Did you just get a citation for speeding? Don’t pay that ticket without calling Feifer & Greenberg, New York’s experienced ticket-fighting law firm.
Many people may think an excessive speed citation is a simple matter. But the effects of traffic tickets can affect your livelihood, especially if you rely on driving for work.
Depending on how fast you were going, you could be facing serious fines and even jail time.
We can help you fight your speeding ticket. Call Feifer & Greenberg today at (888) 842-5384 for a free initial consultation with a New York speeding ticket lawyer!
Steps to take after getting a speeding ticket in New York City
Speeding tickets issued in one of New York City’s five boroughs are handled differently than in other parts of the state. It can be quite difficult to challenge the citation on your own.
An experienced traffic ticket lawyer can guide you through the steps to take after getting a speeding ticket in New York:
- Drivers only have 15 days to respond to the ticket, so be sure to enter your not-guilty plea online right away.
- Once you enter a plea of not guilty, you will be assigned a hearing date in traffic court.
- Offer evidence at the hearing: Your lawyer may question the officer who issued the ticket or present evidence to fight the charge or mitigate it. Unlike criminal courts, traffic courts only need “clear and convincing evidence” that you are guilty of a traffic violation.
- The judge issues a decision and, if you are found guilty, sets a fine and can suspend your license if the ticket or your overall record warrants it. Points are automatically applied based on the particular section of law convicted.
You do have the right to appeal a speeding ticket judgment in New York City, so if the hearing does not go your way, you and your NYC speeding ticket lawyer can discuss your legal options.
Why you should fight the speeding ticket
Although you may feel like challenging a speeding ticket isn’t worth the trouble, the consequences of a speeding ticket can be more than just a fine. Consider some of the main reasons for working with a defense lawyer.
Fines can cost hundreds of dollars.
Paying the fine listed on your speeding citation isn’t the final cost of the ticket. Fines start at $150 and can get as high as $600, depending on how fast you were going. In addition, all New York speeding tickets come with a surcharge of $88-$93.
Plus, you’ll have to pay additional charges under New York’s Driver Responsibility Assessment (DRA). The base charge is $100 with an additional $25 for each point issued (over six) on your license assessed annually for the three years following your citation.
| NYC Speeding Violation Citation | Total Fine + Surcharge + DRA |
| 1-10 mph over the posted speed limit | $133 – $238 |
| 11-20 mph over the posted speed limit | $178 – $388 |
| 21-30 mph over the posted speed limit | $478 – $988 |
| 31-40 mph over the posted speed limit | $718 – $1,138 |
| 41 or more mph over the posted speed limit | $943 – $1,363 |
The low-cost, flat fees for a New York Traffic Ticket lawyer at Feifer & Greenberg may be a much better option and a small investment to make rather than simply paying the court and/or the DMV.
Points on your license.
When you pay the fine on the ticket, you also agree to the assessment of points on your driver’s license. Simply accepting the assigned points can be risky, though – after just six points accumulated in 18 months, you may be required to start paying DRA fines.
Furthermore, too many points accumulated in a short period of time could lead to a license suspension. If a driver accumulates more than 11 points in a rolling 18-month period, their license is suspended for one year, starting at the date of the last traffic offense.
Your insurance premiums will go up.
Insurance companies like good drivers. Drivers who are issued multiple speeding tickets are riskier customers. Multiple speeding tickets or tickets for speeding in excess of 15 mph over the posted speed limit can quickly cause your insurance carrier to raise your rates.
Just one speeding ticket in NYC increases your insurance rate by about 14%, on average.
If you rack up too many speeding tickets or are charged with reckless driving or endangerment along with the speeding ticket, your insurance company could drop you as a customer altogether.
You may find it hard to get another policy or have to pay exorbitant rates for the new policy, as you will now be classified as a high-risk driver.
Consequences and penalties for ignoring a traffic ticket
It can be very tempting to just ignore the speeding ticket and hope it goes away – do not do this. Failure to respond to a ticket can lead to an immediate suspension of your driver’s license. There are multiple steps to having your license reinstated, as well as fees for doing so.
If you’re visiting New York from another state, you may not be off the hook, either. The NY DMV could your driving privileges in New York and, through New York’s reciprocity agreement with many states, your home state could honor New York penalties and assess points on your license, issue assessments, or even suspend your driving privileges.
Points
The NY Department of Motor Vehicles assesses points on NY driver’s licenses for different traffic violations, including speeding. The number of points you receive for a speeding ticket depends on how fast you were going relative to the speed limit. More than 11 points in any 18-month period results in a suspended license.
| NYC Speeding Violation | Points Assessed |
| 1-10 mph over the posted speed limit | 3 points |
| 11-20 mph over the posted speed limit | 4 points |
| 21-30 mph over the posted speed limit | 6 points |
| 31-40 mph over the posted speed limit | 8 points |
| 41 or more mph over the posted speed limit | 11 points |
Just one speeding citation could lead to a direct suspension of your license. One strategy that your NY speeding ticket lawyer may use depending on where the ticket was issued is to negotiate for a lesser violation and thus a reduction in the number of points assessed on your license after a speeding ticket
Probationary licenses
If you are a probationary driver, a speeding ticket conviction will cause you to lose the privilege of driving for 60 days. Once that suspension period is over, you’ll need to begin an entirely new probationary period.
Possible defenses for a speeding ticket
The defenses that your New York City speeding ticket attorney uses in your case will depend on your unique circumstances. In many cases, there isn’t necessarily a “defense” to use. Some people were just driving too fast and there really isn’t much legal justification for this. Medical issue? Call an ambulance. Bathroom? Pull over. Faulty speedometer? Make sure your equipment is in working order. We know these things happen but the law does not allow one to speed under any circumstances outside of a trained individual equipped in a vehicle with lights and sirens. Otherwise, your “situation” would be putting other drivers at risk and the law does not allow for that.
On the other hand, we don’t always need a “defense” despite what many people believe. Outside NYC, we can reduce or eliminate the charge against sour clients via a negotiation with a prosecutor. In NYC at the TVB, we might be listening to testimony regarding the equipment used, the officers training, etc. Any mistakes or omissions in this testimony might be something we can use to get the ticket dismissed.
Why you should hire Feifer & Greenberg
Whether it’s a hearing at Traffic Violations Bureau (TVB) or a negotiation in another court, experienced NYC speeding ticket lawyers like those at Feifer & Greenberg understand what can best work for their clients.
When you work with our NYC speeding ticket attorneys, you benefit from our years of experience in courtrooms and our deep knowledge of New York traffic laws. We typically understand what judges and prosecutors are looking and listening for and are familiar with how proceedings at the TVB go.
Our advice can help you avoid accidentally admitting guilt or saying the wrong thing in court. IN most cases you wouldn’t even need to be in court yourself. We explore all possible avenues of reducing your penalties or dismissing the ticket altogether. Call us today at (888) 842-5384 or contact us online for a complimentary case review.
