I Have A New York License and I Got a Speeding Ticket in Another State, What Should I Do?
If you have a New York driver’s license and received a speeding ticket in another state, there are several important things for you to know. First and foremost, you cannot simply forget about the ticket and assume it will not affect you. It will. The following information was designed to help you better understand the ramifications of an out-of-state traffic ticket.
Driver’s License Compact
New York, as well as most states, signed the Driver’s License Compact. This is an agreement between all signed members that driver information will freely be accessible by all member states.
This means the state you received a speeding ticket in will almost certainly share that information with New York. Therefore, if you got a speeding ticket in New Jersey, Maryland, or even Florida, you better believe that the DMV will know about it.
Handling Out-of-State Speeding Tickets
According to the New York State DMV, “The NYSDMV does not record out-of-state violations committed by NYS drivers in other jurisdictions. The exceptions are alcohol-related violations, drug-related violations, and moving violations committed in Quebec or Ontario.” In other words, if you received a ticket in another state, points will not be placed on your New York license. However, that driver will still have to pay the relevant fines and state surcharges (if applicable), and his insurance rates can increase if his insurance company were to find out. Finally, the state in which he was convicted could suspend or revoke his right to drive in that state despite the fact that they have no jurisdiction over his NY license.
Additionally, unlike in New York, many states require you to personally appear in court if you receive a traffic ticket in their state. This might merely be an inconvenience if you received the ticket in a neighboring state. However, if you received it on a family trip to California, this could be unbelievably costly.
What if I Hire an Attorney?
If you hire an experienced traffic ticket lawyer to fight your ticket, you will usually not have to appear in court. Even in a state that requires your presence (e.g. New Jersey), your lawyer may be able file an Affidavit of Hardship on your behalf. This requests that the court to allow your attorney to proceed on your behalf without you being there due to the difficulty involved in traveling to court. What constitutes a hardship is generally within the full discretion of the court. We are aware of courts in New Jersey, for instance, that won’t excuse a defendant from appearing due to distance unless he lives a minimum of 120 miles or a 2 hour drive from court.
Who Should You Contact?
If you received an out-of-state traffic ticket, contact Rosenblum Law today. You could be facing more than you think. Our team of NY traffic ticket lawyers will do all they can to protect your legal rights, fight to keep you on the road, and will diligently work to get you the results you want. Call us today at 888-434-0406.
