City-Issued Violation or Summons

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New York City Agencies issue summonses for violations of quality of life laws and other City rules and regulations.

These summonses, also called Environmental Control Board (ECB) Violations, include charges for:

  • Health code violations
  • Dirty or blocked sidewalks
  • Improper garbage and recycling disposal
  • Loitering
  • Noise

The Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) is an administrative court that holds hearings involving these types of violations. OATH is separate and distinct from the enforcement Agencies that issue the summonses.

OATH does not hold hearings for:

  • Parking tickets
  • Camera violations
  • Traffic violations
  • Criminal violations

Responding to an OATH Summons

You must respond to an OATH summons by the hearing date. All the information you need is provided on the ticket.

If your summons says “mail-in penalty,” you can pay it without having to participate in a hearing. If it doesn’t, you must participate in a hearing.

If your summons says “must appear” or if it was issued by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), you must attend a hearing in person. If it doesn’t, you may be able have a hearing online, by phone, by mail, or by web cam instead.

Scheduling a Hearing

You must schedule your hearing with OATH in advance.

All hearings are being conducted by phone, but a party may request an in-person hearing by emailing livehearings@oath.nyc.gov at least 5 business days before the scheduled hearing date.

All approved in-person appearances are held at:

66 John Street, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10038

Rescheduling Hearings

You can reschedule your hearing once. OATH must get the request to reschedule before the scheduled hearing date. You can use the Online Rescheduling Form to make the request.

If you receive a decision finding you in default for failure to appear at a hearing, you have 75 days to submit your first request for a new hearing and have your request be automatically granted and a new hearing date sent in the mail.

Hearing Assistance

If you are self-represented and want assistance from OATH's Help Center prior to your hearing, you can email manhelpcenter@oath.nyc.gov and someone will email or call you back.

Small businesses that are self-represented can contact the Small Business Unit of the Help Center at smallbizhelp@oath.nyc.gov.

The following City Agencies issue summonses for violations that are heard by OATH:

  • Business Integrity Commission (BIC)
  • Department of Buildings (DOB)
  • Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP)
  • Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
  • Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)
  • Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR)
  • Department of Sanitation (DSNY)
  • Department of Small Business Services (SBS)
  • Department of Transportation (DOT)
  • Fire Department (FDNY)
  • Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC)
  • Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI)
  • Police Department (NYPD)
  • Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
  • Taxi and Limousine Commission

The summons includes:

  • The date, time, location, and description of the alleged violation
  • The date, time, and location of your hearing
  • Whether you must appear at a hearing or if you are eligible to pay the summons without attending a hearing (“mail-in penalty”)
  • Whether you are required to attend the hearing in person or if you can have a remote hearing

If you have the summons number, you can get a copy of the summons using OATH’s Ticket Finder.

You can also get the status of your violation, payment information, and hearing recordings.

Online

Use OATH's Ticket Finder.

By Phone

Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) for assistance.

If your summons says "must appear," or if it was issued by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), you must attend a hearing in person at a OATH Hearing Division.

Your summons will include the exact date, time, and location of the hearing.

After the hearing, the OATH Hearings Division will issue you a decision. If you don't get the decision directly after your hearing, it will be issued and mailed to you within 10 days of the hearing.

Online

Learn more about in-person hearings.

By Phone

Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) for assistance.

If your summons says “must appear,” or if it was issued by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), you must attend a hearing in person. If it doesn’t, you may be able have a hearing by phone instead.

If your summons is eligible for a phone hearing, you can schedule the hearing on OATH’s website or by phone.

Online

Learn more and request a phone hearing.

If you need technical assistance scheduling a hearing, email manhelpcenter@oath.nyc.gov.

By Phone

  • Agency: Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings
  • Division: OATH Remote Hearings Unit
  • Phone Number: (212) 436-0777
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM

If your summons says "must appear," or if it was issued by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), you must attend a hearing in person. If it doesn’t, you may be able to have a hearing online instead.

If your summons is eligible for an online hearing, you can fight it by filling out a form and uploading supporting documents online.

You can find a complete list of eligible summonses and charges and learn if your specific case can be contested online.

Online

Learn more and fight your summons online.

By Phone

Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) for assistance.

If your summons says "must appear," or if it was issued by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), you must attend a hearing in person. If it doesn’t, you may be able to have a video hearing by webcam instead.

You can get a complete list of eligible summonses and charges and learn if your specific case can be contested by webcam.

Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) for assistance.

If your summons says "must appear," or if it was issued by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), you must attend a hearing in person. If it doesn’t, you may be able to have a hearing by mail instead.

If your summons is eligible for a mail hearing, you can fight a summons by mailing OATH a written defense and sending copies of supporting documents.

You can find a complete list of eligible summonses and charges and learn if your specific case can be contested on OATH’s website.

Online

Learn more about mail hearings.

By Phone

Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) for assistance.

OATH Hearing Division locations are open Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.

Bronx
260 East 161 Street, 6th Floor
Bronx, NY 10451

Brooklyn
9 Bond Street, 6th and 7th Floor
(between Livingston Street and Fulton Mall)
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Restaurant cases are heard on Floor 6 while all other hearings are conducted on Floor 7.

Manhattan
 66 John Street, 10th and 11th Floors
(between William and Nassau Streets)
New York, NY 10038
Health Department and Department of Consumer and Worker Protection cases are heard on floor 11.  All other cases are heard on floor 10.

Queens
31-00 47th Avenue, 3rd and 4th Floor
Long Island City, NY 11101

Staten Island
350 St. Marks Place, Main Floor
(corner of Hyatt Street and St. Marks Place)
Staten Island, NY 10301

You can change the date of your hearing if you contact OATH to reschedule before your hearing date.

You can only reschedule a hearing once.

Online

Reschedule a hearing.

By Phone

  • Agency: Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings
  • Division: OATH Hearings Division Reschedule
  • Phone Number: (844) 628-4692
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM

If you disagree with OATH’s decision, you can appeal.

In most cases, you must pay the fine before you can appeal. If you win your appeal, you’ll be issued a refund.

You can file an appeal online or by mail.

OATH must receive your appeal request within 30 days of the date of the decision or within 35 days of the mailing date if the decision was mailed to you. You must also provide a copy of your appeal to the Agency that issued the summons.

Learn more about appeals.

If you win your case and the violation is dismissed after the hearing is held, the city enforcement agency that prosecuted the case has the right to appeal that decision.

The city agency must notify you and give you a chance to respond to their appeal. Responses must be submitted by mail or online before the deadline. You can schedule an appointment with the OATH Help Center online or by phone to get help with filing a response to the City’s appeal.

Online

Contact the OATH Help Center.

By Phone

Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) for assistance.

Pay a Summons

You will need your summons number in order to pay a penalty. You may pay the penalty online, by mail, or in person. The payment method is determined by the type of summons you received.

Learn more about paying a summons.

Online

You can make an online payment for summonses that have been filed and are in OATH's system. You can pay by credit card, debit card, or electronic check. A convenience fee will be charged.

You will need the summons or notice number to make an online payment.

Learn how to pay a penalty online.

By Mail

To pay a violation penalty by mail, send a check or money order for the full amount indicated on the front of the summons or decision and order. Cash is not accepted.
Make a check or money order payable to: Finance Commissioner, City of New York.

Include all summons number(s) on the front of the check or money order.

Mail the payment to:

NYC Finance Commissioner
Post Office Box 2307
Peck Slip Station
New York, NY 10272

In Person

You can make a payment in person at any OATH Hearing Center, except at the Long Island City location. Restaurant violations can only be paid in person at the Manhattan and Brooklyn centers.

Get Help

You can contact the Clerk’s Office if you have questions or concerns regarding payments.

Contact the Clerk's Office.

Overpayment or Refunds

You can make a request for a refund by email or mail.

By Email

Send a message to ClerksOffice@oath.nyc.gov.

By Mail

To request a refund by mail, send the request to:

OATH Clerk's Office
Penalty Processing Unit
66 John Street, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10038

The Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) doesn't offer payment plans for City-issued summonses. All fines imposed by OATH judges are set by law.

As long as a violation is in OATH's system, payment plans are not an option. However, once a case is sent to the Department of Finance (DOF) for collection, you can request a payment plan if you owe $500 or more in charges.

How to Apply

To request a payment plan, you must contact the Department of Finance Collections Division.

You will be required to submit a Financial Statement. You may also be asked to provide one or more of the following items to document your sources of income: 

  • Proof of employment (two recent pay stubs) 
  • Copies of the front and back of two canceled salary checks paid to you by your employer 
  • Photo ID (for example, a valid driver’s license) 
  • Business certificate accompanied by Federal Income Tax Form 1099 or Form 1040 with Schedule C

Down Payment

You will be required to make a down payment of one-third of the amount you owe.

Further Assistance

For more information, you can contact the Department of Finance

Online

Contact the Department of Finance.

By Mail

Write to:

NYC Department of Finance
Dunning Unit
59 Maiden Lane, 28th Floor
New York, NY 10038

By Phone

  • Agency: Department of Finance
  • Division: Environmental Control Board (ECB) Violation Collections Division
  • Phone Number: (212) 440-5300
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM

If you fail to appear at a hearing for an Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) violation (formerly ECB violation), a default judgment is entered against you and you are charged a default penalty. 

You may be eligible to participate in the OATH-Adjudicated Settlement Program and have half of the default penalty waived. 

To find out if you have eligible violations, visit the CityPay website and search for your docketed OATH violations. 

If the violation is eligible, it will appear in the search results with a "Settlement Amount." The amount due will be the base penalty amount, interest, and one-half of the default penalty. You can then pay for the violation online or at a DOF Business Center. You must agree to the terms and conditions of the settlement program.

Online

Learn about the OATH-Adjudicated Settlement Program.

Visit CityPay.

By Phone

  • Agency: Department of Finance
  • Division: Environmental Control Board (ECB) Violation Collections Division
  • Phone Number: (212) 440-5300
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM

Eligibility

To be eligible for the OATH-Adjudicated Settlement Program, you must meet the following conditions:

  • You were issued a violation by a City enforcement agency, such as the Departments of Buildings or Transportation, for violating a City rule or regulation that is meant to protect the City’s quality of life.
  • Your violation has been adjudicated by OATH, you have been found in default for failing to attend your hearing, and a judgment has been filed in court for your outstanding violation.
  • You’ve taken action to correct a condition on compliance violations (if applicable). 
  • Your violation hasn’t been turned over to an enforcement officer or agency--such as the sheriff, a city marshal, the NYC Law Department, or an outside agency--for collection.

Compliance Violations

To fully resolve a compliance violation, you must not only pay a fine, but also must correct a condition.

The OATH-Adjudicated Settlement Program requires proof of correction before you are eligible to pay a reduced penalty on a compliance violation.

To learn how to correct your compliance violations or get proof of correction, contact the agency who issued your ticket:

Department of Buildings (DOB)

Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) for assistance.

Fire Department

Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) for assistance.

Bureau of Environmental Compliance

Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) for assistance.

Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC)

By Email

Send a message to violations@lpc.nyc.gov.

Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) for assistance.

Proof of Correction

To submit proof of correction, you can contact DOF online or by phone.

Online

Contact the Department of Finance.

By Phone

  • Agency: Department of Finance
  • Division: Department of Finance Collections
  • Phone Number: (212) 440-5300
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

If you received a summons in your name for a property you don’t own, you must fight the summons at a hearing to try to get it dismissed.

The OATH Help Center can help you with scheduling and preparing for your hearing. Email manhlpcenter@oath.nyc.gov at least one week before your hearing date for assistance.

Your email should include:

  • Summons number
  • Contact information

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