Driving in New York City is nothing short of a highly skilled task. So don’t be too hard on yourself if you get a traffic ticket. Even the most experienced drivers are vulnerable to getting tickets in NYC.
There can be several reasons why you didn’t pay for a traffic ticket. Maybe you had too much on your plate and simply forgot, or you ignored it because you thought it was not a big deal. But you cannot afford to neglect a traffic ticket.
Whether you plan on paying the fine or fighting the ticket in traffic court, it’s imperative to address traffic tickets within stipulated deadlines. Otherwise, you risk facing the following consequences.
Penalties for Neglecting Moving Violation Tickets
Whether you took an illegal turn or were caught driving without a seatbelt, you can get a moving violation ticket. If you are issued such a ticket in NYC, you have 15 days to respond to the ticket.
While it’s best to address the ticket as soon as you can, you should be aware that the 15-days isn’t a strict deadline. In fact, nothing major will happen until around the five-week mark. But why wait that long? You should look into your ticket and decide if you want to pay it or fight it.
Whether you want to plead guilty or not guilty, make sure you do it within the first deadline specified in the notice you’ll receive around the five-week mark. If you fail to do so, your license will be suspended, and you’ll have to pay a fine to clear the suspension. However, if you fail to enter a plea by the second deadline, you might be convicted of the charge as well as face a second suspension. You will have to pay two separate fines to lift the multiple suspensions on your driving license.
Are you planning to plead not guilty? You’ll be expected to show up for a hearing on a set date. If you fail to appear, you get a grace period of 30 days to come in and explain yourself to a judge. If you’re unable to fix the situation, your license will be suspended, and you’ll have to pay a fine to clear it. Moreover, if you fail to fix the situation within 60 days, you will be convicted by default and face another suspension.
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of addressing your traffic tickets as soon as possible. Driving with a suspended license can lead to serious penalties. You can get arrested and face criminal proceedings.
Penalties for Neglecting Parking and Red-Light Camera Tickets
When you get a parking ticket, you can look at the ticket form to find out the response deadline. Usually, you will get a period of 30 days to respond. Again, you have the option to pay the ticket or dispute it. If you fail to respond within the deadline, your fine will continue increasing. After 30 days have lapsed, your fine will increase by $10. After 60 days, an additional $20 will be added to your fine. After 100 days, you will be liable to pay 9% interest per year until the debt is paid.
For red light camera tickets, you’ll have to pay an additional $25 penalty after 30 days have passed. Once 100 days have passed, you’ll have to pay the same interest rate as previously mentioned.
Final Words
Ignoring a ticket won’t make it go away. Rather it will just become more expensive and inconvenient. Sometimes you may be guilty of using your phone while driving or taking the wrong turn. On the other hand, if you think you received an unfair ticket, you have the right to contest it. You can use a traffic ticket lookup tool to search and dispute your traffic tickets easily.
