Can a New York speeding ticket cost you your license?

If you were to ask the average person how much a speeding ticket might cost in New York, most of them will probably tell you that a ticket will lead to a couple of hundred dollars worth of fines and possibly higher costs for your car insurance for the next few years.

What they won’t think about is that a speeding ticket might actually cost you your license. Being able to drive is a privilege, not a right, and traffic infractions could lead to New York revoking that right as a secondary penalty. 

When might a speeding ticket lead to a loss of your driving privileges?

Repeat offenses and higher speeds can cost you your license

Every traffic citation carries points that affect your license. Insurance companies will likely charge you a higher rate when you have points on your license as opposed to when you have no recent infractions on your record. You could also lose your license if you accrue 11 points or more on your license within 18 months.

The more you exceed the posted speed limit, the more serious the infraction. Tickets for going no more than 10 miles per hour (mph) over the limit will carry three points. Speeds that are 11 to 20 mph too fast will mean four points. The points continue to increase, with anyone exceeding the speed limit by more than 40 mph risking 11 points all at once. A single ticket for driving that fast could result in the suspension of your license based on points alone.

Fighting traffic tickets is a way to protect your license

When you pay a ticket after a traffic stop, you essentially plead guilty to the infraction allege on the citation. However, you do also have the right to defend yourself against the ticket.

Fighting traffic citations can keep your driving record clean, which can be important for someone who drives as part of their job. It can also help you keep your insurance costs low and limit the potential impact of any future infractions.

Fighting back against a speeding ticket, especially if there were high speeds involved, could protect your license and your pocketbook.