as it will lead to higher insurance rates and too many tickets can lead to driver re-training. Attorney Allan F. Friedman advises every Connecticut motorist to fight every ticket they receive and hire a Stamford Traffic Ticket Lawyer.

However, New York does not allow for nolo pleas; drivers must choose “guilty” or “not guilty.” The closest a driver can do is negotiate the ticket down to a lesser charge, something that can be difficult without a skilled attorney in one’s corner. Worse, in the five boroughs of NYC (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island and Queens) drivers cannot even negotiate tickets; either plead guilty and pay or hope to win a dismissal at trial.

In New York, regardless of how fast a driver is going, paying a ticket means suffering the consequences of points.

The point system in New York is very aggressive. Speeding tickets start at three points and increase with the amount the driver exceeded the limit, all the way up to 11 points. Any driver (including from out of state) who commits infractions worth 11 points or more in 18 months in NY will have his/her driving privileges in the state suspended.

New York (just like Connecticut ) also has a three-strikes rule for speeding tickets, meaning any driver who is convicted of three speeding infractions received within an 18-month period could lose driving privileges in the state. There are ways a driver could lose those privileges with even less tickets. For example, two convictions for speeding in a work zone in 18 months could have that same consequence. Likewise, a ticket for speeding 21 mph over the limit is worth six points in New York, so only two such tickets are needed for a suspension. New York can also suspend driving privileges for anyone convicted of a speed contest.

Speeding tickets and other traffic fines in Connecticut are often compounded with additional surcharges and court fees. New York has similar hidden costs but offers no escape from them. Each NY speeding ticket comes with a mandatory state surcharge of $88 to $93. In addition, drivers who commit infractions worth six points or more will be hit with an additional fine called a Driver Responsibility Assessment. This costs $300 plus an additional $75 for each point over six. So to illustrate, a 6 point speeding ticket can carry a fine of $300 + a $93 NYS surcharge + a $300 DRA for a grand total of $693! And fines aren’t where it ends.

Remember, both Connecticut and New York share driver information. That means any speeding ticket conviction in New York will show up on a Connecticut driving record. Auto insurance providers often check their customer’s driving records to see if new infractions pop up. Once this happens, a Connecticut driver is likely to see his/her rates increase for at least 3 years.

Drivers who don’t want to trek across state lines just to fight a ticket, or who have logistical challenges (work, kids, pets, etc.) that make appearing in court difficult in general, should definitely hire a New York traffic ticket attorney. In most New York courts, an attorney is allowed to appear on behalf of a client, meaning the driver does not have to show up in person. This is in addition to the fact that hiring a lawyer significantly increases the odds of being able to plea down a ticket or get it dismissed altogether.

Adam H. Rosenblum, Esq. is the founder of TrafficTickets.com, a traffic ticket law firm that handled cases statewide in both New York and New Jersey. Stamford Traffic Ticket Lawyer Allan F. Friedman of www.trafficticketguys.com highly endorses Attorney Rosenblum for all drivers facing traffic tickets in New York City.

For anyone who is fighting a traffic ticket in Connecticut or any criminal defense matter in the State of Connecticut contact Attorney Allan F. Friedman for a free no obligation free consultation at (203) 357-5555 24/7.