Speeding
Tickets

A New York speeding ticket conviction doesn’t just add points to your license. It comes with a fine based on repeat offenses, the conditions of the environment, and your speed beyond the posted speed limit. The maximum fine for a single ticket can be as much as $600.

• Up to 10 mph over the posted limit: $45 to $150
• Between 10 and 30 miles over the posted limit: $180 to $600
• Inappropriate speed: $45 to $150

Fines increase if convicted of more than one speeding violation in 18 months. Fines may be more expensive for speeding in a school zone or restricted highway. Fines are doubled for speeding in work zones.

In some cases, a New York speeding ticket can land you in jail. Jail time for a speeding conviction can range from a few days to up to 30 days in jail.

• Up to 10 mph over the posted limit or inappropriate speed: Up to 15 days
• Between 10 and 30 mph over the posted limit: Up to 30 days
• More than 30 mph over the posted limit: Up to 30 days

When you plead not guilty to a New York speeding charge, you’ll be issued a court date and time to appear in traffic court. In court, you’ll be provided with an opportunity to plea bargain (negotiate for a lesser charge). Instead of accepting the charge listed on your New York speeding ticket, you’ll plead guilty to a lesser charge. 

Plea bargains help drivers avoid a license revocation or suspension. In some situations, it may be the best option to avoid insurance increases and other consequences of points added to one’s driving record.

Additionally, it’s important to note that plea bargaining is not an option in New York City. If you are issued a ticket for a non-criminal moving traffic violation in the five boroughs of NYC, it will be handled by a New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Traffic Violations Bureau (TVB). At your TVB trial, you’ll be found guilty or not guilty of the offense listed by the officer. If you are found guilty of a violation that brings your total points up to 11 or more within 18 months, the judge will hold a point hearing immediately.

When you appear in village court, you’ll have the choice to plea to a lesser charge or fight your ticket. With the help of an experienced New York speeding ticket lawyer, you can use one of many different defenses to contest your New York speeding charge. If you can cast reasonable doubt on the charge and get a not-guilty verdict, no points will accumulate on your driving record and your speeding fine will be eliminated. You may still be subject to court fines.

Your New York speeding ticket attorney may help you prepare one of these defenses against your speeding ticket.

• Unreliable Perception of the Police Officer: A law enforcement officer may use several different tactics to determine your speed. Any method deemed potentially inaccurate can get your speeding ticket dismissed. In some cases, a police officer may estimate a driver’s speed using their own speedometer or by evaluating a change in distance between two cars. Either of these methods could result in an inaccurate result.
• Defective Speed Measuring Devices: Most often, police officers use a radar gun to detect the speed of a nearby motor vehicle.
  Yet, these devices can be inaccurate. Improper calibration, faulty setup, or a damaged radar gun can result in inaccurate speed calculations. If you can cast doubt on the accuracy of the alleged speed listed by the police officer on your traffic ticket, it’s likely to be dismissed.
• Emergency Situation: Running late for work doesn’t constitute an emergency, but medical distress can make speeding necessary. There is no law that states you won’t be found guilty of speeding during an emergency. However, a judge is likely to consider whether it was reasonable for you to speed in certain circumstances. For example, if a passenger is in labor, has stopped breathing, or is bleeding profusely, speeding to the hospital is a reasonable response.

Most courts offer traffic programs to help motorists resolve or reduce the impact of speeding tickets. You will be required to pay a fee associated with the program and follow specific requirements to have your traffic ticket reduced. Traffic programs can help drivers avoid excessive costs and reduce points on their driving records.

This option might not apply to all speeding violations. For example, convictions involving alcohol or drugs or the accumulation of three speeding violations within 18 months result in a mandatory license suspension or revocation.