Richmond County Traffic Court Records

Traffic court records in Richmond County -- better known as Staten Island -- are handled through the DMV Traffic Violations Bureau, just like the other four boroughs of New York City. The TVB system means no plea bargaining and no regular court hearings. Instead, Administrative Law Judges run the process. If you got a ticket on Staten Island, this page covers how to respond, where to go, and what the TVB process looks like.

Richmond County Traffic Court Records

Richmond County has one TVB office. It is at West Shore Plaza, 1775 South Avenue, Suite 2, Staten Island, NY 10314. The phone number is (718) 488-5710. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, with Thursday hours extended to 6:00 PM. One nice thing about this location -- there is free parking available, which is not always the case at TVB offices in other boroughs.

The DMV TVB office locations page shows all eight offices across New York City, including the Staten Island location.

The TVB offices do not accept walk-ins. You must have a scheduled hearing or reservation before you show up.

The Richmond County Clerk's office is separate from the TVB. The clerk is at 130 Stuyvesant Place, Staten Island, NY 10301, and can be reached at (718) 390-5389. But the County Clerk does not handle traffic violations. The clerk deals with Supreme Court filings, property records, and other civil matters. For traffic tickets, you go to the TVB.

Richmond County Traffic Court Records

The TVB handles non-criminal moving violations only. Speeding, cell phone use, running a red light, improper lane changes -- these all go to the TVB. Parking tickets, camera violations, and criminal charges like DWI do not. Criminal traffic cases go to the Staten Island Criminal Court.

You have 15 days from the violation date to answer your ticket. There are three ways to do it. You can go online at the DMV plea and payment portal. You can mail your plea using the form on the back of the ticket. Or you can handle it at the TVB office with an appointment.

If you plead guilty, you pay the fine and surcharges right away. If you plead not guilty, you get a hearing. At the hearing, the officer testifies, and you get to respond. The judge decides on the spot. There is no jury. There is no plea bargain. The judge can only find you guilty or not guilty of the exact charge on the ticket.

If the officer does not show up for the hearing, the case gets dismissed most of the time. You can also skip the in-person hearing and submit a written Statement in Place of Personal Appearance. That lets you make your case on paper without going to the office.

Richmond County Traffic Court Records

The MyDMV portal lets you check open tickets, view your driving record, and see your point total. You can also plead guilty and pay online, schedule a hearing, or reschedule one time. The Richmond County Clerk website handles other county records but not traffic violations.

If you can't find your ticket in the system, it may not have been entered yet. It can take several days after a stop for the ticket to show up in the DMV database. You can request an email notification when it does.

Points and Fines

Points go on your record when you are convicted. The point values are set statewide by the DMV. Common ones include 3 points for speeding 1-10 over, 4 points for 11-20 over, 5 points for texting, and 5 points for reckless driving. Hit 11 points in 18 months and your license can be suspended.

Fines depend on the violation and are set within ranges under the Vehicle and Traffic Law. A mandatory $93 surcharge applies to most traffic convictions. If you collect 6 or more points in 18 months, the DMV also bills you for the Driver Responsibility Assessment -- $100 per year for three years, plus $25 per year for each point over 6.

Payment plans are available after a conviction if you can't pay everything at once. The minimum is usually $25 a month. Apply through the TVB or online.

Richmond County Supreme Court

The Supreme Court for Richmond County is at 18 Richmond Terrace, reachable at (718) 390-5400. This court handles major civil and criminal matters -- not routine traffic tickets. However, if a traffic incident leads to serious charges like vehicular manslaughter or a major DWI case, it could end up here.

The County Clerk serves as the clerk of the Supreme Court and keeps records for cases filed there. For most people dealing with a basic traffic ticket, though, the TVB is the only office you need to know about.

Nearby Counties

Richmond County is the southernmost borough of New York City. It connects to Brooklyn by the Verrazzeck-Narrows Bridge and to New Jersey by several crossings. Other NYC boroughs also use the TVB system.

Part of New York City

Staten Island is one of the five boroughs of New York City. For a broader look at how traffic tickets work across the entire city, see our main New York City page.