How the New York DMV Point System Works

A Quick Guide
By

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles maintains a point system for keeping track of driving infractions.  If you plead guilty or are convicted of an infraction, the court will send that information to the DMV, which will assess points to your driving record.  The points stay on your record for 18 months, running from the date of the infraction (not the date of your plea or conviction).

Speeding 1-10 mph over limit              3 POINTS

Speeding 11-20 mph over limit           4 POINTS

Speeding 21-30 mph over limit           6 POINTS

Speeding 31-40 mph over limit           8 POINTS

Speeding 41+ mph over limit              11 POINTS

If you accumulate 11 or more points within any 18 month period, or, if you are convicted of 3 speeding violations within 18 months, your license will automatically be suspended by the DMV.

Additionally, the DMV will charge you an Assessment Fee of $300 (separate from the court’s fines and surcharges) once you hit 6 points on your driving record, and an additional fee of $75 for each and every point over 6.

Therefore, a single speeding ticket of say, 76 mph in a 55-mph zone, could easily cost you around $600 or more if convicted ($215 court fine, $85 mandatory state surcharge, and $300 DMV Assessment Fee).  And, this does not take into account the likely increase in your auto insurance rates, which could amount to hundreds of dollars more per year.

When you add it all up, hiring a reasonably priced attorney for your speeding ticket will almost always save you money in the long run.  Also, in many cases, you won’t  need to go to court yourself if you retain a lawyer.

Speeding tickets generate significant revenue for the courts and state through the hefty fines and mandatory surcharges that are imposed with a conviction.  Don’t hand your money over to the very entity that pulled you over and ticketed you (state or local police).  Save time, money, and the hassle of the whole process by hiring a skilled professional to fight them and your ticket for you.

Call (716) 465-2532 for a free consultation on any speeding or traffic ticket matter.

By: Andrew Fiske, Esq.

Buffalo, New York