New York began its Driver Responsibility Program in 2004. The goal was to place an additional financial burden on drivers who accumulated a set number of points due to receiving specific New York traffic tickets.
You will have to pay the NY driver responsibility assessment if:
- You get 6 or more points in an 18 month period of time
- You get convicted of a drug- or alcohol-related traffic violation (e.g. DUI/DWI, etc.)
- A DMV hearing concludes that you refused to submit to a chemical test
However, a good traffic ticket attorney will be able to negotiate a favorable plea with the prosecutor, which can help you avoid paying this assessment entirely. The amount of money that the state imposes due to the driver responsibility program is quite large. It is crucial to understand that this assessment will be imposed against out-of-state drivers as well. In other words, anyone who drives in NY can potentially be subjected to this penalty.
How much Does the Driver Responsibility Assessment cost?
- If you get 6 points in 18 months, the assessment will be $100 per year for 3 years.
- If you get more than 6 points in 18 months, an additional $25 per year will be charged for each additional point you receive. This means 1 extra point will cost you $75 more (since the assessment lasts for 3 years).
- If you get convicted of a drug- or alcohol-related offense or you refuse to submit to a chemical test, the assessment will be $250 per year for 3 years.
Think about it: aside from getting points on your license, paying a fine, and dealing with an insurance hike, you could now face this additional cost if you get a NY traffic ticket.Ultimately, the small cost of hiring an experienced NY traffic ticket attorney is well worth avoiding these astronomical expenses.
We live in Quebec. My son got 2 speeding tickets in April 2006 (extenuation circumstances) and the tickets were paid.
Last week, 8 1/2 years later, I got a New York Driver Responsibility Assessment statement saying I owed them $450 because we got 8 points for those 2 tickets.
The letter states the sections 1199 and 503 (4) of the Vehicle Violation and Traffic Law indicates that the assessments are billed annually for a 3 year period.
Do they have the right to bill me 8 1/2 years later ?
Thank you.
Is there no statute of limitations on this ?
Unfortunately there is no statute of limitations on imposing the Driver Responsibility Assessment against your son. Generally, once the DMV imposes it you can either pay it all at once or in installments. Not paying the assessment will result in a suspension of your son's driving privileges in NY. As you can see first hand, the negative consequences of a guilty plea can continue for years. These negative consequences- the points, the DMV surcharges, the violation on your record, and insurance rate increases- can be avoided by pleading not guilty and fighting the ticket from the start. If you would like to have the violation removed from your son's record and receive a refund of the amount you pay to the NY DMV for the driver responsibility assessment as well as the amount you paid to the court for the fine, we can help. You can call us at 888-883-5529 for a free consult to discuss this process.
I have a Michigan license, I got a ticket two months ago when I was driving in NYS and I paid it. Now I receive a suspension order from the dmv of NYS informs me to suspend my license unless I pay 300$. Is this suspension will be in all states or especially for driving in NYS?
Suspensions transfer between the states, and I strongly suggest you contact the NY DMV to bring your license up to date.
My situation is 13yrs old,and too complicated to explain here,but I wonder if you could help,?
April - you may reach us for a free consultation at 888-883-5529. We look forward to assisting you.
I paid my DRA but I then received a speeding ticket what will happen to my license?
Joe - If you are convicted of the new speeding violation, you may need to pay an additional DRA, along with address the other consequences of a speeding violation (points, fines, and insurance implications). If you have any specific questions on how to handle this violation, please feel free to contact us or provide us with more information.
19 months ago (Aug 2018) I got a speeding ticket in NYC for 21 MPH over the speed limit. That meant 6 points on my license and the dreaded DRA fee, so I pled Not Guilty.
I showed up to the 1st court date, but the police officer did not, and so the judge rescheduled my hearing to a later date (complete waste of my time).
For the 2nd court date, I sent a written statement instead of attending. But a few weeks before the new court date, I received a letter in the mail saying my court date had been rescheduled to a later date. Then, this happened a 2nd time... Then, a 3rd time... This is now the 4th rescheduled court date (scheduled for May 7th 2020).
I feel there must be something I can do to get out of this. I'm also reading online that NY points may go away 18 months after the date of ticket? What should I do?
Brendan - Points do not 'go away' after 18 months - but rather, points are effective for 18 months from the violation date for suspension and assessment fee purposes. Furthermore, courts are permitted to administratively adjourn hearing dates a given number of times. In light of the Covid-19 outbreak - it is unclear exactly how upcoming trial dates will be scheduled and addressed.
I live in Massachusetts and was found guilty of speeding without a real chance to contest the ticket... so I paid the $203 speedind ticket and now they want me to pay an additional $300 a year for 3 yrs assessment fee or my license will be suspended in NY... How can I fight this if at all because I really can't afford to pay it 😟