Parking ticket vs moving violation in NYC

Last reviewed October 24, 2026 · Based on the city’s own pages

nyfinepay is an independent private service, not the City of New York. You can always pay the city directly, which may cost less.

Two different systems

Not every ticket in New York City is a parking ticket. There are two separate systems, and paying in one does nothing for the other.

Parking and camera tickets

These are issued for how a vehicle is parked or stopped, or by a speed, red light or bus lane camera. The city’s Department of Finance collects and processes them. You pay or dispute with the Department of Finance, and the city’s tickets page is the place to start. This is what nyfinepay handles.

Moving violations

A moving violation is written by a police officer for how a vehicle was driven, for example speeding or running a light as seen by the officer. In New York City these non-criminal tickets go to the state’s Traffic Violations Bureau (TVB), run by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The DMV says the TVB does not handle parking tickets or red light and speed camera tickets. You plead guilty or not guilty, or pay, through the DMV’s TVB page.

Moving violations can add points to your driver license, which parking and camera tickets generally do not. The city says, for example, that red light camera tickets do not put points on your driving record. Because a moving violation can affect your license and insurance, read the DMV’s instructions for your ticket carefully. A guilty plea cannot be changed.

How to tell which you have

• A parking ticket is left on a vehicle, or arrives by mail as a camera Notice of Liability with photos of the vehicle.
• A moving violation is written by an officer for how the vehicle was driven, and usually asks you to plead guilty or not guilty.

If you cannot tell, the instructions printed on the ticket say where to respond. When in doubt, ask the agency named on the ticket before you pay.

Common mix-ups

• Is a school zone speed camera ticket a moving violation? Not in the TVB sense. The DMV says the TVB does not handle red light or speed camera tickets. Those are camera tickets collected by the city.
• Do camera tickets add points? The city says red light camera tickets do not put points on a driving record. For other camera programs, check the city’s page for that program.
• Does paying one fix the other? No. A payment to the city does not settle a TVB ticket, and a plea at the TVB does not settle a city ticket.

What nyfinepay does and does not do

• We look up and submit payment for open NYC parking tickets and for speed, red light and bus lane camera tickets.
• We do not pay moving violations, tickets returnable to a court, or tickets from other states.
• We do not give legal advice, dispute tickets or handle hearings.

Where to get help

If you have a moving violation and need legal advice, a licensed attorney can help. For parking and camera ticket problems you cannot resolve with the Department of Finance, the city’s Office of the Parking Summons Advocate offers independent help to the public, but not for moving violations or legal advice.