Fare Evasion: $100 FineIndividuals are not permitted to enter the New York City Transit subway system or buses without payment of the fare.
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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.
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.
Fare evasion is the act of using public transportation without paying. In New York, repeat fare evaders can be arrested and charged with theft of services, a class A misdemeanor.
In some cases ticket inspectors are assigned to a certain vehicle during its trip on the entire route (usually on long-distance or some commuter transport) and often, in another case they randomly check multiple vehicles (usually city public transport and some commuter transport).
Passengers can also arrange for ticket inspectors to allow them to travel by offering bribes. A dangerous method of fare evasion is the riding on exterior parts of a vehicle (on a rooftops, rear parts, between cars, skitching, or underneath a vehicle), also known as a vehicle surfing (train surfing, car surfing).
Fare evasion tickets can be either civil or criminal. If you received a yellow ticket, that is a civil summons, not a criminal offense. New York does not have an expungement law. They do have laws that provide for record sealing.
According to the NYPD, subway crime rates have significantly decreased over the years. So, while there's always a chance of encountering some petty theft or occasional subway scuffles, it's generally not an episode of The Purge down there. All aboard the Nostalgia Trains!