If you got a traffic ticket in New York this year, the points on it may weigh more than you think. On February 16, 2026, the New York State DMV started enforcing new point rules. Some serious violations now carry more points, and the DMV now looks back 24 months instead of 18 when it decides whether to suspend a license.
Here is what changed and what it means if you have a ticket now.
The biggest change is time. Under the DMV’s point system, if you get 11 points in 24 months, your license may be suspended. Before the change, the window was 18 months. A longer window means each ticket stays in the count longer, so it is easier to reach 11.
The DMV also raised the points for several serious violations:
Most everyday tickets carry the same points as before. A ticket for using a phone or other handheld device while driving is still 5 points. Speeding points still depend on how fast you were going:
Running a red light or a stop sign is still 3 points, and so is an unsafe lane change.
Points are counted from the date of the violation, not the date you were found guilty. Here is a simple example. Say a driver gets a 4-point speeding ticket (15 mph over) and, a year later, a 5-point phone ticket. That is 9 points. One more 3-point ticket within 24 months of the first one brings the total to 12, and the DMV may suspend the license.
There is also a separate DMV fee to know about. If you get 6 or more points within 18 months, you must pay a Driver Responsibility Assessment. That is $300 over three years, plus $75 for each point above 6. This fee comes on top of the fine and surcharges from the court. Note that the DMV still uses 18 months for this fee, even though suspensions now use 24.
Even after points stop counting, they stay on your record as long as the conviction does, and insurers can still use them to raise your rates.
Act before the date on your ticket. If you do not answer a traffic ticket on time, the DMV says your license will be suspended. To lift that suspension, you have to answer the ticket and pay a $70 suspension termination fee.
Think twice before you just pay. In New York, paying the fine means pleading guilty, and a conviction is what puts points on your record.
Know where your ticket goes. Outside New York City, most traffic tickets go to the local town, village or city court where you were stopped. Tickets from the five boroughs of NYC go to the DMV’s Traffic Violations Bureau (TVB) instead. We handle tickets across New York and New Jersey, and our New York traffic tickets page explains how the process works.
Ask about a defensive driving course. A DMV-approved Point and Insurance Reduction Program (PIRP) course subtracts 4 points when the DMV calculates a suspension, and saves 10 percent on your liability and collision insurance premiums. The points do not come off your record.
A ticket that looks small can matter more under the new rules, especially if you already have points. Our team reviews your ticket and your record, and we fight to keep points off your license. Results depend on the facts of each case.
Send us your ticket online, or call or WhatsApp us at 855-955-5888. A real person will look at it and tell you your options.
Every case is different; past results do not guarantee a future outcome.
They stop counting toward your suspension total once 24 months pass from the violation date. But they stay on your driving record as long as the conviction does, and insurers can still see them.
No. The DMV still charges the assessment when you get 6 or more points within 18 months.
No. Paying the fine is a guilty plea. Once you are convicted, the points for that violation go on your record, whether you pay online, by mail or in person.
Not from your record. A PIRP course subtracts 4 points only when the DMV calculates a suspension. It can also lower your liability and collision premiums by 10 percent.
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