New York Out Of State Drivers Tickets

Will Points From NY Transfer To Another State? 

Many people may have heard of something called the Driver License Compact.  This is an interstate agreement used to exchange information concerning license suspensions and traffic violations that occur in a state other than the one in which the driver is licensed.  If a driver licensed in State A gets a ticket and/or gets suspended in State B, this compact enables State A to get notification of this from State B.

Currently, 45 states and the District of Columbia are members of the compact.  New York is one of the member states.  Thus, if you are a driver who is licensed in a compact member state other than NY and you get a ticket or have a related driving issue in NY, you should do some research before you “just pay” that NY ticket.

Note the following about the Driver License Compact: 

• Every state has it’s own rules for how they deal with the information available through the compact. Some may choose to put points on your license as if the offense happened in your home state.  Some may choose to put a “flat” number of points on your license regardless of the particular violation.  Some may ignore points altogheter.  Some may ignore mere violations and only care about suspensions and/or more serious (drug/alcohol) issues.

• You may have a hard time finding the exact answer regarding how your NY State driving issue will play out on your home state driving record. Sometimes DMV websites offer some information, some law firms sites or other websites may offer some information, but it’s rarely easy to figure out.  There are so many different violations and situations you are often left guessing.  Even asking DMV directly in your home state could get you multiple answers.  In such situations, we generally advise people to fight their NY traffic tickets unless they are certain it won’t hurt them at home.

• Generally, the most minor violations won’t follow you to your home state driving record. Tinted windows, dirty license plate, tickets which generally fall under the “equipment” umbrella and carry zero points in NY are examples.  Parking/non-moving violations are not part of the compact.

• While this compact is the the main force behind enabling the communication between states regarding these driving matters, it is still possible for drivers license in non-member states to have a NY driving issue follow them back to their home driving record. We’ve included the five non-member states–Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee and Wisconsin.  Drivers licensed in those states should still do their research before determining they won’t face consequences at home if they are issued a NY traffic ticket.

Feel free to contact us and we’ll help you analyze the importance of fighting a NY ticket if you are licensed elsewhere.