How do I get out of a fare evasion ticket in NYC?

To dispute a ticket, you must request a hearing within 30 days after the ticket was issued to avoid paying late penalties. You can dispute a ticket online, by mobile app, by mail, or in-person. You must meet all deadlines. Contacting anyone other than the Department of Finance does not change the deadline.



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Fare evasion is considered a civil case issue and not a criminal case issue. Meaning there's not gonna be any cops hunting you down to put you in jail or anything if that's what you're worried about. What'll most likely happen is the fine and penalties will be reduced to a default judgment accruing interest annually.

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The MTA has the authority to collect fares from the riding public, pursuant to the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Riders who enter the subway system or ride buses without paying the fare are subject to a $50 or $100 fine.

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Police officials declared a crackdown on so-called quality-of-life offenses in March 2022, and enforcement rose by about 28 percent to 80,000 fare evasion summonses that year compared with 62,380 in 2021, according to the M.T.A.

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Fare evasion on buses accounted for nearly half of the estimated $700 million the MTA lost to non-payment in 2022. “All of a sudden, buses have become the No. 1 fare evasion problem,” said MTA chairman Janno Lieber.

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The MTA lost an estimated $690 million last year to fair evasion on subways and buses, with the majority of the losses coming from bus fare evasion.

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One method of fare evasion is jumping or climbing over the turnstiles which bar the entryway into a subway system; hence the term, turnstile jumping. Fare-dodgers also can walk right behind a passenger with a valid ticket before closing of some types of ticket barrier gates (this is called tailgating).

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What is the Penalty for Fare Evasion in New York? While jumping a turnstile is still technically a criminal offense, the penalties are relatively light. It falls into the same general category as a parking ticket, and you will be fined $100 if caught. However, you can appeal the decision and avoid paying the fine.

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What if I want to fight the ticket? You can dispute a parking ticket by requesting a hearing within 30 days of the date of the ticket. If you wait more than 30 days, penalties may apply. You can dispute a parking ticket for a variety of reasons, including medical emergencies or a broken meter.

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Why is fare evasion such a problem? In the case of fare evasion, there are two sides that suffer – the transit authority on the one hand, and the public in general on the other. Many transit agencies depend on fare collection to support their operations beyond the funding they receive from the government.

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Likewise, did you know that transit fare evasion falls under petit theft? Below is a brief explanation of this crime, as well as the elements that constitute theft.

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It's responsible for $700 million a year in lost revenue for the MTA, said its chairman and CEO, Janno Lieber.

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