er states are much less punitive. In California and many other states you can take driving school and it completely wipes the ticket off your record, though you can't go to the well too often. By contrast, driving school in New York has only a minor impact.

Every state seems to have its own point system. Many people wonder if the points transfer to other states. That is not how it works. Each state reports the tickets to other states, and each home state treats out-of-state tickets in a different way. Some states, l

Traffic court is the place most people first encounter the legal system. It is usually not a pleasant experience. The process is filled with misinformation, intimidation, and most of all, a lot of waiting.

Most people come into traffic court with a speeding ticket, often from an interstate highway. They are often unprepared for what will happen, and also unaware of how the results will affect their license, insurance, and their life in general.

Out-of-state drivers face particular challenges in traffic court. It's very difficult for them to make it there at all, and it's harder to find out how your home state will respond to the ticket you get in the other state. People often refer to this as reciprocity, though that term is now outdated.

In the process of building our traffic court directory, we've learned quite a bit about a variety of states. New York State has substantial fines. High speeds in New York can lead to fines, surcharges and assessments totaling in excess of $1000, while in most states the fines will not exceed $250. NY sandbags drivers with the "Drivers Responsibility Assessment", which is not part of the court process and surprises people after the fact.

Traffic tickets from New York are generally reported to other states. Within New York, there are two major systems. In most of the state traffic tickets are heard in regular local courts where tickets can often be negotiated. New York City has a different system, called the Traffic Violations Bureau, that it shares with parts of Suffolk County, and the cities of Buffalo and Rochester. In general tickets cannot be negotiated in the TVB, and you either plead guilty or have a trial.

Traffic courts in New Jersey and Massachusetts have lower fines but the insurance impact from tickets there is supposed to be quite dramatic. It is our understanding that tickets can usually be negotiated in these states.

Other states are much less punitive. In California and many other states you can take driving school and it completely wipes the ticket off your record, though you can't go to the well too often. By contrast, driving school in New York has only a minor impact.

Every state seems to have its own point system. Many people wonder if the points transfer to other states. That is not how it works. Each state reports the tickets to other states, and each home state treats out-of-state tickets in a different way. Some states, l

It's very difficult for them to make it there at all, and it's harder to find out how your home state will respond to the ticket you get in the other state. People often refer to this as reciprocity, though that term is now outdated.

In the process of building our traffic court directory, we've learned quite a bit about a variety of states. New York State has substantial fines. High speeds in New York can lead to fines, surcharges and assessments totaling in excess of $1000, while in most states the fines will not exceed $250. NY sandbags drivers with the "Drivers Responsibility Assessment", which is not part of the court process and surprises people after the fact.

Traffic tickets from New York are generally reported to other states. Within New York, there are two major systems. In most of the state traffic tickets are heard in regular local courts where tickets can often be negotiated. New York City has a different system, called the Traffic Violations Bureau, that it shares with parts of Suffolk County, and the cities of Buffalo and Rochester. In general tickets cannot be negotiated in the TVB, and you either plead guilty or have a trial.

Traffic courts in New Jersey and Massachusetts have lower fines but the insurance impact from tickets there is supposed to be quite dramatic. It is our understanding that tickets can usually be negotiated in these states.

Other states are much less punitive. In California and many other states you can take driving school and it completely wipes the ticket off your record, though you can't go to the well too often. By contrast, driving school in New York has only a minor impact.

Every state seems to have its own point system. Many people wonder if the points transfer to other states. That is not how it works. Each state reports the tickets to other states, and each home state treats out-of-state tickets in a different way. Some states, l

xceed $250. NY sandbags drivers with the "Drivers Responsibility Assessment", which is not part of the court process and surprises people after the fact.

Traffic tickets from New York are generally reported to other states. Within New York, there are two major systems. In most of the state traffic tickets are heard in regular local courts where tickets can often be negotiated. New York City has a different system, called the Traffic Violations Bureau, that it shares with parts of Suffolk County, and the cities of Buffalo and Rochester. In general tickets cannot be negotiated in the TVB, and you either plead guilty or have a trial.

Traffic courts in New Jersey and Massachusetts have lower fines but the insurance impact from tickets there is supposed to be quite dramatic. It is our understanding that tickets can usually be negotiated in these states.

Other states are much less punitive. In California and many other states you can take driving school and it completely wipes the ticket off your record, though you can't go to the well too often. By contrast, driving school in New York has only a minor impact.

Every state seems to have its own point system. Many people wonder if the points transfer to other states. That is not how it works. Each state reports the tickets to other states, and each home state treats out-of-state tickets in a different way. Some states, l

tions Bureau, that it shares with parts of Suffolk County, and the cities of Buffalo and Rochester. In general tickets cannot be negotiated in the TVB, and you either plead guilty or have a trial.

Traffic courts in New Jersey and Massachusetts have lower fines but the insurance impact from tickets there is supposed to be quite dramatic. It is our understanding that tickets can usually be negotiated in these states.

Other states are much less punitive. In California and many other states you can take driving school and it completely wipes the ticket off your record, though you can't go to the well too often. By contrast, driving school in New York has only a minor impact.

Every state seems to have its own point system. Many people wonder if the points transfer to other states. That is not how it works. Each state reports the tickets to other states, and each home state treats out-of-state tickets in a different way. Some states, l

er states are much less punitive. In California and many other states you can take driving school and it completely wipes the ticket off your record, though you can't go to the well too often. By contrast, driving school in New York has only a minor impact.

Every state seems to have its own point system. Many people wonder if the points transfer to other states. That is not how it works. Each state reports the tickets to other states, and each home state treats out-of-state tickets in a different way. Some states, like New York, Vermont and Connecticut, disregard out-of-state tickets unless it's very serious, like DWI or reckless driving. New Jersey recognizes most out-of-state tickets as two points, regardless of how many points the violation might have been in NJ. Many states, such as Virginia (and Ontario, though it's a province, not a "state") treat the out-of-state violation as if it had occurred in the state and assign points in that way. One fellow we know of pled guilty to a 30 mph over-the-limit speed in New York by mail. His home state (Delaware) suspended his license for that.

It's very important for out-of-state drivers to know the consequences of the ticket both in that state and in their home state. It is usually helpful, and harmless, to ask an insurance agent in your home state about the likely impact. They will usually know, and are more likely to know the answer than the average lawyer. A home-state lawyer who focuses on traffic tickets is also likely to know. It can be helpful to read the DMV websites from both states. You can also try calling the DMV or the local court officials, but in many cases it will be difficult to talk to a person and the information may be unreliable.