Niagara County, New York, encompasses the U.S portion of Niagara Falls and is part of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area. Many motorists come to visit one of the great wonders of the world or continue on to Ontario and Quebec provinces. Local New York police officers and New York State Troopers can and will ticket visitors and residents of the county for speeding, so motorists should be mindful.
If you have been charged with a traffic offense in Niagara County, New York, the law office of Weiss and Associates, PC can provide you with experienced traffic ticket defense services. Our team of fully licensed and authorized legal representatives under New York law will appear in court on your behalf if required. You have a right to defend your traffic ticket in court, do not just pay your ticket.
For immediate traffic ticket assistance in Niagara County, please call our office at 212-683-7373 or email us a photo of your ticket to lawyer@nytrafficticket.com for a free consultation.
Niagara County, New York does not have a centralized county traffic court. Speeding and traffic tickets are heard in their respective local city, town, and village courts. Prosecutors of speeding tickets in Niagara County are also decentralized and assigned to a local prosecutor.
Niagara County has three cities: Lockport (county seat), Niagara Falls, and North Tonawanda, although we currently see the most tickets being issued in North Tonawanda City Court, Lockport City Court and Niagara Falls City Court have busy calendars too.
There are many town courts in Niagara County where traffic tickets are heard. Our traffic lawyers can appear on your behalf in the following Niagara County Town courts:
- Cambria Town Court
- Hartland Town Court
- Lewiston Town Court
- Lockport Town Court
- Newfane Town Court
- Niagara Town Court
- Pendleton Town Court
- Porter Town Court
- Royalton Town Court
- Somerset Town Court
- Wheatfield Town Court
- Wilson Town Court
For immediate traffic ticket assistance in Niagara County, please call our office at 212-683-7373 or email us a photo of your ticket to lawyer@nytrafficticket.com for a free consultation.
How We Can Help Fight Your Niagara Traffic Ticket
Even if you think you may be guilty, you should never flat out pay your Niagara County traffic ticket. The experienced New York traffic ticket attorneys at Weiss and Associates, PC have an excellent success rate and are happy to provide you with our experience and knowledge to improve your chances of beating your ticket.
Here Are Just a Few of the Traffic Violations We WIll Fight On Your Behalf in Niagara County, New York
Sitting at the north of the westernmost portion of New York state and sharing a border with Ontario, Canada, Niagara county encompasses 1,140 square miles. Niagara’s many tourist attractions including Niagara Falls brings in New Yorkers from every county as well as other visitors. The county also gets a lot of vehicle traffic from students attending nearby colleges in Buffalo and Rochester. Some of the more popular courts handling traffic tickets in the county are Lewiston Town Court, Lockport Town Court, Niagara Falls City Court, Niagara Town Court, North Tonawanda City Court, Royalton Town Court, and Town of Wheatfield
Police officers know the county draws in crowds year-round and State Troopers watch the highways closely. Our traffic ticket attorneys have experience fighting all kinds of Niagara traffic tickets, including:
Speeding Tickets
Almost a quarter of all tickets issued in Niagara County in any given year are for speeding offenses. Most speeding tickets from Niagara County are issued to New York residents, but Canadians account for about a significant percentage of those as well. Drivers from Quebec and Ontario should know that New York State has a reciprocity agreement with these provinces. So a conviction in New York State will transfer as demerit points in Ontario or Quebec.
Niagara County drivers should be especially careful around school zones, as a high percentage of speeding tickets here are issued for speeding in school zones, one of the highest percentages of school zone tickets in the state.
Red Light Tickets
When approaching a red light, a motorist must come to a complete stop before entering the crosswalk or intersection itself. A New York driver who runs a red light and is subsequently pulled over by a police officer or Trooper will likely be issued a ticket. A convicted motorist will be looking at $50 to $300 in fines, depending on a number of factors like where the violation occurred.
Cell Phones / Texting While Driving Tickets
An analysis on statewide DMV data shows that Niagara is among one of the highest percentages of texting while driving tickets in a given county. Of course, there is a statewide ban on texting while driving, but law enforcement varies widely among police departments.
The law in New York also requires that you use a hands-free device if you want to talk on the phone while driving. This law covers all other electronic devices as well, which means you can receive an electronic device ticket for using an iPhone, Android, tablet, GPS, etc. while you are behind the wheel.
Suspended License
If you receive too many ticket convictions within a certain period of time or are convicted of a serious traffic offense such as driving under the influence (DUI), you may face license suspension. This is true for out-of-state as well as Canadian drivers. A suspension means that your license or driving privilege will be taken away for either a definite or indefinite period of time, depending on how serious the traffic violation. Suspensions will be honored in other states and across the border.
Truck and Commercial Traffic Violations
Many companies and truck drivers have to abide by additional traffic laws in New York and can be ticketed for overweight, over-length, unsecured load, and safety equipment violations. Some truck and commercial traffic tickets are criminal misdemeanors, carry high fines, and can adversely affect a CDL license. An “out of service” violation means that the violation can take your truck off the road.
Many commercial truck drivers are also unsure of how to navigate the often confusing New York State traffic courts if traveling from out of state. We can help with free advice if you were cited with a traffic violation on one of New York’s major highways or interstates.
Reckless Driving
Reckless driving is a criminal charge in New York state and carries stiff penalties. This offense can be rather subjective, with excessive speed and weaving resulting in the issuance of reckless driving charges. According to Section 1212 of the New York Vehicle and Traffic Law, “Reckless driving shall mean driving … in a manner which unreasonably interferes with the free and proper use of the public highway, or unreasonably endangers users of the public highway.” If you receive a reckless driving charge, we almost always recommend pleading not guilty. You should definitely consult with (if not hire) an experienced traffic lawyer too.
“Weiss and Associates, PC was very responsive to my questions. They made the process very easy and even got me a better resolution than they told me I could expect” – Michael W.
For immediate traffic ticket assistance in Niagara County, please call our office at 212-683-7373 or email us a photo of your ticket to lawyer@nytrafficticket.com for a free consultation.
Fines Points and Insurance Increases Associated with Niagara Traffic Tickets
The costs associated with a Niagara traffic ticket are far greater than many realize. Fines anywhere from $150 to $600 are common, but not the only price you will be responsible for. Each New York state ticket comes with a mandatory surcharge of either $88 or $93.
If the ticket takes your total number of points on your license to 6 or more, you will have to pay the DMV’s Driver Responsibility Assessment (DRA) fee. The DRA costs a flat fee of $300, plus an additional $75 for each point over 6. Then there is also the likelihood of insurance premiums, which can cost hundreds of dollars and last typically 36 months or more.
The number of points associated with a conviction depends on the type of violation that occurred. For example:
Points for Speeding Tickets
- 1-10 mph over posted limit: 3 points
- 11-20 mph over: 4 points
- 21-30 mph over: 6 points
- 31-40 mph over: 8 points
- 41+ mph over: 11 points
- VTL 1180a, speed not reasonable or prudent: 3 points
5 Point Traffic Infractions
- Cell Phone Use
- Texting While Driving
- Reckless Driving
- Failure to Stop for a School Bus
3 Point Infractions
- Failing to Yield Right-of-Way
- Violation Involving Traffic Signal, Stop Sign, or Yield Sign
- Improper Passing or Lane Use
- Leaving the scene of an accident (property damage)
- Failure to use proper child restraints
Why Hiring an Experienced Niagara Traffic Ticket Lawyer Can Save You!
Being convicted of a traffic violation can have a serious impact on your life, including the financial burden of court costs, fines, and increased insurance rates. Sometimes in more serious cases, a conviction can result in a license suspension, loss of license, or even jail time. These impacts can have a negative effect on your job, family life, and freedom.
Let Weiss and Associates, PC lend you our training, knowledge, and experience dealing with Niagara traffic offenses. We know how to examine the specific facts of your case, review the evidence against you from the prosecution, and ultimately, how to provide you with the best defense. Our goal is always to have your ticket reduced to a lesser offense, or dismissed completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why let Weiss and Associates, PC fight your New York Traffic Ticket?
Drivers cited for traffic violations in Niagara County would be well advised to fight the ticket. But they should not do so without help. Hiring a skilled traffic attorney to spend the necessary time on your case and prepare your defense offers you the best chance to either get the ticket dismissed or reduced to a lower/no point violation. Weiss and Associates, PC understand the various processes in the county to deliver you the best outcome possible.
For immediate traffic ticket assistance in Niagara County, please call our office at 212-683-7373 or email us a photo of your ticket to lawyer@nytrafficticket.com for a free consultation.