N.Y. Vehicle and Traffic Law 235 – Jurisdiction
§ 235. Jurisdiction. * 1. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of any general, special or local law or administrative code to the contrary, in any city which heretofore or hereafter is authorized to establish an administrative tribunal: (a) to hear and determine complaints of traffic infractions constituting parking, standing or stopping violations, or (b) to adjudicate the liability of owners for violations of subdivision (d) of section eleven hundred eleven of this chapter imposed pursuant to a local law or ordinance imposing monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to comply with traffic-control indications through the installation and operation of traffic-control signal photo violation-monitoring systems, in accordance with article twenty-four of this chapter, or (c) to adjudicate the liability of owners for violations of subdivision (b), (c), (d), (f) or (g) of section eleven hundred eighty of this chapter imposed pursuant to a demonstration program imposing monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to comply with such posted maximum speed limits through the installation and operation of photo speed violation monitoring systems, in accordance with article thirty of this chapter, or (d) to adjudicate the liability of owners for violations of bus lane restrictions as defined by article twenty-four of this chapter imposed pursuant to a bus rapid transit program imposing monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to comply with such bus lane restrictions through the installation and operation of bus lane photo devices, in accordance with article twenty-four of this chapter, or (e) to adjudicate the liability of owners for violations of toll collection regulations imposed by certain public authorities pursuant to the law authorizing such public authorities to impose monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to comply with toll collection regulations of such public authorities through the installation and operation of photo-monitoring systems, in accordance with the provisions of § 2985 of the public authorities law and sections sixteen-a, sixteen-b and sixteen-c of chapter seven hundred seventy-four of the laws of nineteen hundred fifty, or (f) to adjudicate the liability of owners for violations of section eleven hundred seventy-four of this chapter when meeting a school bus marked and equipped as provided in subdivisions twenty and twenty-one-c of section three hundred seventy-five of this chapter imposed pursuant to a local law or ordinance imposing monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to comply with school bus red visual signals through the installation and operation of school bus photo violation monitoring systems, in accordance with article twenty-nine of this chapter, or (g) to adjudicate the liability of owners for violations of section three hundred eighty-five of this chapter and the rules of the department of transportation of the city of New York in relation to gross vehicle weight and/or axle weight violations imposed pursuant to a weigh in motion demonstration program imposing monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to comply with such gross vehicle weight and/or axle weight restrictions through the installation and operation of weigh in motion violation monitoring systems, in accordance with article ten of this chapter, or (h) to adjudicate the liability of owners for violations of subdivision (b), (d), (f) or (g) of section eleven hundred eighty of this chapter imposed pursuant to a demonstration program imposing monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to comply with such posted maximum speed limits within a highway construction or maintenance work area through the installation and operation of photo speed violation monitoring systems, in accordance with article thirty of this chapter, such tribunal and the rules and regulations pertaining thereto shall be constituted in substantial conformance with the following sections.
Terms Used In N.Y. Vehicle and Traffic Law 235
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Notice of violation: means a notice of violation as defined in subdivision nine of section two hundred thirty-seven of this article, but shall not be deemed to include a notice of liability issued pursuant to authorization set forth in articles ten, twenty-four, twenty-nine and thirty of this chapter, § 2985 of the public authorities law and sections sixteen-a, sixteen-b and sixteen-c of chapter seven hundred seventy-four of the laws of nineteen hundred fifty to impose monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof: to comply with traffic-control indications in violation of subdivision (d) of section eleven hundred eleven of this chapter through the installation and operation of traffic-control signal photo violation-monitoring systems, in accordance with article twenty-four of this chapter; or to comply with certain posted maximum speed limits in violation of subdivision (b), (c), (d), (f) or (g) of section eleven hundred eighty of this chapter through the installation and operation of photo speed violation monitoring systems, in accordance with article thirty of this chapter; or to comply with bus lane restrictions as defined by article twenty-four of this chapter through the installation and operation of bus lane photo devices, in accordance with article twenty-four of this chapter; or to comply with toll collection regulations of certain public authorities through the installation and operation of photo-monitoring systems, in accordance with the provisions of § 2985 of the public authorities law and sections sixteen-a, sixteen-b and sixteen-c of chapter seven hundred seventy-four of the laws of nineteen hundred fifty; or to stop for a school bus displaying a red visual signal in violation of section eleven hundred seventy-four of this chapter through the installation and operation of school bus photo violation monitoring systems, in accordance with article twenty-nine of this chapter, or to comply with certain posted maximum speed limits in violation of subdivision (b), (d), (f) or (g) of section eleven hundred eighty of this chapter within a highway construction or maintenance work area through the installation and operation of photo speed violation monitoring systems, in accordance with article thirty of this chapter; or to comply with gross vehicle weight and/or axle weight restrictions in violation of section three hundred eighty-five of this chapter and the rules of the department of transportation of the city of New York through the installation and operation of weigh in motion violation monitoring systems, in accordance with article ten of this chapter. See N.Y. Vehicle and Traffic Law 239
- Operator: means any person, corporation, firm, partnership, agency, association, organization or lessee that uses or operates a vehicle with or without the permission of the owner, and an owner who operates his own vehicle. See N.Y. Vehicle and Traffic Law 239
- Owner: means any person, corporation, partnership, firm, agency, association, lessor, or organization who at the time of the issuance of a notice of violation in any city in which a vehicle is operated:
(1) is the beneficial or equitable owner of such vehicle; or
(2) has title to such vehicle; or
(3) is the registrant or co-registrant of such vehicle which is registered with the department of motor vehicles of this state or any other state, territory, district, province, nation or other jurisdiction; or
(4) uses such vehicle in its vehicle renting and/or leasing business; or
(5) is an owner of such vehicle as defined by section one hundred twenty-eight of this chapter or subdivision (a) of section twenty-one hundred one of this chapter. See N.Y. Vehicle and Traffic Law 239 - Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
- Vehicle: means a vehicle as defined in section one hundred fifty-nine of this chapter. See N.Y. Vehicle and Traffic Law 239
* NB Effective until May 3, 2024
* 1. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of any general, special or local law or administrative code to the contrary, in any city which heretofore or hereafter is authorized to establish an administrative tribunal: (a) to hear and determine complaints of traffic infractions constituting parking, standing or stopping violations, or (b) to adjudicate the liability of owners for violations of subdivision (d) of section eleven hundred eleven of this chapter imposed pursuant to a local law or ordinance imposing monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to comply with traffic-control indications through the installation and operation of traffic-control signal photo violation-monitoring systems, in accordance with article twenty-four of this chapter, or (c) to adjudicate the liability of owners for violations of subdivision (b), (c), (d), (f) or (g) of section eleven hundred eighty of this chapter imposed pursuant to a demonstration program imposing monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to comply with such posted maximum speed limits through the installation and operation of photo speed violation monitoring systems, in accordance with article thirty of this chapter, or (d) to adjudicate the liability of owners for violations of bus lane restrictions as defined by article twenty-four of this chapter imposed pursuant to a bus rapid transit program imposing monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to comply with such bus lane restrictions through the installation and operation of bus lane photo devices, in accordance with article twenty-four of this chapter, or (e) to adjudicate the liability of owners for violations of toll collection regulations imposed by certain public authorities pursuant to the law authorizing such public authorities to impose monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to comply with toll collection regulations of such public authorities through the installation and operation of photo-monitoring systems, in accordance with the provisions of § 2985 of the public authorities law and sections sixteen-a, sixteen-b and sixteen-c of chapter seven hundred seventy-four of the laws of nineteen hundred fifty, or (f) to adjudicate the liability of owners for violations of section eleven hundred seventy-four of this chapter when meeting a school bus marked and equipped as provided in subdivisions twenty and twenty-one-c of section three hundred seventy-five of this chapter imposed pursuant to a local law or ordinance imposing monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to comply with school bus red visual signals through the installation and operation of school bus photo violation monitoring systems, in accordance with article twenty-nine of this chapter, or (g) to adjudicate the liability of owners for violations of section three hundred eighty-five of this chapter and the rules of the department of transportation of the city of New York in relation to gross vehicle weight and/or axle weight violations imposed pursuant to a weigh in motion demonstration program imposing monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to comply with such gross vehicle weight and/or axle weight restrictions through the installation and operation of weigh in motion violation monitoring systems, in accordance with article ten of this chapter, or (h) to adjudicate the liability of owners for violations of subdivision (b), (d), (f) or (g) of section eleven hundred eighty of this chapter imposed pursuant to a demonstration program imposing monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to comply with such posted maximum speed limits within a highway construction or maintenance work area through the installation and operation of photo speed violation monitoring systems, in accordance with article thirty of this chapter, or (i) to adjudicate the liability of owners for violations of bus operation-related traffic regulations as defined by article twenty-four of this chapter imposed pursuant to a demonstration program imposing monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to comply with such bus operation-related traffic regulations through the installation and operation of bus operation-related photo devices, in accordance with article twenty-four of this chapter, such tribunal and the rules and regulations pertaining thereto shall be constituted in substantial conformance with the following sections.
* NB Effective May 3, 2024
2. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of any general, special or local law or administrative code to the contrary, any city with a population in excess of one hundred thousand persons according to the nineteen hundred eighty United States census hereinafter referred to as a city shall provide notice of parking violations and of the imposition of additional penalties whenever the person who is liable therefor fails to respond to the parking ticket in the manner designated thereon. Such notice shall be in substantial conformance with the following provisions:
a. Notice. (1) Whenever a city issues a notice of violation for a parking violation, it shall be served in the manner prescribed by subdivision two of section two hundred thirty-eight of this article.
(2) Whenever a person has been issued a notice of violation for a parking violation and has not responded in the manner described in the notice, a city shall give the owner a second notice of the violation by regular first class mail: (i) within forty days of issuance of the first notice of violation for a parking violation where the vehicle is a vehicle registered in this state; or (ii) within forty days of the receipt by such city of the name and address of the owner of the vehicle where the vehicle is a vehicle registered in any other state. Such second notice shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:
(A) that the owner has a period of twenty days from issuance of the second notice in which to respond to the notice of violation for a parking violation;
(B) that failure to respond to the notice of violation for a parking violation may result in the suspension and non-renewal of the owner's registration;
(C) that failure to respond to the notice of violation for a parking violation may subject the owner to additional penalties as provided in paragraph b of this subdivision;
(D) that failure to respond to the notice of violation for a parking violation shall subject the owner to a default judgment as provided in paragraph c of this subdivision and the additional penalties imposed upon parking violations pursuant to paragraph b of this subdivision; and
(E) that submission of a plea of guilty to the parking violation makes the owner liable for payment of the stated fine and additional penalties imposed pursuant to paragraph b of this subdivision and the mandatory surcharge of fifteen dollars imposed upon parking violations pursuant to section eighteen hundred nine-a of this chapter.
b. Additional penalties. (1) For the purposes of this paragraph, each locality shall determine an initial response date of not less than eight days nor more than thirty days, after which time a penalty may be imposed. The liability for such initial penalty shall commence on the date following the initial response date.
(2) Failure to respond to a notice of violation for a parking violation by the initial response date may result in the liability for a penalty in an amount of the fine indicated on the notice of violation for a parking violation; where a city has given a second notice pursuant to paragraph a of this subdivision, the following schedule of additional penalties may apply:
(A) failure to respond to a notice of violation for a parking violation by the initial response date may result in the liability for an additional penalty not to exceed ten dollars or, if the first penalty assessed by a city does not exceed five dollars, such city may assess an additional penalty within thirty-one to seventy-five days not to exceed ten dollars; and
(B) where a city has given a second notice pursuant to paragraph a of this subdivision failure to respond to a notice of violation for a parking violation within seventy-five days may result in the liability, commencing on the seventy-sixth day, for an additional penalty not to exceed twenty dollars.
(3) Where the additional penalty schedule set forth in subparagraph two of this paragraph, as interpreted in 9 New York Code of Rules and Regulations Part 6180, has not been implemented by a city and is not in effect in such city on or before January first, nineteen hundred ninety-three, the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply. For the purposes of this subdivision, the provisions of this paragraph shall not be considered to have been implemented and in effect unless the penalty schedule contained herein shall have been applied to parking violations issued in such city on or before January first, nineteen hundred ninety-three.
b-1. Alternate additional penalty schedule. In any city in which the schedule of penalties contained in subparagraph two of paragraph b of this subdivision, as interpreted in 9 New York Code of Rules and Regulations Part 6180, has not been implemented and was not in effect on or before January first, nineteen hundred ninety-three, the provisions of this paragraph shall only apply upon enactment of a local law containing the penalty schedule provided in this paragraph prior to March 28, 1993. Following the enactment of such a local law, such city may elect to impose the additional penalties set forth in subparagraphs one and two of this paragraph for failure to respond to a notice of violation for a parking violation in accordance with this paragraph. In the event that no such local law was enacted prior to March 28, 1993, the alternate additional penalty schedule set forth in paragraph b-2 of this subdivision shall apply.
(1) Failure to respond to a notice of violation for a parking violation within thirty days shall result in liability, commencing on the thirty-first day, for an additional penalty in an amount not to exceed ten dollars, indicated on the notice of violation for a parking violation; where a city has given a second notice pursuant to paragraph a of this subdivision failure to respond to a notice of violation for a parking violation within forty-five days may result in liability, commencing on the forty-sixth day, for the penalty prescribed above for failure to respond within thirty days and an additional penalty not to exceed twenty dollars; and where a city has given a second notice pursuant to paragraph a of this subdivision failure to respond to a notice of violation for a parking violation within seventy-five days may result in liability, commencing on the seventy-sixth day, for the penalties prescribed above for failure to respond within thirty days and for failure to respond within forty-five days and an additional penalty not to exceed thirty dollars.
(2) Notwithstanding the foregoing schedule of alternative additional penalties, if an owner makes a plea or appears within twenty days after issuance of a second notice of violation in accordance with paragraph a of this subdivision, or prior to such mailing, such additional penalty shall not exceed ten dollars.
b-2. Alternate additional penalty schedule. In any city in which the schedule of penalties contained in paragraph b of this subdivision, as interpreted in 9 New York Code of Rules and Regulations Part 6180, has not been implemented and was not in effect on or before January first, nineteen hundred ninety-three and which has not enacted a local law pursuant to paragraph b-1 of this subdivision prior to March 28, 1993, the following alternate additional penalty schedule shall apply:
(1) Failure to respond to a notice of violation for a parking violation within eight days may result in the liability, commencing on the ninth day, for an additional penalty in an amount not to exceed five dollars;
(2) Failure to respond to a notice of violation for a parking violation within thirty days may result in the liability, commencing on the thirty-first day, for the penalty prescribed above for failure to respond within eight days and an additional penalty not to exceed ten dollars or, if the first penalty assessed by the city does not exceed five dollars, such city may assess an additional penalty within thirty-one to seventy-five days not to exceed ten dollars;
(3) Where a city has given a second notice pursuant to paragraph a of this subdivision failure to respond to a notice of violation for a parking violation within seventy-five days may result in the liability, commencing on the seventy-sixth day, for the penalties prescribed above for failure to respond within eight days and for failure to respond within thirty days and an additional penalty not to exceed twenty dollars; and
(4) Notwithstanding the foregoing schedule of alternate penalties, if an owner makes a plea or appears within twenty days after issuance of a second notice of violation in accordance with paragraph a of this subdivision, or prior to such mailing, such additional penalty shall not exceed five dollars.
c. Default judgment. Where a city has given notice pursuant to paragraph a of this subdivision, failure to respond to a notice of violation for a parking violation within ninety days shall be deemed an admission of liability and shall subject the owner to a default judgment being entered thereon in an amount not greater than the amount of the original fine and accrued penalties plus any applicable surcharges. Such default shall be reported to the department which department shall cause a suspension and non-renewal of the owner's registration pursuant to the provisions of subdivision four-c of section five hundred ten of this chapter.
3. Nothing set forth in this article shall be construed to authorize the imposition of monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to comply with any provision of law, rule or regulation through the installation and operation of a photo enforcement device or system, except as otherwise explicitly authorized by article twenty-four, twenty-nine or thirty of this chapter, by § 2985 of the public authorities law, or by sections sixteen-a, sixteen-b and sixteen-c of chapter seven hundred seventy-four of the laws of nineteen hundred fifty, nor be construed to grant any municipality the authority to establish by local law, ordinance, order, rule, regulation, resolution or any other means, an administrative tribunal to hear and determine complaints of traffic infractions or jurisdiction to adjudicate any liability set forth in subdivision one of this section.