Form AA-3.3 at a glance
What it is: Application to Reopen Default Conviction, Traffic Violations Division, form AA-3.3.
Who signs: Read the statement, sign your name, and write the date you signed this form.
Only use this application if you have been convicted by default of a violation, which means that you failed to answer your traffic ticket or you failed to appear at your scheduled hearing for a valid reason and you now are requesting to have a hearing.
What to bring and attach to Form AA-3.3
4. You must attach copies of any documents necessary to support your reasons for not responding to the ticket.
If you failed to appear due to your hospitalization, provide proof verifying the dates that you were hospitalized.
1. You must use a separate application for each ticket.
2. If submitting more than one application, send all applications in one envelope.
A filled-in Form AA-3.3 example: a driver reopens a default conviction
How to fill out Form AA-3.3, box by box
Your name, birth date and mailing address
Enter Name (Last, First, MI), NY Client ID No., if available, and Date of Birth (Month/Day/Year).
Under CURRENT MAILING ADDRESS, enter Street, Apt. No., City, State and Zip Code.
E-mail Address (optional) and Daytime Phone Number (optional).
The ticket
Enter Ticket No., Date of Violation (Month/Day/Year) and Describe violation (for example, speeding, driving without insurance).
Why you did not respond
I DID NOT RESPOND to the ticket and/or notice because: (if necessary, attach additional 8 ½ x 11 page)
Sign and date the application
By signing you affirm under penalty of perjury that all of the information and all supporting documents are true, and that no prior application has been made with respect to this ticket.
Failure to sign and complete ALL sections of this form will result in the denial of your request to reopen your default conviction. If your request is denied, you will not be able to resubmit the application.
6. Sign and date the application. Submit your application and supporting documents by mail to: Traffic Violations Division, P.O. Box 2095 - Albany, NY 12220
If your situation is different
Your ticket was for Operating Without Insurance
5. If this is regarding an Operating Without Insurance violation, see page 2.
Operating Without Insurance To support a claim that your insurance was valid on the date of the violation, the following documentation must be attached:
If your vehicle was registered in NY at the time of the Operating Without Insurance violation, provide a letter from your insurance company (not your broker or agent) on the company's letterhead stating that the vehicle was insured on the date the ticket was issued.
The letter must be signed.
The letter must contain the vehicle year, make (i.e. Ford, BMW, etc.) and the vehicle identification number (VIN).
Your application was denied before
3. If your application was previously denied, do not submit another application to reopen the default conviction.
Common questions about Form AA-3.3
When is this form not the right one?
Do not use this form if you were convicted at a hearing or pled guilty to this ticket.
Sources
[1] Form AA-3.3 (4/16), Application to Reopen Default Conviction, Traffic Violations Division, New York State DMV (the Official source link on this page).