Pleading guilty to many traffic tickets will result in points on your license. These points can result in increased expenses and potential legal issues in the future.
What Does it Mean to Get Points on Your License?
In the context of a driver’s license, getting “points” refers to an additional penalty that is levied against people who are ticketed for traffic infractions. The amount of points vary based upon the offense you are found guilty of and stay on your license as a sort of record of the offenses you have committed. A list of infractions and the penalties associated can be found here.
What Are the Consequences of Getting Points on Your License?
The most immediate consequence of getting points on your license is your insurance rates may go up. In addition, if you have six or more points on your license, you will face a Driver Responsibility Assessment fee, which can cost you up to $250 per year for three years. If you get eleven or more points in an 18-month time span, it will be suspended, meaning you will temporarily lose the right to drive.
How Can You Reduce the Points on Your License?
The most immediate way to reduce the points already on your license is to take a defensive driving course. You may try to re-open prior tickets by way of appeal or request to the court. Aside from that, the only way to remove points on your license is to wait eighteen months, which is how long the points stay on your license.
How Can You Avoid Getting Points in the Future?
The best way to do so is to stop from getting them in the first place. That means that if you are stopped by the police and ticketed, you should contact a lawyer with experience handling traffic matters. This will give you the best chance to contest the ticket or negotiate with the prosecutor to get less or even no points than the original charge.
Fox Law Firm, PLLC is a New York criminal and traffic law practice serving clients throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties. With more than three decades of experience, Fox Law Firm, PLLC has helped clients in traffic and criminal cases defend themselves and protect their rights. For more information or to ask for a consultation, call our Riverhead office at 631-779-3400 or visit our contact page.
