Whether you received a red light ticket for a failure to stop at West 40th and 8th Avenue in New York, or got pulled over for an illegal turn at an intersection near The Battle of White Plains Park, you could be on the hook for some serious money. Receiving a traffic ticket in New York can not only put a severe dent in your wallet, but you'll also be assessed points that could result in a license suspension or worse.

Your New York red light citation will vary based on several factors. Expect to pay at least $150 and as much as $535 or more depending on your circumstances.

What kinds of circumstances determine how much you'll pay for a red light ticket? In New York there are 3 primary forms of red light citations: a VTL 1110a citation, a VTL 1111(d)-1 citation, and a red light camera citation:

A VTL 1110a violation occurs when you fail to follow any traffic control device in the State of New York. Your penalties increase with each guilty verdict within 18 months:

NEW YORK RED LIGHT TICKET COST TABLE — VTL 1110a

# of OFFENSES in 18 MONTHS

POTENTIAL FINE + Surcharge

LICENSE POINTS
1 $150+$93 2
2 $300+$93 2
3 $450+$93 2

When you are issued a red light (VTL 1110a) ticket in New York, you can also be assessed a VTL 1111(d)-1 violation for a failure to observe a crosswalk, stop line, etc without an adequate view of oncoming traffic during a red light. The penalties are as follows:

NEW YORK RED LIGHT TICKET COST TABLE — VTL 1111(d)-1

City Population

POTENTIAL FINE + Surcharge

LICENSE POINTS
Less Than 1 Million $225+$85 3
1 Million or More $450+$85 3

New York Red Light Camera Violation

The final form of red light citation in New York is a red light camera ticket. The penalties for these are much less harsh than being issued a citation by a law enforcement officer.

A red light camera ticket carries a fee of $50, but does not add any points to your license. It also cannot be used against you for the purposes of your insurance premiums. You just have to pay the $50 fine and it'll be like it never happened.

Additional Fines and Penalties in New York

The State of New York does reserve the right to put you in jail for up to 15 days for any red light offense. Though this is rare, it can be used as an additional punishment in extreme cases.

New York Diving Points System

On top of potential jail time, as you accumulate points on your license you risk additional fees, or the suspension or revocation of your driving privileges. Rack up 6 or more points within 18 months and you will have to pay a Driver Responsibility Assessment fee, which will set you back $300 + $75 for every point above 6 you have accumulated.

In addition, when you reach 11 points within 18 months and your license could be suspended or revoked.

You can possibly prevent your license from being suspended by taking a DMV-approved Point and Insurance Reduction Course, and could even help you save money on your insurance premiums.

No one likes getting a red light ticket, but failing to address it can cause long-term problems for the state of your license, your insurance rate, and potentially, your freedom. Getting ahead of the issue is the best course of action, and knowing what you'll need to pay is the first step toward resolving your red light ticket.