Find Cattaraugus County Traffic Ticket Records

Cattaraugus County traffic ticket records are scattered across more than 30 town and village justice courts in this large rural county in southwestern New York. The county borders Pennsylvania and the Seneca Nation of Indians has land within its borders. Most traffic enforcement comes from the New York State Police and the county sheriff. If you received a ticket here, the court name is printed on the ticket. This page covers where to look up your records, how fines work, and what steps to take next.

Cattaraugus County Traffic Ticket Records Courts

Cattaraugus County has courts in Allegany, Ashford, Carrollton, Coldspring, Conewango, Dayton, East Otto, Ellicottville, Farmersville, Franklinville, Freedom, Great Valley, Hinsdale, Humphrey, Ischua, Leon, Little Valley, Lyndon, Machias, Mansfield, Napoli, New Albion, Olean, Otto, Perrysburg, Persia, Portville, Randolph, Red House, Salamanca, South Dayton Village, South Valley, and Yorkshire. Each of these courts keeps its own set of traffic ticket records. The ticket itself tells you which court to contact.

Little Valley Town Court is at 201 Third Street, Little Valley, NY 14755. Olean Town Court is at 2634 Route 16N, Town Hall, Olean, NY 14760. Salamanca Town Court is at Town Hall, Salamanca, NY 14779. Ellicottville Town Court is at PO Box 600, Ellicottville, NY 14731. Portville Town Court is at 1102 Olean-Portville Road, PO Box 630, Portville, NY 14770. If you do not know which court has your case, use the Unified Court System locator to search by town name.

How to Handle a Cattaraugus County Traffic Ticket

The back of the ticket has your instructions. You can plead guilty by filling out Section A and mailing it with your payment. Plead not guilty by completing Section B. For not guilty pleas, the court will set a date. You can talk to the prosecutor at court and try to work out a deal. Some drivers get their charges reduced, which means fewer points and a smaller fine on their traffic ticket records.

Misdemeanors and felonies require you to show up in person. Traffic infractions usually let you plead by mail. Online payments are available at some courts through PayCourtOnline. Most courts accept cash, money orders, and credit or debit cards. Personal checks are hit or miss. Call the court clerk before you send one.

What Are the Fines in Cattaraugus County?

Fines match the state schedule. Under VTL Section 1800, first offense for a standard traffic infraction is up to $150. Second within 18 months is up to $300. Third can go to $450. Speeding follows VTL Section 1180 with fines from $45 to $600 depending on speed. A mandatory surcharge gets tacked onto every fine.

Points from the DMV point system accumulate with each conviction. Six points in 18 months triggers a $300 Driver Responsibility Assessment (or $100 per year for three years). Every point over six costs an extra $25 per year for three years. At 11 points, your license may be suspended. A DMV accident prevention course can reduce your point total by up to 4 for suspension purposes, but the violations stay on your Cattaraugus County traffic ticket records and your driving abstract.

What If You Do Not Respond to the Ticket?

You have 60 days. After that, the court reports it to the DMV. Your license gets suspended. A $70 fee per ticket is added. It is a crime to drive on a suspended license in New York. The suspension stays until you deal with the ticket. You may end up with a default conviction if you never respond, which means the fine gets set and points added without you having a say.

Check your license status at any time through MyDMV. The online driving record abstract costs $7 and shows all convictions, points, and suspensions. At a DMV office, it costs $10.

Who Writes Tickets in Cattaraugus County?

New York State Police and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Department do most of the enforcement. The county is mostly rural with few local police departments. State troopers patrol the major routes, especially along I-86 (the Southern Tier Expressway) which runs through the county. Speed limits range from 30 mph in villages to 55 mph or higher on highways. Watch the speed drops when you enter small towns.

The Seneca Nation of Indians has territory in Cattaraugus County around Salamanca. Traffic enforcement on Seneca land may involve different agencies. Tickets issued by state or county police on state roads within or near these areas still go to the local town court.

Nearby Counties

Each neighboring county runs its own courts and keeps separate traffic ticket records.