Maine Motorist with a Traffic Ticket in New York
The subject of this page is a Maine licensed driver that receives a traffic ticket in New York State. The article discusses the possible consequences in Maine and New York. For more detailed and exact information on the ticket’s impact in Maine, it is best to contact a traffic ticket lawyer that practices in Maine. For detailed information on how to deal with the ticket in New York, one would need to contact a traffic ticket lawyer that practices in New York State.
Impact in Maine
Title 29-A, §1454 of Maine Law provides:
1. Convictions. The licensing authority in the home state, for the purposes of suspension, revocation or limitation of the license to operate a motor vehicle, shall give the same effect to the conduct reported, pursuant to Article III of this compact, as it would if such conduct had occurred in the home state, in the case of convictions for:
2. Other convictions. As to other convictions, reported pursuant to Article III, the licensing authority in the home state shall give such effect to the conduct as is provided by the laws of the home state.
3. Similar offenses. If the laws of a party state do not provide for offenses or violations denominated or described in precisely the words employed in subsection 1 of this Article, the party state shall construe the denominations and descriptions appearing in subsection 1 as being applicable to and identifying those offenses or violations of a substantially similar nature and the laws of the party state must contain such provisions as may be necessary to ensure that full force and effect is given to this Article
In other words, Maine will treat any out-of-state traffic ticket as if it was received in Maine. For confirmation it is best if you contact a traffic ticket attorney that practices in Maine.
Suspension in Maine for Non-Compliance with New York
If you fail to comply with a traffic ticket in New York, either by not answering the ticket or not appearing in court, your Maine license will be suspended. Maine is part of the Driver License Compact Agreement, which generally provides:
“Upon receipt of a report of a failure to comply, from the licensing authority of the issuing jurisdiction, the home jurisdiction shall notify the motorist and initiate a suspension action as hereinafter provided.”
In other words, if a Maine motorist gets a ticket in another state and does not answer the ticket or does not appear in court, their Maine license will get suspended. It will be cleared in Maine once Maine receives paperwork confirmation from the sister state that the ticket was answered.
Impact in New York
The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is the New York State administrative agency that handles all traffic convictions in New York. The DMV creates an internal New York driver’s license number for out-of-state motorists that received a traffic ticket in New York. The DMV uses this license number to track violations and take action against the out-of-motorist as if they have a New York driver’s license. For example, the out-of-state motorist will have to pay a driver responsibility assessment fee for amassing six points in eighteen months and will get their New York driving privileges suspended for amassing eleven points in eighteen months. New York State cannot suspend a Maine driver’s license, but they can suspend the New York driving privileges of a Maine motorist. An out-of-state motorist driving in New York with suspended New York privileges is in the same exact position as a New York motorist driving in New York with a suspended New York license. The out-of-state motorist would be subject to arrest and criminal prosecution.
Disputing a Traffic Ticket in New York
Fighting a traffic ticket is often an unpleasant experience. There is often the long travel and the many hours spent in court. Being in a courtroom is not fun. The judge and the prosecutor are not on your side. They are generally unfriendly, and do not expect that they will accept your version of the events or be sensitive to your situation.
With a good traffic law attorney involved, handling a traffic ticket can be a stress-free experience. New York State law allows an attorney to go to court in the place of their client. This means you would not have to attend a court hearing in New York to get the charges reduced or dismissed. Nor would you have to provide the court or the prosecutor with an excuse or a defense. Your lawyer can figure out what works best for your circumstances, whether to challenge the charges on technical or procedural grounds, utilize a diversion dismissal program, or present the court with a defense. For detailed information about your charges, it is best if you contact a New York law firm whose main practice area is Vehicle & Traffic Law.
Benjamin Goldman Law Office
For any traffic ticket in New York State, you can contact the Benjamin Goldman Law Office. We are a New York State traffic ticket defense firm that operates across the entire state, from Manhattan to Niagara Falls. Our team has experience with almost all justice courts in New York State and our attorneys have handled most New York traffic citations. The attorneys at the Benjamin Goldman Law Office diligently and zealously pursue the best possible disposition for each case. The efforts of our team have paid off. The Benjamin Goldman Law Office has received hundreds of five-star testimonials across various online platforms. The verified reviews typically speak to the customer service we provided to our clients and the results we obtained for their cases. The Benjamin Goldman Law Office provides all motorists with a complimentary consultation. You can contact us at your convenience to discuss your charges and determine what makes the most sense for your case. We can be reached by phone call, email, text message or website submission.
Disclaimer: All the content of this website has been prepared by Benjamin Goldman Law Office PC for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information on this website shall not be construed as an offer to represent you, nor is it intended to create, nor shall the receipt of such information constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Our hope is that you will find the information useful and informative, and we would be happy to communicate with you and answer any questions you may have about our legal services. Readers should not act upon the information on this website, or decide not to act based upon the information on this website, without first seeking appropriate professional counsel from an attorney licensed in the home state of the drivers license of the person who received the relevant traffic citation.