Like many Montreal residents, you decide to drive to Plattsburgh, New York to go shopping.  As you near the Plattsburgh mall, you suddenly see a NY State Trooper pulling you over.  He then issues a speeding ticket.

You don’t believe that you were driving that fast, but you are unsure what to do.  Do you plead guilty and pay the fine?  Or do you plead not guilty and fight the ticket?   Can a NY traffic lawyer help?

NY Speeding Ticket Fines and Points

NY speeding tickets can impact your wallet and the point accumulation on your driving record.  Because New York has an agreement with both Ontario and Quebec, a record of any violations you are convicted of in New York is transferred to Canada and demerit points can be applied to your Ontario and Quebec driving records.

Here is a brief summary of the average fines and points for NY speeding tickets (not including the mandatory NYS surcharge):

Fines

• 1 to 10 mph over the limit is $45 - $150
• 11 to 30 mph over the limit is $90 - $300
• 31+  mph over the limit is $180 - $600

Points

• Speeding 1 to 10 mph over the limit is 3 points
• Speeding 11 to 20 mph over the limit is 4 points
• Speeding 21 to 30 mph over the limit is 6 points
• Speeding 31 to 40 mph over the limit is 8 points
• Speeding 41+ mph over the limit is 11 points

How to Plead

Most Canadian drivers who receive a speeding ticket in New York will conclude that it is easier to plead guilty and pay the fine instead of pleading not guilty and fighting the charge.

However, this is a mistake because if you plead guilty and pay the fine, you can have demerit points tacked onto your driving record. The Société de l’Assurance Automobile du Québec (SAAQ) and The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) issues demerit points for a Canadian driver who is convicted of NY traffic violation.  Under a special agreement, Ontario and Quebéc share information with New York State about traffic violations and transfer points and demerits between countries.

Hiring a New York Traffic Attorney

It is strongly recommended that you fight your speeding ticket by hiring a traffic lawyer instead of pleading guilty.

An aggressive traffic attorney such as Adam Rosenblum will represent you at all hearings so it is most likely that you will never have to attend yourself.  Whether you live in Ontario, Quebec or New York, it is highly unlikely that you will ever have to appear in court if you hire Rosenblum Law.

In addition, an experienced attorney has established relationships with many district attorneys and judges and can negotiate favorable settlements that result in reduced charges, lower fines and fewer demerit points on your driving record.

Although it costs money to hire a New York traffic lawyer, it is likely that you will save money when the NY speeding ticket is resolved.

If you are a Canadian driver that received a New York speeding ticket, email or call 888-883-5529 to speak to an attorney from Rosenblum Law.