November 15, 2024 - Tuesday June 29, New York’s Driver’s License Suspension Reform Act takes full effect, ending the state’s widespread practice of suspending an individual’s driver’s license when they cannot afford to pay a traffic fine. This legislation will allow hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers to regain their driver’s licenses — and with it their access to work and other necessities. Sponsored by Senator Tim Kennedy of Buffalo and Assemblymember Pamela Hunter of Syracuse, New York’s legislation was approved by wide margins and signed into law by Gov.

KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the suspen- sion of a license to drive a motor vehicle or motorcycle THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 3 of section 226 of the vehi- cle and traffic law, as amended by section 6 of part J of chapter 62 of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows: (a) If the person charged with the violation shall fail to answer the sum

July 14, 2021 - The new law will end license suspensions due to non-payment of traffic fines, while making affordable payment plans available (at 2% of a person’s monthly income or $25/month, whichever is greater).

June 30, 2021 - 29, 2021 ... The Driver’s License Suspension Reform Act went into effect on Tuesday, ending the practice of suspending a person’s license for unpaid traffic fines and fees. Katie Adamides, the New York state director of the Fines and Fees Justice Center, says it is safe to assume this will impact hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. “What was typical for people to experience under the way the law was before, if they couldn't afford to pay in full, upfront, their license would be suspended,” Adamides said.

January 5, 2021 - The amended version of the Driver's License Suspension Reform Act will allow a person to enroll in a payment plan in order to reinstate their license. The payment plan must be either 2% of a person's monthly income or $25 a month, whichever ...

July 29, 2021 - This new legislation puts an end to any license suspensions related to drivers not paying traffic fines. It also makes new, flexible payment arrangements available to New York residents.

August 30, 2021 - We have received several calls about drivers’ license suspension, mainly because the law changed in June 2021.1 New York no longer suspends drivers’ licenses for failure to appear in traffic court or failure to pay fines. Instead, courts will send notices to these drivers.

The Driver’s License Suspension Reform Act (DLSRA) which went into full effect in June 2021 will make it easier for New Yorkers to keep their driver’s licenses if they cannot pay traffic fines. Before the DLSRA was passed, a driver’s license could be suspended if the driver could not pay a traffic fine or fee upfront and in full.

April 12, 2021 - While not in the actual text of the bill, the governor’s office also agreed that law enforcement and the courts will be instructed to place a temporary moratorium on charging people with driving on a suspended license, for any reason, until the bill is implemented in summer 2021.

June 29, 2021 - NEW YORK — Starting Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers are on track to get their driver’s licenses reinstated as a new law takes effect that ends the widespread practice of suspending a person’s license when they can’t afford to pay a traffic fine.

January 4, 2021 - Tim Kennedy, D-Buffalo, and Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter, D-Syracuse, sponsored the bill, known as the Driver's License Suspension Reform Act. "The privilege of driving should not be attached to your income," Kennedy and Hunter, D-Syracuse, said ...

July 8, 2021 - New Yorkers will no longer have their licenses suspended for failing to pay off traffic tickets they can’t afford—a system advocates say disproportionately impacts low-income people and people of color. The New York Driver’s License Suspension Reform Act went into effect last week. The bill was first introduced to the legislature by State Sen. Tim Kennedy and Assemblymember Pamela Hunter. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed it into law in 2020.

How New York’s Traffic Debt suspension laws disproportionately harm low-income communities and communities of color

DMV will send you an Order of Suspension or Revocation 15 days before the date your license will be suspended.

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Also, see Suppose Your License Was Taken Away. Effective November 1, 2024, Chapter 722 of the Laws of 2023 (also known as Angelica’s Law) amends section 511(3)(a) of the Vehicle and Traffic Law (VTL) to add a new subparagraph (v) to provide that a person is guilty of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the first degree (a class E felony), if such person operates a motor vehicle and has in effect five or more suspensions or revocations, imposed on at least five separate dates.

April 14, 2024 - New York law VTL 511 prohibits driving with a suspended or revoked driver’s license. This offense encompasses several scenarios, including driving with a suspended license due to unpaid traffic tickets, failure to appear in court, or certain traffic violations.

December 10, 2024 - Driving with a suspended license in New York is called Aggravated Unlicensed Operation (AUO). This is a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine of $200–$500, a mandatory surcharge, and possible imprisonment up to 30 days or probation.

February 19, 2016 - The laws governing commercial vehicle ... regular drivers. If you are convicted of a single DWI offense while operating a commercial vehicle your CDL will be suspended for 1 year minimum and three years minimum if you were transporting hazardous material....

Section 227.4(a): Revises the provision to allow for the suspension of a person's driver's license or privileges for failure to pay a penalty imposed following a conviction of a traffic violation, only for persons charged with violating section three hundred eight-five of this chapter.