Find New York Traffic Court Records
New York traffic court records are public documents that track every traffic ticket, violation, and court case filed across the state. You can search these records online or in person at the court where the ticket was issued. New York has 62 counties, and traffic cases get handled at many levels -- from city courts and town justice courts all the way up to the state DMV Traffic Violations Bureau in New York City. The type of court depends on where the stop took place and what kind of ticket it was. Whether you need to check the status of a case, look up points on a driving record, or find out how to pay or fight a ticket, this page walks you through how New York's traffic court system works and where to start your search.
New York Traffic Court Records at a Glance
New York Traffic Court Records and the TVB
The DMV Traffic Violations Bureau handles all non-criminal moving traffic violations in the five boroughs of New York City. That means tickets issued in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island go through the TVB -- not through a regular court. The TVB does not deal with parking tickets, red light camera tickets, speed camera tickets, or criminal charges like DWI. Those go to other courts. If you get a traffic ticket in one of the five boroughs, a DMV Administrative Law Judge hears your case instead of a regular judge.
You have to answer your TVB ticket within 15 days of the violation date. You can plead guilty and pay online, by mail, or at a TVB office location. If you want to fight the ticket, you plead not guilty and schedule a hearing. You can do this online at the DMV plea and payment portal or by mail. At your hearing, you are considered innocent unless the officer proves your guilt by clear and convincing evidence. You can bring witnesses, show evidence, and have a lawyer if you want one. You are not required to appear in person -- you can submit a Statement in Place of Personal Appearance instead.
The Traffic Violations Bureau runs eight offices across New York City. The Bronx TVB is at 696 East Fordham Road. Brooklyn has two offices -- Brooklyn North at 625 Atlantic Avenue and Brooklyn South at 2875 West 8th Street. Manhattan North is at 159 East 125th Street and Manhattan South at 17 Battery Place. Queens has offices in Flushing and Jamaica. Staten Island's TVB is at West Shore Plaza on South Avenue. All offices share the same phone number: (718) 488-5710.
The TVB office portal below shows the full list of locations, hours, and how to make an appointment for your hearing.
The NYS DMV TVB Office Locations page lists all eight hearing sites in New York City with addresses and hours.
Each location holds hearings Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, with extended hours on Thursdays until 6:00 PM.
Note: TVB offices do not take walk-ins. You must have a scheduled hearing or reservation to visit any TVB location.
Traffic Court Records Outside New York City
Traffic tickets issued anywhere outside the five boroughs go to a local court. This could be a city court, town court, or village court -- it depends on where the stop happened. New York has hundreds of these local courts spread across 62 counties. Each one keeps its own records and sets its own court dates. The ticket itself tells you which court to report to and gives you a phone number to call.
Local courts handle everything from speeding tickets to red light violations to driving on a suspended license. Unlike TVB cases in the city, many local courts allow plea bargaining. That means you might be able to negotiate a reduced charge with the local district attorney. The process varies by court and by county. Some courts are open during the day, and others hold sessions in the evening just once or twice a month. Town and village courts are sometimes called justice courts, and the judges who run them may not be lawyers -- they are elected officials who get special training from the state.
The NYS DMV traffic tickets page explains the full breakdown of how tickets work inside and outside the city.
That page also covers what to do if you fail to answer a ticket, which can lead to a license suspension.
Traffic Court Records and the Point System
The DMV uses a point system to track traffic violations and traffic court records reflect these points. Points get added to your record when you are convicted -- not when you get the ticket. The date that matters is the violation date, not the conviction date. Under VTL Section 510, if you rack up 11 or more points in any 18-month window, your license can be suspended.
Here is how the points break down for common violations. Speeding 1 to 10 mph over the limit is 3 points. Going 11 to 20 mph over is 4 points. Speeding 21 to 30 over costs you 6 points. Going 31 to 40 over is 8 points, and anything more than 40 mph over the limit is 11 points -- which means a single ticket can trigger a suspension. Reckless driving, texting while driving, and using a cell phone each carry 5 points. Running a red light or failing to yield is 3 points. Most other moving violations are 2 points. You can check the full list on the NYS DMV driver point system page.
This page shows the full point chart and explains how points are calculated over rolling 18-month periods.
If you hit 6 or more points in 18 months, you also have to pay a Driver Responsibility Assessment fee. That is a separate fee on top of any fines from the court -- $100 per year for three years, plus $25 per year for each point over 6. Completing a defensive driving course through the Point and Insurance Reduction Program can take up to 4 points off your record and reduce your insurance rates by 10 percent.
How to Search New York Traffic Court Records
You have a few options for looking up traffic court records in New York. The method depends on whether the ticket was issued in the city or outside it, and what kind of information you need.
For TVB tickets in New York City, the MyDMV portal lets you view your own tickets and driving record online. You log in with your NY.gov ID or personal info to see open tickets, conviction history, and point totals. This is the fastest way to check the status of a TVB case.
The MyDMV portal gives direct access to your personal driving record, open tickets, and transaction history.
For tickets outside the city, you contact the local court directly. The clerk at the town, village, or city court can tell you the status of any case. Many courts now have online systems, but access varies widely from one court to the next. Some counties offer record search tools through their clerk's office. The NYS Courts records page explains how to request court records from any court in the state system.
The state courts website walks through the process of requesting records, including the eCourts system and NYSCEF electronic filing search.
The DMV records request page covers how to get driving records, crash reports, and other DMV documents. The DIAL-IN service is available for attorneys, investigators, and other professionals who regularly need to access DMV records.
Crash reports are kept on file for four years from the date of the crash, and you can search and order them online.
Paying New York Traffic Court Fines
How you pay depends on where the ticket was issued. For TVB traffic court records in the city, you can pay online at the NY.gov pay traffic violation page. You need your ticket number and either your DMV ID number or your name, date of birth, and gender. You can plead guilty and pay right away, or pay fines from an earlier conviction. Under VTL Section 227, courts can set up payment plans if you can't pay the full amount at once -- the minimum is usually $25 a month.
The state payment portal handles TVB fines, surcharges, and scheduling for New York City traffic tickets.
For tickets outside the city, you pay the local court. Most courts accept cash, money order, or certified check. Some take credit cards with a processing fee, usually around 2.5 to 3 percent. A few courts now accept online payments through web portals. The instructions on the back of your ticket tell you exactly where and how to pay. If you lose your TVB ticket, you can print a replacement at the DMV website as long as the ticket is still open.
Note: Failing to pay a traffic fine or answer a ticket can result in your license being suspended in New York State.
New York Vehicle and Traffic Law
The New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law is the full set of statutes that govern driving in the state. It covers everything from speed limits and passing rules to DWI offenses and accident reporting. The law is broken into titles and articles, each dealing with a different aspect of motor vehicle operation.
The NY Senate website hosts the full text of every section of the Vehicle and Traffic Law, searchable by article and section number.
Key sections that come up in traffic court include Article 30 on speed restrictions, Article 31 on alcohol and drug offenses, and Article 25 on passing and overtaking. Section 510.4-a gives the DMV authority to suspend your license if you fail to appear in court. Section 605 requires you to file an accident report within 10 days if any crash causes more than $1,000 in property damage or involves an injury.
New York Traffic Court Records: Plead or Pay
The DMV's online system lets you handle TVB tickets without going to an office. You can plead guilty and pay, plead not guilty and schedule a hearing, change a not guilty plea to guilty, reschedule a hearing one time, or take no action on a ticket and wait for a notice. The system also lets you request a notification when your ticket gets entered -- it can take several days after a stop for the ticket to show up.
The plead or pay portal is the central hub for all TVB ticket actions, from initial pleas to payment plans.
You cannot plead guilty online if the conviction would result in a suspension or revocation. In that case, you have to appear in person or submit a written statement. You also can't plead not guilty online if your license is already suspended for failing to answer a previous ticket. If you want to appeal a TVB conviction, you file form AA-33 within 30 days. The appeal goes to the DMV Appeals Board, and there is a fee to file.
Browse New York Traffic Court Records by County
Each of New York's 62 counties has its own court system that handles traffic violations. Pick a county below to find local court info, contact details, and resources for traffic court records in that area.
Traffic Court Records in Major New York Cities
In New York City, traffic tickets go through the TVB. Outside the city, they go to the local town, village, or city court. Pick a city below to find out where to go for traffic court records.