Timing of Taking a Defensive Driving Course in New York State

New York State law provides that the completion of a defensive driving course will give the driver a 4 point ”credit”. Under the right circumstances, this would allow a motorists to avoid getting suspended when they get 11 points in 18 months. MYIMPROV is a popular course provider. You can also use any of the course providers listed here: https://dmv.ny.gov/pirp/online

There are several misconceptions about the defensive course and how it works. If you have a lot of points or have several tickets pending, please get in touch with an attorney whose primary area of practice is traffic ticket defense. A lot of attorneys, whose area of practice is something else, think they can handle traffic tickets because they are easy. This may be the case sometimes but is not the case when you need specific nuanced legal information.

For example, some think you are supposed to wait until the conviction is on the record before completing the course. This is an error and never true in New York. Taking this bad advice, can result in suspension that could have been otherwise avoided.

The Benjamin Goldman Law Office is a law firm whose primary area of practice is traffic ticket defense. We practice in all areas of the state, from Southampton, to Queens, to Plattsburgh, to Buffalo. If you need to complete a defensive driving course to save your license, get in touch with us first. We offer a free 10-minute consultation.