All violations / Failure To Stop At Red Light
Failure To Stop At Red Light ticket in NYC: is it worth fighting?
11.6%
dismissed (not guilty)
23.0%
fine reduced
156,347
decided hearings
This violation is rarely dismissed at hearings — dispute only if you have strong evidence or the ticket itself has defects.
Average fine for this violation: $50.
By borough
| Borough | Dismissed | Reduced | Decided hearings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn | 11.2% | 21.4% | 58,163 |
| Queens | 12.0% | 27.1% | 47,565 |
| Bronx | 9.8% | 21.1% | 25,018 |
| Staten Island | 18.4% | 17.2% | 10,730 |
| Manhattan | 12.6% | 27.0% | 10,254 |
| UNKNOWN | 4.8% | 17.2% | 4,603 |
How to dispute (free, official)
- You have 30 days from the ticket date to dispute without late penalties. After ~100 days without action, the city can enter a default judgment.
- Dispute online at the official NYC Department of Finance site (nyc.gov — Dispute a ticket) or via the “NYC Pay or Dispute” app. It is free.
- Check the ticket for missing or illegible required details (plate, make, law section, place of occurrence…). A defective ticket must be dismissed.
- Attach evidence: photos, receipts, permits, muni-meter receipts, signage photos.
- A hearing decision usually arrives by email within weeks; no in-person visit needed.
Want help writing your dispute statement?
We’re building a $29 tool that drafts a dispute statement for your specific ticket, grounded in the defenses that historically worked for this violation. You review and edit it, then submit it yourself on the official NYC site. Full refund if your dispute doesn’t win.
Rates are computed from public NYC hearing records (methodology). Historical statistics are not a prediction for any individual case and are not legal advice.