If you have missed your court date, call us as we may be able to help. Since March 18, 2020, all eight of the New York City Traffic Violations Bureau locations (TVB) in the five boroughs have been closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The closure is understandable due to safety considerations. However, while the court is closed, traffic tickets are still being issued within New York City. With that said, we’ve been able to help a bunch of clients who had various issues despite the court’s closure. Further, as set forth below, certain services can be done online.
If you are issued a traffic ticket while the TVB is closed, you still need to timely enter your plea of guilty or not guilty. If you are unsure how to plea, you can call us at 212-683-7373 for free advice about your plea. You, of course, enter a plea in person but you can do it via mail or online. We strongly recommend that you do it online so you have confirmation that it was done. Mail can get lost especially while the main TVB location is not open. Note that your ticket states that you have 15 days to respond but you actually have more like 30-45 days to answer.
If you have an open ticket scheduled during the closure period, the NYC Traffic Violations Bureau will re-schedule your case administratively. Generally, your case will be re-scheduled within 7 days of your original court date. You can check your court date on the TVB website.
Further, if you owe money for a fine, Driver Responsibility Assessment Fee or certain Suspension Termination Fee (i.e., ones not related to failure to answer or appear on a ticket), you can still pay these online. Motorists that have ‘indefinite’ suspensions (ones that started before the court closed) will remain suspended until the court reopens.
Bottom line: You can still address many issues regarding your NYC traffic court during the pandemic. Feel free to call us at 212-683-7373 if you are having difficulty with your traffic ticket case.
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