If you’re in New York on business, vacation or to spend time with your college student, you could find yourself getting a traffic ticket. That’s not unusual.
When people are in unfamiliar areas, they may not notice a stop sign or a posted speed limit. They can end up going the wrong way on a one-way street or making an unsafe move to get to an exit ramp they didn’t see in time.
Whatever the situation, don’t assume that because you don’t live in New York and your driver’s license was issued in your home state that ticket doesn’t count and no one will follow up if you ignore it. Neither of those things is true.
The Driver’s License Compact
New York, like all but a handful of states, is part of the Driver’s License Compact. That is an agreement states have signed onto that requires them to share moving traffic violations with one another. The motto of the compact is “One Driver, One License, One Record.”
Each state has agreed to treat traffic violations that occur in another state just as they would if they’d occurred there. Therefore, depending on your alleged violation, you could end up with points on your license. Potentially your license could even be suspended, depending on the severity of the violation and how many previous ones you have. Of course, you’re also required to pay for the ticket.
You have a right to contest the ticket
Many people choose to simply pay the ticket – even one they would normally contest if they got it at home. They think it’s too much trouble to deal with it. However, you have every right to contest a citation. With legal assistance, you may not have to come back to New York to do it.
If you believe you wrongly received a traffic ticket in New York and accepting it would harm your driving record and even your right to drive, it can be worthwhile to contest it. Remember that your insurance rates could go up significantly since insurance companies don’t differentiate between tickets received in a driver’s home state and other states. It’s a good idea to weigh all these factors and consider your options before you pay the ticket.