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Red means stop! But what else does it mean? Everybody knows that stop signs require you to stop, but few people know the full extent of the law. In New York, there are quite a few additional rules and requirements that—if you’re not careful—can get you a ticket with a hefty fine.

What To Do at a Stop Sign

First things first, stop your vehicle. In New York (and in most other states) you can get a ticket for disobeying a stop sign if you do not come to a full and complete stop. What that means is the vehicle must entirely stop moving. In other words, your speedometer should read “0 MPH” before proceeding.

Once you’ve come to a full and complete stop, yield the right of way where applicable. You should yield the right of way to a vehicle if it meets any of the following requirements:

• It is already in the intersection.
• It is going straight and you are turning left.
• It is an emergency vehicle with its lights and sirens on.
• It arrived at the intersection before you did.
• It arrived at the intersection at the same time as you but is to your left.

Of course, this is far from a complete list of situations where yielding is required. For more information on the right of way, see our traffic law blog.

Must I Stop if There Is No One in the Crosswalk?

Yes, the law requires that you stop even if nobody appears to be near the crosswalk. The reason for that is simple: Just because you don’t see them doesn’t mean they’re not there. It is entirely possible that there’s a person waiting to cross the street and you just can’t see them, whether because you’re traveling at a high speed, because they’re behind a pole, etc.

The consequences of stopping when nobody’s there pale in comparison to the consequences of not stopping when somebody is there. The former results in a mild inconvenience to you. The latter results in the death of a pedestrian. For that reason, the government of New York is quite strict on the enforcement of this law.

Where Should I Stop?

There are several markings that accompany a stop sign in New York. There will often be a crosswalk and another line painted just before the crosswalk. The crosswalk is the path marked by parallel, white lines leading from one sidewalk to another. The “stop line” is the white line that runs parallel to the crosswalk.

You should stop at that line, not at the crosswalk. If you pass the stop line and continue into the crosswalk, you can potentially be written a ticket for not stopping in the correct place.

Which Vehicles Have Right of Way When There Are Stop Signs?

At intersections not controlled by stop signs or light signals or where you and another driver stop at the same time, whoever is to the left of the other driver has the right of way. If you’re across the street from one another (and therefore neither is “to the left” of the other), then whoever is going straight or turning right has the right of way.

Penalties for Disobeying a Stop Sign in New York

Like most traffic violations in New York, disobeying a stop sign is an infraction. That means it’s the least severe type of violation in the state and cannot impose any jail time. However, although you won’t walk away with a criminal record after being convicted of one of these violations, traffic infractions can still lead you to break the bank.

The base fine for a first offense is $150 for first-time offenders. If you commit the same violation a second time, the penalty can double, totaling $300 in fines. Commit it another time and you’ll be looking at $450 in fines—and that’s not counting all the other financial penalties.

The surcharge for disobeying a stop sign is a whopping $100, a good bit more expensive than most traffic violations in the state of New York.

A conviction for this violation can add up to three points to your record, which means you might also have to pay the Driver Responsibility Assessment (DRA) fee. The DRA fee costs $100 once you hit six points on your license and can incur an additional $25 for each point after that. Worst of all, that penalty must be paid every year for three full years.

Factor in potential insurance increases over four years and you’re looking at a potential cost of thousands of dollars, all for one ticket.

Defenses for Stop Sign Tickets

Since stop sign tickets can present such a steep financial liability, it’s important to consider the different ways to fight them. This section will walk you through three common defenses against stop sign tickets in New York.

Prove the Stop Sign Wasn’t Visible

Go back to the alleged scene of the crime and take pictures of the stop sign from the road. Be careful not to impede traffic in the process, of course. If you’re able to obtain concrete evidence that the stop sign was not visible from the road, then you might be able to convince the judge to dismiss the case against you. After all, how can you obey a stop sign that you didn’t know was there?

Prove the Stop Line Was Not Visible

Tickets for stop line violations can be contested in a similar way. Go back to the scene of the crime and take pictures of the stop line under the same conditions as when you received your ticket. If you can prove that, under those conditions, the stop line was not visible and that you did in fact try to stop where a reasonable person might have believed the stop line was, you might be able to beat the ticket.

Prove That Your Dash Cam Shows You Stopped Properly

One of the main reasons to put a dash camera (“dash cam”) in your vehicle is to use it to contest traffic tickets and car accidents. In this case, if your footage can prove that you actually did properly stop at the stop sign and follow the laws of the road, then you stand a much better chance of beating your case.

Need Help Fighting Your Ticket? Contact an Attorney Through appwinit.com!

Although this article might help shed some light on the general state of stop sign tickets in New York, only a lawyer who’s seen your case will be able to tell you what the best option is for your particular situation. Fortunately, there are plenty of New York traffic lawyers available for you to choose from in the WinIt app.

Rather than paying hefty fines and facing other penalties for years to come, download the WinIt app and get started fighting your tickets today. With access to safe and affordable legal assistance in the palm of your hand, your clean slate is only a tap away.