Most traffic tickets issued in New York are written under the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law (NYS VTL). Other traffic offenses can be issued under other sections such as DOT violations and Parkway Rules and Regulations violations. In addition, New York City and many towns, villages and cities have their own local laws often incorporating some of the same violations found in the NYS VTL.
The NYS VTL assigns a code for each violation and establishes the parameters of the fines and surcharges for each violation. It also establishes whether a conviction to a specific violation carries points and if so, the amount, and whether jail can be imposed for a conviction of the violation.