New York Drivers Face Steeper Penalties Under Sweeping DMV Point Reform

A sweeping change to New York’s driver penalty system is now in effect — and a single offense could cost some motorists their license.

Under new rules from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, alcohol- or drug-related driving offenses and aggravated unlicensed operation now carry 11 points — enough to trigger an automatic suspension. Previously, those violations carried zero points.

Other violations, including passing a stopped school bus or speeding in a construction zone, now carry eight points. A cell phone violation remains at five.

The union representing state troopers says it supports holding reckless drivers accountable. But it’s also warning that many motorists may not understand how dramatically the system has changed.

“Drivers need to be aware that the point system is coming into effect,” said Charles W. Murphy, president of the New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association. “First and foremost, member safety is a big thing and our people are public servants. So, they don’t just hand the ticket out and walk away.”

Murphy says troopers often stay roadside to answer questions — and that can put them at risk.

“When people have questions on this ticket, they stay and explain it and try to let them know what it is,” he said. “By doing that, they’re in harm’s way longer. And as you know, our troopers get struck unfortunately at a very high rate. It’s one of the things that actually causes most deaths in law enforcement.”

A Single Offense, Immediate Suspension

Previously, alcohol- and drug-related driving offenses carried zero points under the DMV system. Now they jump to 11.

Murphy says the hope is that tougher penalties will deter dangerous behavior before a citation is ever issued.

“We’re hopeful… through the education that we’re going to start seeing people really start to look for those other options — your Ubers, your Lyft — making sure you have a reason to get home in a safe way,” he said. “That’s what we want.”

Look-Back Period Extends to 24 Months
The expansion of the look-back period from 18 to 24 months could also catch drivers off guard.

Previously, Murphy explained, “after 18 months, these points kind of fall off. They wouldn’t affect your insurance and if you were having to pay a driver responsibility fee, then it would come off.”

Now, “by having it go 24 months, you’re going to be paying those responsibility fees at a longer rate… points will be held against the driver for a longer.”

That means someone who assumed older violations were behind them could find themselves at risk of suspension — or higher insurance premiums — for six additional months.

“Unless they’re educated to this… they may choose to try to take some type of responsibility class to have those points reduced off their license,” Murphy said. “But if they don’t have the education, they’re not going to know to do it until they get the bill.”

Distracted Driving Still a Concern
While impaired driving penalties saw a dramatic increase, a cell phone violation remains at five points. Murphy noted that distracted driving remains a persistent issue, even as DWI arrests have slowly declined.

“The numbers say it is slowly going down for the driving while intoxicated. However, distracted driving, it’s still up there,” Murphy said. “People have done it all through times for driving… It’s always going to be a problem with driving. That’s why the education of being out there and telling people the dangers of it.”

More Court Challenges?
Stricter penalties could also mean more drivers contesting tickets in court — something Murphy acknowledged as a possibility.

“It may cause some drivers to be unable to maybe get a reduction… and they’ll want to try to take it all the way through to a trial,” he said. “But again, we’re out here to enforce the laws and we’ll do our jobs as needed.”

For now, the union’s focus is on awareness.

“It might be the one and only time their stop and a citation is issued,” Murphy said of motorists. “They have many questions, concerns, thoughts in their head at that moment… and that’s where our people are standing on the side of the road explaining this longer and longer and putting themselves in harm’s way longer.”

The Bottom Line for Drivers
Murphy’s message is straightforward:

“Just please be aware that before violations that were not going to be penalized with severity are going to be now penalized with a very harsh penalty and it will affect your insurance,” he said. “So please educate yourself from doing these dangerous driving behaviors, so that you don’t have to be corrected by us.”

Image: Traffic enters lower Manhattan after crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, Feb. 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)