One of the many perks of living in upstate or central New York is proximity to Canada. Within a few short hours, you could find yourself touring the Notre-Dame Basilica, strolling through the Montreal Botanical Garden, or watching a Canadiens game at Bell Centre.
Unfortunately, driving in Canada can also mean trouble if you don’t follow the rules of the road. A failure to accurately convert speed limits from kilometers to miles per hour might land you with a speeding ticket. Even worse, you could be pulled over for a DUI/DWI offense.
What happens when a New York resident receives a traffic ticket from Canada? What penalties could you face? Can you fight such violations? Here’s what you need to know before you cross the border and travel on Canadian roadways.
Traffic Violations Outside New York
If you hold a New York driver’s license, you probably know that traffic violations may result in points on your license. If you accumulate enough points, your license could be suspended and your insurance provider might raise your rates. This is especially true for serious and dangerous violations like excessive speed, reckless driving, and DUI/DWI, for example.
What happens when New York drivers are ticketed in other states or countries? If you fail to answer a moving violation ticket in any state other than Alaska, California, Michigan, Montana, Oregon, or Wisconsin, your New York license will be suspended.
Typically, convictions for traffic violations occurring outside New York are not recorded by the state’s DMV office and do not result in points on your license. Convictions for violations in Ontario and Quebec in Canada are the exception, and they will appear on your driving record in New York and result in points. For this reason alone, you might want to fight such tickets.
Penalties for Traffic Violations in Canada
Minor traffic tickets — such as those for driving slightly over the speed limit, illegal lane changes, and failure to signal — will only result in a ticket and a small fee. Whether you pay the fine or fight the ticket, you’re unlikely to see any major penalties associated with this type of traffic ticket from Canada.
More serious offenses are another matter. If, for example, you are convicted of excessive speeding or a DUI/DWI violation, you may be refused entry into Canada in the future. Worse, you could receive fines and even jail time, depending on the charges.
Drivers could also face penalties in New York. Those over 21 convicted of a DUI/DWI offense could have their license revoked for 90 days, while those under 21 could have their license revoked for a minimum of one year or until they reach the age of 21, whichever is longer.
Fighting a Canada Traffic Ticket
If you feel a ticket has been issued unfairly, you have some recourse in Canada. You can dispute the ticket (or someone can dispute it on your behalf) within 30 days of the violation date if you received a ticket in person, or within 45 days if the ticket was mailed to you. Disputes may be lodged online, by mail, or in person, depending on the violation, but you will have to appear in court to fight the conviction.
Are you a New York resident facing one or more traffic violations in Canada? The experienced team at New York Traffic Ticket Lawyers can help. Contact us now to discuss your case.
