A bike ticket in NYC costs between $50 and $190. It adds no points to your driver license and carries no extra fees. On March 27, 2026, the NYPD stopped writing criminal summonses for minor cycling offenses.
Police now issue civil citations instead, which means an OATH hearing, not Criminal Court. There is no arrest and no criminal record. Cyclists follow the same traffic rules as drivers: red lights, one-way streets, and lights after dark.
NYC lost 30 cyclists in 2023, the most since 1999. Cyclist deaths dropped to 21 in 2025, and total traffic deaths reached a record low of 206. Transportation Alternatives credited protected bike lanes and stronger cycling infrastructure for making streets safer for delivery workers and everyday cyclists. The New York bicycle accident statistics page on our site provides additional data on bike safety.
Key Takeaways
- Typical fines run $50 to $190. A red light ticket costs $190, with no surcharge (NY DMV).
- No points. 15 NYCRR 131.3 keeps biking and e-bike infractions out of the DMV point system.
- Civil, not criminal. Since March 27, 2026, minor traffic offenses result in civil citations. “Reckless conduct” can still lead to criminal charges.
- Sidewalk riding: up to $100, rising to $100 to $300 with possible seizure if the riding endangers someone (Administrative Code 19-176).
- Ignoring a summons backfires. OATH enters default judgments, and the DMV can suspend your driver license over an unanswered TVB citation.
What Is a Citation in New York?
A citation means you broke a traffic rule while riding. Cyclists have the same legal duties as drivers (VTL 1231). These rules apply to every cyclist in the five boroughs (34 RCNY 4-02), including Citi Bike users, e-bike delivery workers, and anyone else on two wheels.
TVB vs. OATH, the Two Summons Tracks
Your notice arrives on one of two tracks:
- TVB (Traffic Violations Bureau): DMV-run, handles moving offenses
- OATH (Office of Administrative Hearings): handles civil citations
The track decides where you pay, where you contest, and what happens if you don’t respond.
No Points, No Surcharge for Cyclists
Bike citations carry no points and no extra fees. 15 NYCRR 131.3 excludes bicycle and pedestrian offenses from the DMV point system entirely, so a conviction never touches your license.
Some guides add the $88 driver fee and quote red light totals near $278. That math is wrong for cyclists. The DMV confirms that bike convictions carry no extra fee and no points on your driving record.
Check the top of your citation for the issuing office. That office decides where and how you respond. The NYC law guide on our site explains each code provision.
What Changed for NYC Citations in March 2026?
Minor traffic offenses stopped being criminal matters on March 27, 2026. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the change on March 18, reversing the enforcement policies Mayor Adams pushed throughout 2025. Safety advocates and Transportation Alternatives had widely criticized those policies.
Police now write civil citations for low-level traffic violations. The old B summons process, which required a Criminal Court appearance, is gone.
Offenses Now on the Civil Track
The NYPD moved five categories of violation to the civil track:
- Riding under the influence.
- Red lights.
- Other traffic control devices.
- Stop signs.
- Wrong-way riding.
Cyclists now go through the same civil process as drivers for these offenses. E-bike users and delivery workers follow the same civil track. Intoxicated riding has its own separate rules. See DUI on a bicycle in New York for the full breakdown.
The 2025 Ticket Crackdown, by the Numbers
The reversal followed a record crackdown under Mayor Adams. Police wrote 561 criminal summonses to cyclists in Q1 2025, then nearly 6,000 in Q2. That is more than the 5,605 issued over the previous seven years combined. Court filings put the total near 21,000 criminal summonses across thirteen months.
Transportation Alternatives argued the crackdown disproportionately targeted delivery couriers and Citi Bike users rather than reckless drivers. The evidence showed it had not made streets safer or addressed the issues delivery workers face daily.
Offenses That Stay Criminal
“Reckless operation” (VTL 1212) remains a criminal charge, similar in severity to a reckless driving citation for motorists. Officers wrote 257 of those B summons charges between March 31 and July 13, 2026. E-bike users and delivery couriers can still face criminal charges for dangerous bicycle operation in any borough.
A Legal Challenge to the New Policy
A group led by Council Member Frank Morano sued in Staten Island on June 24, 2026, to void the directive and restore criminal e-bike enforcement. The city opposes the suit, and the case is pending.
If you still hold a criminal summons from the 2025 crackdown, ask an attorney whether your case qualifies for dismissal.
Why Do Bike Riders Get Cited in New York?
Most fines come from a short list of violations. Police focus on the ones that endanger pedestrians and that data links to the most common causes of street collisions.
- Sidewalk riding. Riding there is prohibited unless a sign allows it. Children 12 or younger on wheels smaller than 26 inches are the only exception (RCNY 4-07(c)(3)). The base fine is up to $100 (Administrative Code 19-176). Endangering someone makes it a misdemeanor: $100 to $300, possible seizure, and doubled penalties for a repeat within six months.
- Running red lights and stop signs. The standard red light fine at the TVB is $190 (Streetsblog NYC, 2025). Red light tickets are among the most common citations officers write to cyclists. A stop sign violation runs $50 to $115. Delivery workers on e-bikes receive a large share of these tickets. One exception involves the pedestrian walk signal. The FAQ below covers it.
- Riding against traffic. Wrong-way riding on a one-way street carries a fine of up to $150 (VTL 1127(a)). The officer can choose to write a fine or give a warning.
- Failure to yield to pedestrians. Riders must give pedestrians the right of way in crosswalks, the same duty drivers owe cyclists. This rule applies even when you ride legally on a crossing signal (Administrative Code 19-195.1).
- Missing lights, bell, or reflectors. Every e-bike needs a white front lamp visible at 500 feet and a red rear light visible at 300 feet, from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise (VTL 1236). A bell audible at 100 feet is required at all times (VTL 1236(b)). Delivery workers on e-bikes at night face these requirements most often.
- Headphones. One earphone is legal. Two are not (VTL 375(24-a)).
- Helmet violations. Children under 14 must wear approved helmets. The fine of up to $50 goes to the parent or guardian (VTL 1238). Working delivery couriers and Class 3 e-bike users must wear helmets at any age (Administrative Code 10-157). This includes delivery workers on Citi Bike or personal e-bikes. The full rules are in the New York bike helmet guide on our site.
A set of functioning lights and a bell costs less than a single traffic ticket, and they make every ride safer.
Violation Codes and Fines in NYC
Match the violation code on your citation to the table below before you pay anything. At least one code section does not apply inside the five boroughs.
|
Law Code |
What it covers |
Fine |
|
VTL 1235 |
Carrying an article that keeps you from holding the handlebars with at least one hand |
$50 to $150 |
|
VTL 1238 |
Child cyclist age 1 to 13 without an approved helmet |
Up to $50 (charged to the parent or guardian) |
|
VTL 1233(1) |
Clinging to a moving vehicle |
$50 to $150 |
|
VTL 1102 |
Failing to comply with a lawful order from an officer or flagperson |
$50 to $150 |
|
VTL 1110(a) |
Disobeying a traffic control device, including red lights |
$190 |
|
VTL 1111(a)(1) |
Failing to follow a traffic signal |
$190 |
|
VTL 1127(a) |
Riding the wrong way on a one-way street |
Up to $150 |
|
VTL 1229-a |
Riding on a state expressway |
$50 to $150 |
|
VTL 1232(a) |
Improper riding: off the permanent seat or without feet on the pedals |
$50 to $150 |
|
VTL 1232(b) |
Carrying more passengers than it is designed for |
$50 to $150 |
|
VTL 1234(a)* |
Failing to keep right or use a usable bike lane |
$50 to $150 |
|
VTL 1234(c)* |
Failing to stop before entering a roadway from a driveway or curb |
$50 to $150 |
|
VTL 1236(a) |
Missing or insufficient front and rear lights after dark |
$50 to $150 |
|
VTL 1236(b) |
No bell or audible signal |
$50 to $150 |
|
VTL 375(24-a) |
Riding with more than one earphone |
$50 to $150 |
|
RCNY 4-03(a)(5) |
Disobeying a stop sign |
$50 to $115 |
|
Admin. Code 19-176(b) |
Riding on a sidewalk |
Up to $100 |
|
Admin. Code 19-176(c) |
Sidewalk riding that endangers people or property |
$100 to $300, possible misdemeanor and seizure |
|
RCNY 4-12(p)(1) |
Riding outside a usable lane where one is available |
$50 to $100 |
*VTL 1234 does not apply inside New York City. The city’s own rules replace it (34 RCNY 4-02(e)). A five-borough citation under VTL 1234 is contestable on that ground alone.
These fines are base amounts for cyclists, with no extra fees or points. NYC DOT publishes the complete rule list in its Safe Bicycling guide, available for download from the DOT site.
How Do You Handle a Fine in NYC?
Pay it or contest it at the office named on the citation.
- Read the citation first. Check the date, location, violation code, and issuing office. Make sure everything matches what actually happened.
- Pay if you accept the charge. TVB fines are payable online through the DMV site. OATH citations accept payment online or by mail by the printed date.
- Contest if the facts are wrong. There is no plea bargaining at the TVB. The hearing is you, the officer, and an administrative law judge. Bring photos, signal timing data, and witness information.
- Evaluate the walk-signal defense. Cyclists may follow pedestrian signals at intersections since December 2019, under Local Law 154 (Administrative Code 19-195.1). Riding on the walk signal while the parallel light is red is legal, as long as you yield to pedestrians (Streetsblog NYC, 2025). A citation for that exact move gives you strong grounds to contest.
- Never ignore the summons. An ignored OATH citation becomes a default judgment at the maximum penalty and can be docketed as a civil judgment (NYC OATH). The DMV suspends your driver license when a TVB citation goes unanswered (NY DMV). Respond by the date on your citation, no matter what you decide.
Can a Ticket Affect a Crash Claim?
A ticket can come back to hurt you in an injury claim. New York follows comparative negligence, which means your payout shrinks by your share of fault. If an adjuster pins 30 percent of the blame on your riding history, that removes $30,000 from a $100,000 recovery.
Insurance companies use traffic tickets to build their fault arguments. A wrong-way or red light violation in your record will be used to argue carelessness. This applies whether you ride a Citi Bike, an e-bike for delivery, or your own bike.
A clean record takes away the insurer’s easiest argument. Contact a lawyer before speaking with any insurance representative after a crash.
Robert Goldwater is a cyclist representing cyclists. He has practiced personal injury and wrongful death law for more than 20 years, graduating with Honors from Arizona State University Law School, and has helped recover over $1 billion for clients, including injured cyclists.
