California Drivers With New York Speeding Tickets
For those of you who plan on visiting the Big Apple in the near future, this article is for you.
Remember, when you get a speeding ticket in a different state, you are not automatically off the hook simply because you do not live there. You will still have to pay a fine, you may end up incurring points on your license for the out-of-state violation, and your insurance could still go up substantially. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the differences and similarities when it comes to getting aNew Yorkspeeding ticket when you areCaliforniadriver and vice versa.
Driver’s License Compact
BothNew York and California have signed the Driver’s License Compact. This means New York and California freely share driver information with one another.
If you receive a NY traffic ticket but are a CA driver, contrary to popular belief, CA will be notified about the ticket you received. Similarly, this also applies if you are licensed inNew Yorkand got a ticket in CA.
California Drivers
If you receive a New York traffic ticket and are a licensed California driver, depending on the traffic offense you commit, you could have points assessed against your license.
For the overwhelming majority of New York traffic violations,California will assess 1 point against your driving record. However, for more serious offenses (e.g. driving on a suspended license, DUI/DWI, hit and runs, reckless driving, etc.), California will put 2 points on your license even though the offense was committed in New York.
Moreover, if you were caught speeding in NY, California will put 1 point on your license regardless of how fast you were traveling. For example, the same 1 point will be assessed against your California license if you were pulled over for going 7 miles per hour over the posted speed limit or 37 MPH over the limit.
Additionally, if you are a commercial driver’s license (CDL) holder and were caught speeding 15 miles per hour or more over the posted speed limit while traveling in a commercial vehicle, you will also receive 1 point on your California license.
Do not forget, according to California Vehicle Code §12810.5a, you will be considered a negligent operator if you receive:
- 4 or More Points in 12 Months
- 6 or More Points in 24 Months
- 8 or More Points in 36 Months
Furthermore, your driving privileges may be suspended if you receive 4 points, and the 1 point assessed for your NY speeding ticket will count toward this.
Lastly, if you receive a NY traffic ticket as a CA driver, you will be forced to pay a fine to the State of New York commensurate with the violation you were ticketed for. However, you will never be double-fined (i.e. California can not collect a fine for your NY traffic ticket and vice versa).
New York Drivers
If you are a New Yorker and plan on driving in Californiathis summer, you too need to be well-versed in the speeding laws and how they apply for out-of-state drivers. It is important to note that New York handles out-of-state tickets very differently than California. If you have a New Yorkdriver’s license and receive a California traffic ticket,New York will not add points onto your driver’s license.
According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, “The NYSDMV does not record out-of-state violations committed by NYS drivers in other jurisdictions.” However, there are exceptions for alcohol- and drug-related violations as well as moving violations committed in Quebec or Ontario. As such, if you were caught speeding 37 miles over the posted speed limit inCalifornia, you will not have a single point added onto yourNew York driver’s license.
However, it is extremely important to realize that your car insurance rate can still be increased and you will still have to pay the corresponding fine to the State ofCalifornia (which can be quite expensive).
Make sure to contact an experienced NY traffic ticket attorney to help you avoid the fallout of an out-of-state speeding ticket.
Author Bio
Adam H. Rosenblum of The Rosenblum Law Firm is a traffic ticket attorney licensed to practice in both New Yorkand New Jersey. Visit his website ticketdefenselaw.com today.
