South Dakota Motorist with Traffic Ticket in New York


This article contains information for motorists from the State of South Dakota that received a traffic ticket in New York State. The page discusses the consequences in South Dakota and New York. For more detailed information regarding your specific charges, you may want to contact a traffic ticket attorney.

Impact in South Dakota

The South Dakota Department of Public Safety is the administrative agency tasked with all license-related issues in South Dakota. They have a traditional points system that assigns a number of points to each violation. Amasssing points results in suspension. Their website states:

Points are assessed on out-of-state convictions just as if the violations were committed in South Dakota.

This appears to mean there is no difference if the violation occurred in South Dakota or New York and any New York violation will be treated as if it occurred in South Dakota. For confirmation and more detailed information on how an out-of-state violation would impact a South Dakota license, one would need to contact a traffic ticket attorney that is licensed in South Dakota. To dispute the ticket in New York, you need to contact a traffic attorney that is licensed in New York.

South Dakota is also a member of the Non-Resident Violator Compact. This agreement provides that if a motorist fails to comply with a traffic ticket in another state, either by not answering the ticket or not appearing in court, the home state will suspend their driver’s license. It will be cleared once the home state receives paperwork from the sister state confirming that the ticket was answered.

Another concern for a South Dakota motorist with a traffic ticket is the insurance rates. If your insurance company becomes aware of a serious traffic violation they will raise your insurance rates.

Impact in New York

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) creates an internal driver license number for any motorist that receives a traffic ticket in New York State. This license number is utilized to calculate violations within 18 month intervals, requiring a driver responsibility assessment fee for reaching six points in 18 months and ordering suspension for reaching eleven points in 18 months. New York State cannot suspend a South Dakota driver’s license, but they can suspend the New York State driving privileges of an out-of-state motorist. A South Dakota motorist driving in New York with suspended New York privileges is in the same position as a New York motorist driving with a suspended license in New York. The South Dakota motorist would be subject to arrest and criminal charges.

Disputing a Traffic Ticket in New York

Fighting a traffic ticket in court is typically an unpleasant experience. Often there is the long travel time 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 be sensitive to your situation or inclined to accept your version of events.

Disputing a traffic ticket in New York can be easy with a traffic ticket attorney involved. This is because the person that received the ticket does not need to appear personally in court. Nor does the defendant have to have an excuse or defense in order to get the charges reduced or dismissed. In New York, your attorney can go to court in your place and speak for you in court. Your attorney can figure out what works best for your case, whether to present the court with a valid defense, challenge the charges on procedural grounds, or utilize any diversion dismissal program that is available in the relevant jurisdiction. For more detailed information, it is best if you contact a New York law firm whose main practice area is Traffic Law.

Benjamin Goldman Law Office

If you are a South Dakota motorist and received a traffic ticket in New York State, you can get in touch with the Benjamin Goldman Law Office. We are a New York traffic ticket law firm that operates across the entire state. Lawyers from our firm have handled cases in most of the approximately 1000 justice courts in New York. We fight tickets from Champlain by the Canadian border down to Staten Island. Our lawyers have experience with almost all traffic-related charges in New York. We handle common speeding tickets and more serious charges like driving with a suspended license. The team at the Benjamin Goldman Law Office diligently and persistently pursue the best possible disposition for each case. The efforts of our lawyers are reflected in the many five-star reviews our firm has received. The verified testimonials typically speak about the customer service we provide our clients and the results we obtain for them. The Benjamin Goldman Law Office provides motorists with a free consultation. You can contact us at your convenience. Someone from our firm will be glad to discuss your case, the circumstances leading up to the issuance of the ticket and determine what makes the most sense for your situation. Our team can be reached by phone call, text message, email, 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.