New York Drivers License Points System
How Do You Receive Points on Your NY Driving Record?
If you have been convicted of a traffic violation in New York, you have points on your driving record. The New York Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV) has a system for assigning and adding points, and certain fees and penalties can apply after you have accumulated six or more points within an 18-month period. If you receive 11 or more points on your driving record in an 18-month period, your driver’s license will be suspended.
Most drivers will simply pay a ticket for a traffic violation and forget about it. Points for traffic violation convictions, however, can add up quickly and lead to fines and possible suspension of your driver’s license. A New York traffic violation attorney can help you avoid a conviction for a traffic violation and keep damaging points from adding up on your driving record. Contact us today.
How the New York Department of Motor Vehicles Points System Works
Under the New York driver’s license points system, the NY DMV assigns points to certain traffic violations. If you are convicted of a violation, these points go onto your driving record. Some point values include:
- Speeding more than 12 mph over the speed limit: 4 points
- Speeding more than 40 mph over the speed limit: 11 points
- Failure to stop for a school bus: 5 points
- Improper cell phone use such as texting while driving: 3 points
- Failure to obey a traffic signal: 2 points
- Reckless driving: 5 points
Say you were pulled over by a law enforcement officer and ticketed for failure to stop for a school bus while driving 11 mph over the speed limit and texting while driving. If you were convicted of those violations, you would have 12 points on your driving record, and the DMV would notify you that your license is being suspended. In addition, receiving 6 points or more on your driving record in an 18-month period will lead to additional fines known as the driver responsibility assessment (DRA).
If you have the minimum of six points on your driving record, you will be billed by the DMV for a DRA of $300 to be paid over three years. More points lead to additional fees. Convictions for DWI or refusing a chemical test after being stopped on suspicion of DWI will lead to larger fines.
A Schenectady Traffic Violations Attorney Can Help Keep Points off Your Record
An Albany points system lawyer can defend your driving record from accumulating the points that lead to additional fines and the eventual suspension of your driver’s license. The point totals for any given 18-month period are based on the date of the violation, but the points only go on your record if you are convicted of the violation.
If you have been cited for a traffic violation, contact us via e-mail or by calling 866-642-3807 to schedule a free initial consultation.
We represent clients in the Capital Region — Albany, Troy, Schenectady, Saratoga Springs, Amsterdam, Ballston Spa, Bethlehem, Clifton, Cohoes, Guilderland, Rotterdam — and in courts across New York state.
