While any traffic ticket is problematic, those issued in Brooklyn (also known as Kings County) are more difficult than most. That because Brooklyn traffic tickets are handled through the Traffic Violations Bureau (TVB). The TVB is a division of the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles. As such, it operates differently than most traffic courts. Firstly, the TVB does not allow tickets to be negotiated down. Secondly, the burden of proof needed to convict drivers is much lower. This and other factors are the reason the TVB in Brooklyn has one of the highest conviction rates in the state. For example, 96% of all texting while driving tickets and 95% of all speeding tickets issued in Brooklyn in 2017 resulted in a conviction.
Drivers should be wary of assuming that paying a ticket will just “make it go away.” It’s easy to forget how quickly points can add up on one’s driver’s license. For example, one ticket for speeding 21 mph over the limit in Brooklyn is worth 6 points. Paying two such tickets within 18 months of each other (12 points total) means one has already gone over the 11-point threshold for a suspended license!
But beating a Brooklyn traffic ticket is not easy and requires the help of a skilled New York traffic ticket attorney. The attorneys of the Rosenblum Law have many years’ experience fighting traffic tickets in the TVB offices in Brooklyn and the rest of NYC. Our attorneys can analyze the evidence to find flaws in the officer’s charges. While the burden of proof to convict is lower in the TVB, our attorneys excel at demonstrating if and when that burden has not been met, which is the best way to get a ticket dismissed.
Moreover, our extensive experience in the TVB Brooklyn office means our attorneys are well acquainted with the judges and have amassed a reputation for being trustworthy and reasonable. This ensures that when our attorneys challenge a charge, the merits of our challenge are taken seriously. This in turn increases the odds of a favorable ruling.
In addition, when drivers hire our law firm to represent them in their traffic ticket case, it almost always saves them a trip to the court house. For most Brooklyn traffic ticket cases, an attorney can appear for the driver and present arguments on his/her behalf.
Fines (and points) for Brooklyn traffic tickets vary depending on the violation. The most common tickets and their respective fines and points include:
| Violation | Fine | Points |
| Speeding | $45 to $600 | 3 to 11 |
| Cell phone and texting | $50 to $200 | 5 |
| Seat belt violation | up to $100 | 0 or 3 |
| Red light violations | up to $450 | 2 or 3 |
| Tailgating | up to $150 | 4 |
On top of the fines, a conviction also means paying a mandatory state surcharge of $88. Even worse, drivers who are convicted of a ticket or tickets worth six or more points must pay a Driver Responsibility Assessment (DRA) fee. A DRA costs $300 plus $75 for each point over six. A DRA is paid directly to the NYS DMV and is separate from the fine. But the most expensive part of a traffic ticket is often the increase in auto insurance premiums. Tickets like speeding or failure to stop can result in a 15% increase or more which can last for at least three years.
| Traffic Tickets in Brooklyn, NY | |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 336,354 |
| 2010 | 318,036 |
| 2011 | 284,719 |
| 2012 | 301,333 |
| 2013 | 309,256 |
| 2014 | 320,229 |
| 2015 | 290,097 |
| 2016 | 299,060 |
| 2017 | 305,248 |
Brooklyn issues the third-most traffic tickets of any NYS county. In 2017, NYPD and other law enforcement agencies wrote 305,248 traffic tickets to drivers in Brooklyn. This is a 2% uptick over 2016. Overall, traffic tickets were down about 9% in Brooklyn from 2009, the earliest data available from the DMV. However, tickets for certain key violations were up. For example, speeding tickets more than doubled from 2009 to 2018, from 12,021 to 28,647. Brooklyn also hands out the most cell phone and texting tickets of any NYS county by a large margin (see below).
TVB Brooklyn North
Atlantic Center Mall
2nd Floor
625 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
TVB Brooklyn South (Coney Island)
2875 West 8th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11224
Contact the Rosenblum Law to assist you with your traffic ticket matter in Brooklyn. We can offer you a free consultation about your case and have our attorney’s fight on your behalf. Email us or call 888-883-5529 for a free consultation about your case.