Most drivers think of a ticket as a fine. TLC thinks of it as points on a 15-month clock, and the clock is what takes licences.
Here is the whole system in one table, from 35 RCNY Chapter 80:
| Points in any 15 months | What happens |
|---|---|
| 6 – 9 | Suspension up to 30 days |
| 10+ | Revocation |
Three things drivers consistently learn too late:
DMV points count toward the TLC total. The same red light that puts points on your chauffeur’s licence is feeding the TLC window too. Two tribunals, one clock.
Points attach when you are convicted, not when you get the ticket. Pleading guilty is the conviction. The quick plea that felt like the cheap way out delivers its points in full. Beating the summons at OATH delivers none.
The window slides. It’s counted backwards from each new violation. A ticket from fourteen months ago is still alive today and dead in five weeks. Sometimes the smartest thing to do with a hearing date is exactly nothing fast.
If you’re carrying 4 or more points, do the arithmetic before you pay anything. Or send us the summons and we’ll do it with you.