If you have an Alaska driver’s license and recently received a New York traffic ticket, do not give in and pay the ticket – doing so can have far more serious consequences than you think.
Both New York and Alaska are members of the Driver’s License Compact. This means they share driver information with each other. Consequently, if you receive a NY traffic ticket but are an Alaska driver, Alaska will be notified about the ticket you received.
Alaska drivers who plead guilty to a NY traffic ticket can face large fines, a possible suspension of driving privileges and increased insurance rates. The following information is designed to help you better understand what you are facing when you receive a NY traffic ticket on an Alaska driver’s license.
Although Alaska drivers will not receive points for the out-of-state traffic violations they commit, the convictions for those violations will still be placed on their driving record. Remember, just because points are not assessed against your driving record does not mean you are off the hook.
In fact, all of the negative consequences associated with getting points (i.e. license suspensions, higher insurance rates, other hidden costs, etc.) still apply because your driving record will reflect that you pled guilty or were convicted of the out-of-state traffic violation.
Alaska shares and receives driving data from other states like New York. It also records every out-of-state traffic conviction you get on your driving record (including if you plead guilty through the mail).
Remember, every insurance carrier has access to your driving record and will check it regularly. Once your insurance carrier notices the out-of-state traffic conviction on your Alaska driving record, your auto insurance could skyrocket!
Even though you have an Alaska driver’s license, the fine you will pay goes to the State of New York and it will be the New York amount (i.e. not what Alaska would have fined you had you been ticketed at home).
Furthermore, police in New York will often issue a ticket for the maximum fine because they fully expect out-of-state drivers to give up and pay the ticket instead of hiring an attorney to fight it.
As a result, when you plead guilty or are convicted of a NY traffic violation as an out-of-state driver, you will face a steep fine and surcharge.
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If you plead guilty to a New York traffic ticket worth six points under NY’s point system or are convicted of an offense or set of offenses that amount to six or more points in NY, you will be required to pay a Driver Responsibility Assessment (DRA). The assessment costs $100 per year for three years. If you get more than six points in 18 months, an additional $25 per year will be charged for each additional point you receive. This means one extra point will cost you $75 more (since the assessment lasts for three years).
Also, getting convicted of a drug- or alcohol-related offense or refusing to submit to a chemical test will result in a $250 assessment per year for three years.
Remember, the Driver Responsibility Assessment (DRA) applies whether you are an out-of-state driver or licensed in New York and even if points do not transfer to your home state.
If you are an Alaska driver and commit NY traffic offenses that total 11 points or more under New York’s point system, you will lose your New York driving privileges.
You may think 11 points is a lot and that you could never get so many during a short vacation to New York. However, you would be surprised at how fast points add up. Cell phone tickets, text message tickets, and failing to stop for a school bus are all five-point tickets. Similarly, driving 21 mph over the speed limit is a six-point ticket. These high point values—coupled with NY’s heightened police enforcement of out-of-state drivers—make that 11-point threshold rather easy to get to, even on a relatively short vacation.
However, unlike other states, Alaska will not suspend your license simply because your driving privileges were taken away in New York. Nevertheless, Alaska will honor the suspension of your New York driving privileges. Accordingly, if you are caught driving in New York after your New York driving privileges were taken away, you could face criminal charges and even jail time.
As you can see, you are facing a great deal when you are handed an out-of-state traffic ticket. Although it might be tempting to simply plead guilty and pay the fine, doing so will not make these negative consequences go away. In fact, the conviction is the very thing that brings most of them on.
Although it might be tempting to simply plead guilty and pay the fine, doing so will not make these negative consequences go away. In fact, the conviction is the very thing that brings most of them on.
If you recently received a New York traffic ticket, contact Rosenblum Law today at 888-883-5529.
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