We have a major breaking update coming to Buffalo and WNY regarding the laws governing the receipt of traffic tickets. It's a shake-up in 2026 as the state overhauls its traffic ticket point system, imposing steeper penalties and longer-lasting consequences for common violations. These changes will roll out this month on February 16th and affect offenses such as speeding, reckless driving, and even cell phone use, which will carry more points on your license, and those points will stick around longer, increasing the risk of suspension and higher insurance costs for motorists who find themselves on the wrong side of the law.

At DuBois Law, we work in many cases involving traffic laws and potential DWI's and DUI's. We know this part of the law very well and work to defend anyone who may need it concerning these changes if they affect you. In this blog, we will explain what changed with traffic tickets and how it affects your license points and the penalties they bring.

Breaking Down The Changes Coming to Ticket Laws

Back at the beginning of December, local news network WGRZ on Channel 2 reported on these changes in an article ahead of its start in February. We want to break down what those changes are and how they affect you:

As the article outlines, if you receive a traffic ticket moving forward, you will receive increased points on your license along with additional fines. There are things before that you wouldn't have been assessed for, regarding points like mechanical issues, and that also changes in this new law. You will be less likely to plead against a ticket without getting points as well. 

The idea of “pleading” means that you can decide whether to pay your fine on the ticket or go to court to fight it. There are a few ways someone might plead a ticket. They either plead guilty by paying the fine or plead not guilty, and finally, they can plead guilty with an explanation or plead nolo contendere. Nolo contendere is a plea by which a defendant in a criminal prosecution accepts conviction as though a guilty plea had been entered but does not admit guilt.

A great point that the article makes next is that this is a change that attorneys like us who specialize in traffic-based criminal defense will note how impactful it is on motorists around NY state. Before this new change came to be, you'd receive 11 points on your license and have it be suspended for that, but now, the change makes it so that it will only take 10 points within 24 months, and that means those points stay on the license for 6 more months after.

How The Point System Works in New York State

There are probably a lot of you coming into reading this blog that might not know fully how the points system works here in New York State, and it's our job to educate on the law. Any time a major change to the law takes place, like this one, it's more important than ever that people are educated on it, and we are here to help!

The points system in NYS is based on traffic violations that you commit. Some of those examples include speeding, reckless driving, failing to yield to the right of way, and much more. You can read up on this on the New York DMV website and see how many points you receive for each violation, and what situations DON'T count as a violation.

Another MAJOR point that the WGRZ article notes with the point system that relates to DWI and DUI violations is that a DWI, specifically in New York State's system, previously did not carry a point addition on your license. With the new schedule change on points, a DWI will carry 11 total points, which would suspend your license immediately. Something called a driver responsibility assessment will be registered as well and will be used for fines that state coffers will be fattened by. Your insurance will also be affected by this, as some attorneys here in NYS have pointed out that it will get a lot busier for people who want to get their points reduced.

A lot of these different circumstances under the new schedule change on points could be detrimental to a lot of motorists out there, here in NY, and especially in Buffalo and Western New York, where DuBois Law works out of. Once again, it's our job to educate you, not to judge if you may have been involved with any one of the number of violations that points accumulate on. If you need a defense for any of them and want to learn more about this change, reach out to us through the contact form, and we will be more than happy to assist!

Traffic Violation Criminal Defense FAQ

How can a criminal defense attorney help with traffic violations?

As criminal defense attorneys at DuBois Law, we play a critical role in protecting your driving privileges and minimizing the impact these new law changes can have on you. With higher points, an experienced attorney can evaluate your traffic ticket, explain how the updated point system applies to your specific situation, and advise you on a strategy to handle it.

A defense attorney can challenge the validity of the traffic stop and the evidence behind the citation. When that happens, we can find a way to reduce charges and limit how many points you accumulate. For more serious offenses like a DWI, it will now carry immediate suspension-level points. Having a proper legal representation behind you ensures you understand your options and are not navigating these harsher penalties alone.

DISCLAIMER: PAST RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS. THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE. DANIEL DUBOIS AND ANY DUBOIS LAW ATTORNEYS ARE NOT YOUR ATTORNEYS UNLESS RETAINED. INFORMATION SHARED HERE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. EACH CASE IS UNIQUE AND IS DECIDED BASED ON ITS OWN FACTS AND MERITS AND CANNOT BE COMPARED TO OTHER CASES WHICH MAY HAVE HAD DIFFERENT FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES.