What Is The Driver Responsibility Program?

On November 18, 2004, New York’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) instituted a driver responsibility program. Like many other government agencies and initiatives, this program has been given a name that contradicts or obscures what it really is.The driver responsibility program is a three-year tax on individuals convicted of an alcohol or drug-related driving offense, on anyone who refuses a breathalyzer test and on anyone who accumulates more than six driving record points in less than 18 months.

The Program Is Essentially A Tax You Have To Pay

If you refused a breathalyzer or were convicted of a DWI or drug-related traffic offense in New York, the current driver responsibility assessment is $250 each year for three years. If you have been required to participate in the driver responsibility program because of traffic points which are not alcohol or drug-related (and only those points received in New York, Quebec or Ontario apply), the assessment is $100 each year for three years. If you receive any new traffic violations or are convicted of another DWI while you are enrolled in the program, addition assessments may be imposed.

In any case — and whether you reside in New York, in another state or in another country such as Canada — you will receive a statement from the New York DMV telling you how much you have to pay, and the date that your payment is due. If you do not pay the driver responsibility assessment or try to pay less than the amount listed on your statement, New York will suspend your drivers’ license and driving privileges. You can also pay the total three-year assessment (either $750 or $300) in full at any time.

Questions About Driver Responsibility Assessments?

Call Larkin Ingrassia, PLLC at 845-566-5345, or email us to set up a free consultation to discuss your drivers’ responsibility assessment. Our attorneys represent local, out-of-town and out-of-state drivers arrested for DWI and other serious traffic offenses on Interstates I-87 (NYS Thruway) or I-84, U.S. Route 9W, the Palisades Interstate Parkway, State Routes 6, 17 (86) or 59, and on other Hudson Valley roadways.

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