NY DMV and Insurance Demerit System Points

Are you facing a NY speeding ticket or moving violation? If so you may accrue points.

Getting convicted of that speeding or traffic ticket will cause your license to accrue points. Accruing of points causes insurance increases, license suspensions, and additional fines called driver safety assessments. Our point reduction speeding and traffic ticket defense lawyers are professional New York Traffic Court Defenders. All we do is represent drivers accused of moving violations that cause points and increases in insurance upon conviction. If you have been charged with a NY moving violation that carries points, call us at Palumbo & Associates, PC to speak to an experienced point reduction defense attorney.

In New York State, all traffic violations are at least 2 points. The following are the breakdowns:

11 Points
Speeding 41 MPH or more over the speed limit. Plus license suspension & $675 assessment

8 Points
Speeding 31 - 40 MPH over the speed limit. Plus $450 assessment & possible license suspension

6 Points
Speeding 21 – 30 MPH over the speed limit. Plus $300 assessment

5 Points
Reckless driving, VTL § 1212. Also a misdemeanor conviction
Passing a stopped school bus, VTL § 1174
Cell phone, VTL § 1225

4 Points
Speeding 11 – 20 MPH over the speed limit
Following too closely, VTL § 1229
Inadequate brakes

3 Points
Speeding, unspecified speed
Failure to yield right of way
Disobey rail road crossing
Disobey stop sign, VTL § 1172
Disobey yield sign
Disobey traffic light, VTL § 1111
Improper passing
Unsafe lane change
Driving left of center
Opposite way on one way street
Leaving the scene of a property damage accident or injury to an animal
Failure to restrain children 15 and under

2 Points
Failure to obey a traffic control device, VTL § 1110(a)
Any moving violation not assigned a specific point accrual

DMV Point Accruals Cause Additional Fines

Accumulating 6 or more points in any given 18 month period, as calculated from the violation dates, causes additional fines, called an assessment. There are no assessments for accumulation of up to 5 points in any given 18 month period. However, once you hit 6 or more points the assessments kick in. The assessment is $300.00 for the first 6 points, and $75.00 for every point thereafter.

Example: You mail your ticket for talking on a cell phone in with a guilty plea and accrue 5 points. 8 months later you mail your ticket in with a guilty plea for speeding 21 MPH over the speed limit and accrue an additional 6 points. Added together that’s 11 points in an 18 month period. The NYS DMV will now fine you $675.00 ($300.00 for the first 6 points, and then $75.00 for every point thereafter). In addition, your license will now be suspended as you went over 10 points in total. It will remain suspended until 18 months after your first conviction date.

Insurance Demerit Point System

Even if a violation you have been charged with does not carry DMV points, they may nonetheless carry insurance demerit system points. This is because while the NYS DMV point system and insurance demerit system are similar, they are not alike.

The DMV point system is there to suspend you as a punative measure for too many points in a short period of time, and to also fine you for going over 5 points. The insurance demerit system is designed to raise rates for activities that the insurance company deems you as a more risky driver.

For example, while driving without wearing a seatbelt is 0 points, it is an insurance demerit which can cause an insurance increase. Likewise driving without or on a suspended license, or in an unregistered or suspended registered vehicle will not accrue DMV points, but will accrue insurance demerit system points. NY DWI carries no DMV points but your insurance premium will take a major hit.

What Our Office Can Do For You

Our law office offers convenience, ease, and certitude of a positive outcome. Our traffic ticket defense service is convenient because it is statewide. We will represent you in any court in the State of New York. Our traffic court defense service is easy because our traffic court lawyers get your court appearance waived so you do not have to go to court. Nor do you ever have to come to our office. In other words we do everything for you. We give you piece of mind that you will have a positive outcome by giving you a money back guarantee, in most cases, to reduce or eliminate the points and thereby prevent an insurance increase or license suspension.

Getting Started

Getting started with our office is easy. Call us toll free at 1-877-99-NO-TIX (1-877-996-6849) or e-mail us through this site. All we need to know is your name, the name of the court your speeding ticket is returned to (or the town or county where you were issued the ticket), the charge or charges, and if a speeding ticket then the speed limit and the speed charged. You can do this by writing the information in an e-mail, or canning and e-mailing your ticket(s) or by faxing the tickets to us at 914-777-2999. With that minimal information we can provide you with a no cost, no obligation phone consultation. Don’t wait, call today!