Frequently asked questions about the Transit Adjudication Bureau

The Transit Adjudication Bureau is the agency responsible for processing summonses issued to individuals who have allegedly violated one or more of the rules governing conduct in the use of subway or bus facilities in the New York City Transit system.

The Transit Adjudication Bureau is located at 29 Gallatin Place, 3rd Floor (between Livingston and Fulton streets), Brooklyn, NY 11201. The hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You may pay a fine between 8 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. You may appear for a hearing between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Please note that all mail correspondences should be sent to:

Transit Adjudication Bureau
P.O. Box 29133
Brooklyn, NY 11202-9133

The Transit Adjudication Bureau is located in downtown Brooklyn close to several subway and bus lines.  The bureau is located near Macy’s Department Store.

You may take the following bus and trains:

•  2 and 3 trains stop at Hoyt Street (across the street and around the corner from the TAB office at 29 Gallatin Place)
• 4 and 5 trains stop at Nevins Street or Borough Hall/Court Street (each stop is 3 ½ blocks from 29 Gallatin Place)
• A, C, and G trains stop at Hoyt-Schermerhorn (1½ blocks from 29 Gallatin Place).
• A, C, and F trains stop at Jay Street/Borough Hall (1½ blocks from 29 Gallatin Place)
• B,Q, and R trains stop at DeKalb Avenue (3 blocks from 29 Gallatin Place)
• LIRR to the Flatbush Avenue station, transfer to the 2 or 3 trains, ride 1 stop to Hoyt Street Station.
• The B25, B26, B38, B41, B45, B52, B54, B61, and B67 buses all stop within 1 block of 29 Gallatin Place.
• If traveling by car from Queens or Brooklyn, take the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway exiting at Tillary Street.  Take Tillary Street to Livingston Street and make a left. Find parking and proceed to 29 Gallatin Place.

For general inquiries regarding a violation, you may contact the Transit Adjudication Bureau Inquiry Unit at (347) 643-5805. For questions concerning payment of a fine, you may contact the Collection Unit at (347) 643-5817. Inquires in writing may be forwarded to:

Transit Adjudication Bureau
P.O. Box 29133
Brooklyn, NY 11202-9133

Respondents, please be advised that providing TAB with timely updates regarding your current mailing address are necessary to ensure mailings sent by TAB reach you promptly.

• Visit TAB in-person at 29 Gallatin Place, 3rd Floor, Brooklyn NY 11201
• Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:45 PM
• Bring Photo ID
• Provide copy of NOV(s) or NOV(s) number(s) if known.
• Complete an Address Change Form
• Call TAB at (347) 643-5805
• Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Advise the representative you would like to update your address.
• Verify your identity by answering the representative’s questions.
• Provide the updated address to the representative.

A NOV (summons) is a written legal notice that charges a person (known as “the Respondent”) with violating one of the rules governing conduct in the use of subway or bus facilities in the New York City Transit System. These violations are issued by law enforcement officials who enforce the Rules of Conduct. If you receive a NOV, the information printed on it should advise you of the Rules of Conduct section that you are charged with violating, the nature of the alleged prohibited conduct, the amount of the fine, and a hearing date.

Read details about the ticket here.

You can also contact the Transit Adjudication Bureau Inquiry Unit at 347-643-5805 for additional information.

If you want to dispute the NOV, you can appear for an in-person hearing or request a hearing by mail. See the hearings section for more information.

Note: Please take notice of the hearing date provided on your NOV.

For general inquiries regarding a violation, you may contact the Transit Adjudication Bureau Inquiry Unit at (347) 643-5805.  For questions concerning payment of a fine, you may contact the Collection Unit at (347) 643-5817. Inquires in writing may be forwarded to:
Transit Adjudication Bureau
P.O. Box 29133
Brooklyn, NY 11202-9133

• Visit TAB in-person at 29 Gallatin Place, 3rd Floor, Brooklyn NY 11201
• Monday through Friday 8:00 AM – 4:45 PM
• Bring Photo ID
• Provide NOV(s) number(s) if known.
• The fee for a copy of an NOV is $1.00/per NOV.

An NOV Status Letter is used to provide the Respondent with information related to the violation's current status. The NOV Status Letter provides the status of an NOV as well as any balance owed for that NOV. 

• Visit TAB in-person at 29 Gallatin Place, 3rd Floor, Brooklyn NY 11201
• Monday through Friday 8:00 AM – 4:45 PM
• Bring Photo ID
• Provide copy of NOV(s) or NOV(s) number(s) if known.
• Respondent will need to complete an Information Request Form to receive a NOV status letter.
• There is no fee for an NOV status letter.

American Sign Language interpreters are available at no cost for deaf respondents communicating with TAB, including, but not limited to, the conducting of the hearing.  Please contact TAB at least two weeks before the date you will attend the hearing to schedule a sign language interpreter. You may do so by calling TAB at (347) 643-5805 or by writing to:

Transit Adjudication Bureau
P.O. Box 29133
Brooklyn, NY 11202-9133

If you are not able to communicate in the English language, interpreter services will be made available to you at no cost for any in-person or telephone contact with TAB.

A hearing is a proceeding that permits an individual who has been issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) the right to challenge the violation before an impartial Hearing Officer. You may have a hearing by mail or in person on or before the hearing date indicated on your NOV.

You may pay the fine. Full payment or partial payment of the fine amount will be considered an admission of guilt. Please see the payment section for more information.

The hearing date is written on the face of the NOV and is set approximately 30 days from the date of your alleged violation.  This is the last day you may appear in-person at the Transit Adjudication Bureau to dispute your violation. You may appear in-person between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. any business day on or before the hearing date. Hearings are conducted on a first-come, first-served basis. The earlier you arrive, the sooner your case will be heard.

If you would prefer a hearing by mail, your request must be received at TAB by the hearing date written on the face of your NOV. Read more about requesting a hearing.

You may be able to change your hearing date. Please contact the Transit Adjudication Bureau Inquiry Unit at (347) 643-5805 to request a new hearing date.

You may also send a letter to:

Transit Adjudication Bureau

PO Box 29133

Brooklyn, NY 11202-9133

You must contact TAB prior to the hearing date indicated on the NOV.  The letter must be received by TAB no later than five days before the hearing date indicated on the NOV.

Yes. Please use the Hearing By Mail form, your letter must state that you are requesting a hearing by mail.  Submit a statement of facts, explaining what led to the issuance of the summons and your defense to the charge. Please include your Notice of Violation and all documents and statements you wish to be considered on your behalf. Your statement, as well as the statement of any witness(es) you wish to provide, must be sworn to before a notary public.

All evidence you present will be reviewed by a Hearing Officer and you will receive a decision by mail. Written statements requesting adjudication by mail may be sent to:

Transit Adjudication Bureau

P.O. Box 29133

Brooklyn, NY 11202-9133

Yes. You may appear in-person or send a representative on your behalf with a sworn statement at:

Transit Adjudication Bureau

29 Gallatin Place – 3rd Floor

Brooklyn, NY 11201

between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. any business day on or before the hearing date. 

Every effort will be made to conduct the hearing on the date of your appearance, although there are instances in which an adjournment may sometimes be necessary. For example, if you appear in the afternoon, on a date in which there is an exceptionally large amount of people who appear for hearings an adjournment may be necessary to adjourn your hearing. Also, if after hearing your testimony the Hearing Officer deems necessary the appearance of the officer who wrote the Notice of Violation, the hearing will be adjourned to schedule the officer's appearance.

You may also request by mail that an in-person hearing be scheduled on a specified date by sending a written request to:

Transit Adjudication Bureau

PO Box 29133

Brooklyn, NY 11202-9133

Be sure to include  the violation number which is located on the upper left hand corner of the Notice of Violation.

Individuals who have been issued a violation are permitted, but are not required, to bring an attorney or other authorized representative to the hearing. If you choose to hire a lawyer or have an authorized representative, you must do so at your own expense. If you choose to send a lawyer or authorized representative on your behalf, the representative must provide a copy of your ID, as well as a notarized statement from you advising the Hearing Officer that s/he is authorized to appear on your behalf. The statement must also detail any defenses to the violation.

Your representative cannot testify as to any facts not within his/her personal knowledge.

You may send a representative on your behalf. However, the representative must provide a copy of your ID, as well as a notarized statement from you advising the Hearing Officer that s/he is authorized to appear on your behalf.   The statement must also detail any defenses to the violation.

Your representative cannot testify as to any facts not within his/her personal knowledge.

Once you are in the hearing room, the hearing officer will explain how hearings are conducted. At the hearing, you and any other witness will be required to take an oath to tell the truth.  The Hearing Officer will review the Notice of Violation, take testimony from you, look at any documents presented, and hear all legal arguments from the parties. Where the Hearing Officer deems it appropriate, the officer who issued the ticket may testify. If you are representing yourself, the hearing officer will also ask questions to make certain that all the facts of your case have been brought out.

The hearing will be recorded by use of an electronic recording device. 

Bring your Notice of Violation, photo ID, and all documents and witnesses you wish the Hearing Officer to consider. If you are under 18, you should appear with your parent or legal guardian. If the violation is for fare evasion, it is also advisable to bring any MetroCard claimed to have been used in an effort to gain access to the bus or subway.

Individuals who have been issued a violation are permitted, but are not required, to bring an attorney or other representative to the hearing.

If you require a MetroCard record printout, please bring a copy of your MetroCard with the serial number. 

If you are not satisfied with the hearing officer’s decision, you are entitled to file an appeal. See the appeals section for more information.

Failure to appear by the hearing date, either in person or by mail, will result in the forfeiture of your right to contest the violation and a default judgment will be entered against you. Furthermore, a penalty of $25 will be added to the amount of the fine. In the event that you do not pay the fine and penalty within 30 days after receiving the first penalty, an additional $25 penalty will be assessed and interest will accrue at a rate of 9 percent per annum.

If you have good cause for failing to appear for your hearing by the hearing date, you may apply to reopen the case by completing the Request to Stay Entry of Default Judgement/Vacate Default Judgment form. If you do not demonstrate good cause as to why you failed to respond to the Notice of Violation and any default notices in a timely manner, you will not be entitled to a hearing, and you will be responsible for making full payment of the fines and all penalties.

If following an in-person hearing or a hearing by mail, you disagree with the final determination of the Hearing Officer, you may file an appeal within 30 days from the Notice of Decision and Order. Please fill out the appeal form.

In your appeal, you must specify the reason(s) why the Hearing Officer's final decision should be reversed or modified based on error of law or fact. It is important to understand that the Appeals Board will not consider testimony or evidence that was not presented during the initial Hearing.

As a condition of an appeal, you are required to pay the fine when filing your appeal. The amount of the fine will be returned to you in the event that the appeal results in a determination that the violation should not be upheld.

In order to appeal a decision, you must: (1) pay all fines and penalties imposed within 30 days of the hearing officer’s decision; and (2) file an appeal within 30 days from the Notice of Decision and Order.

The appeal will be decided by an Appeals Board consisting of three Hearing Officers who did not serve as the original Hearing Officer who decided your case.

Unless otherwise requested, it is not a requirement for you, your attorney or other authorized representative to attend the appeal. However, if you wish to attend you should advise TAB in writing when filing your appeal form. 

You will be advised either personally or by registered certified mail of the date of the appeal.

If you wish to purchase a recording of your hearing please remit $5 per recording at the time of filing your Appeal form.

If you wish to purchase a transcript of your hearing you must submit a deposit of $125 in order for TAB to process your order. If the cost of transcribing your record is less than $125, the difference will be refunded to you. If the cost exceeds $125 you must pay the difference to proceed with the request.

To pay your fine or the recording and/or transcript fee you may choose one of the following payment options:

• Pay online: You may pay online using a credit card, debit card, or electronic check.
• Pay by MoneyGram: Receive Code - 12758.
• Pay by phone: 347-643-5805 and follow the instructions.
• Pay by mail: Mail a check or money order to the mailing location above. DO NOT SEND CASH. Write the violation number on the front of the check or money order, and make payable to: Transit Adjudication Bureau.
• Pay in person: You may pay in person with a check, cash, credit card, or money order, at the office location above.

Mail or personally deliver your Notice of Appeal to:

Transit Adjudication Bureau

P.O. Box 29133

Brooklyn, NY 11202-9133

After reviewing the record from the original hearing, as well as the arguments made on your Notice of Appeal, the Appeals Board will make a decision to affirm, reverse, or modify the original decision.

The Appeals Board will make a decision on the appeal within approximately 90 days and mail you a copy of the decision.

If you would like to challenge a decision issued by the Appeals Board, you can do so in New York State Supreme Court in a special proceeding under Article 78 of the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules. You are eligible to file an appeal in State Court only after you have appealed to and received a decision from the TAB Appeals Board.

You can pay the fine online, by phone, by mail, or in person. See details about paying a fine.

In the event that you are unable to pay a fine in full, you may request a Time Payment Plan. There is a $10 processing fee for participating in the Time Payment Plan. If you do not satisfy the terms of the Time Payment Plan, you will be responsible for immediate payment of the remaining balance, which may include penalties and interest. You may request a Time Payment Plan in person or by calling TAB at 347-643-5805.

A Payment Status Letter is used to inform the Respondent of the current amount due for a violation. The Payment Status Letter provides specifics regarding the payment status of an NOV. 

• Visit TAB in-person at 29 Gallatin Place, 3rd Floor, Brooklyn NY 11201
• Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:45 PM
• Bring Photo ID
• Provide copy of NOV(s) or NOV(s) number(s) if known.
• There is no fee for a Payment Status Letter. 

If you do not pay on time, you may be subject to penalties. If after approximately 60 days the violation remains unresolved, the Transit Adjudication Bureau will enter a default judgment in New York City Civil Court. TAB will thereupon initiate all appropriate legal means to collect the amount of the judgment, which may include referral to collection agencies, referral to the New York City Sheriff, assignment to a New York City Marshal for possible wage garnishment, and imposition of a lien against future New York State income tax refunds.  

There may be a number of reasons why this may have occurred. One reason may be that TAB’s computer system automatically generated a payment notice before your payment was fully processed. A second reason may be that an incorrect NOV number was included with your payment. Another reason may be that the payment did not go through on your credit card or from your bank account. To determine if your payment was received and properly applied to your account, you may contact the Transit Adjudication Bureau Inquiry Unit at 347-643-5805 or visit TAB.