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The question of how to read a NY traffic ticket can boggle even the most analytical minds. But it’s much simpler than you might think. Underneath all that legalese and lawyer jargon is a straightforward, easy-to-understand system.

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) oversees all traffic matters in the state. There are plenty of places that do things a little differently, like TVB tickets in New York City, but most places stick closely to the DMV’s guidelines.

Police in every jurisdiction outside of the city stick to what they call the Uniform Traffic Ticket.

Below is an image of a uniform traffic ticket. Use this as a guide to understand how to read your traffic ticket.

Part 1: Your Personal Information

When trying to read a NY traffic ticket, start at the top left (look at the blue box labeled “1” in the top left corner of the ticket picture). That box contains your personal information. That’s where the officer will write down your name, address, car make and model, and other identifying information.

The bold, black number in the tip top of the ticket is one of the most important things on the page. Most courts call that either your ticket number or your citation number. It also tends to be your case number. Without that number, it’s almost impossible to do anything with your case.

Part 2: The Charges Against You

This is the gold box labeled “2” in the above picture. This box contains the officer’s allegations. Unless you’re a lawyer, this section can sound unnecessarily complicated. So let’s break it down.

“Time” and “Date of Offense:” These boxes are exactly what you think they are. They list the time and date the violation took place.

“IN VIOLATION OF:” This is the law that the officer is accusing you of having broken. For the overwhelming majority of traffic tickets, you will see “NYS V and T Law.” That’s shorthand for “New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law,” which covers almost every traffic violation in the state.

“Section Subsection:” This won’t make much sense unless you’re a lawyer or a cop. The numbers refer to the section of the law listed in the “IN VIOLATION OF” box. The letter refers to the subsection. In the picture, the ticket is for violating subsection D of section 1110 of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law.

“Description of Violation:” This is a brief description of what the officer wrote in the “Section Subsection” box. 

“Tr Inf,” “Misd,” and “Felony:” These are the three kinds of traffic violations in New York.

“MPH:” The speed the officer claims you were travelling.

“MPH Zone:” The posted speed limit in the area where you received the ticket. 

“CDL Veh,” “Bus,” and “Haz Mat:” These bubbles won’t be relevant for the majority of people. The first bubble is for trucks that require a commercial driver license to operate. The second buble is for people driving a bus. The last bubble is for people carrying hazardous materials.

For the most part, the other boxes in this section just list other miscellaneous information. For example: the officer who wrote the ticket and the city, town, or village where the violation took place.

Part 3: The Court’s Information

This is the section with the court’s information. The location where the violation took place determines where you go for court. If you got a ticket far from home, you’re going to either have to travel or hire a lawyer through a traffic ticket app to go on your behalf.

The two most important parts of this section are the two bubbles in the middle and the time and date immediately to their right. The bubbles show whether you can plead guilty by mail. In NY, you cannot plead guilty by mail to a violation that has the potential to result in jail time. The time and date list your appearance date. That’s when you get to go to court to fight your ticket.

Part 4: Plea of Guilty 

The top of section four is a not-so-helpful explanation of your traffic ticket plea options. Essentially it says that you can’t plead guilty to criminal charges outside of court.

Section A: Here is where you will sign your agreement to pay the fine, fees, surcharges, and penalties in full. Entering a plea of guilty is the same as telling the court, “I did exactly what the officer says and I’m here to pay the full price.” If you want to fight your ticket for any reason, do not plead guilty.

Part 5: Plea of Not Guilty

This part of the ticket is what kicks off the traffic ticket dispute process. To fight your traffic ticket in court, you must plead not guilty.

Section B: Here, you will see a lot more information than in Section A. The first bit of text talks about a “supporting deposition.” Always tell the officer that you would like a supporting deposition. That can give you more information about the ticket and why the officer wrote it.

The rest of Section B is just a line for your signature, lines for your address information, and lines for your parent or guardian if you’re under 18 year old.

What Now?

Now that you know how to read a NY traffic ticket, you’re almost there! Knowing how to read it is one part of winning it. In the WinIt app, you can upload all of the above information and get the ball rolling. Our expert traffic lawyers will help you every step of the way.

For more information on traffic tickets in NY, check out our blog.