1. What Does the VTL § 600 Charge Mean?
Vehicle and Traffic Law § 600 imposes duties on drivers who know or have cause to know their vehicle was involved in an incident causing property damage or injury. The applicable subsection changes the offense classification.
Property Damage under VTL § 600(1)
A driver who knows or has cause to know that an incident damaged another person's property must stop, exhibit the required license and insurance identification card, and provide the information specified by law. If the owner is absent, the driver must report to the nearest police station or judicial officer as soon as physically able.
This traffic infraction carries a fine of up to $250, imprisonment for up to 15 days, or both. Liability for causing the collision is separate from the duty to stop and provide information.
Personal Injury under VTL § 600(2)
When the driver knows or has cause to know that someone was injured, separate stopping, information-sharing, and police-reporting duties apply.
A first violation limited to certain information-exchange duties is a Class B misdemeanor. Other violations are generally Class A misdemeanors. Qualifying repeat violations, serious physical injury, or death may support felony charges, subject to the specific statutory conditions. An injury does not automatically establish a felony.
2. Where Should You Answer or Challenge the Charge?
Use the venue, docket number, and instructions on the actual ticket or court papers. Administrative tickets and criminal charges have different response routes.
Property-Damage Tickets and TVB Jurisdiction
The DMV Traffic Violations Bureau (TVB) handles noncriminal moving violations issued in New York City's five boroughs. A § 600(1) ticket may be heard there, but a related criminal case can require the traffic infraction to be returned to a court instead.
For a TVB ticket, a not-guilty plea leads to a hearing where the charge must be proven by clear and convincing evidence. Follow the specified traffic ticket defense procedure rather than assuming the same filing route applies to each notice.
Injury-Related Charges in Criminal Court
A § 600(2) charge proceeds in criminal court. Criminal Court handles misdemeanors and early felony proceedings; indicted felonies generally proceed in Supreme Court, Criminal Term.
A DMV online plea cannot replace a required court appearance. The prosecution must prove a criminal charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
Appealing a TVB Decision
A TVB hearing conviction may generally be appealed online or with Form AA-33 within 30 days, following DMV's instructions. The Appeals Board reviews the existing hearing record rather than taking new evidence or conducting another trial.
An appeal does not automatically stay a license sanction. Criminal convictions have separate appeal procedures and cannot be challenged using AA-33.
3. What Evidence Matters under VTL § 600?
The central issues are what the driver knew or had cause to know and whether the applicable duties were fulfilled.
Knowledge at the Scene
Impact force, visibility, vehicle damage, witnesses, and statements can indicate awareness of damage or injury. A later medical diagnosis does not alone establish what the driver knew at the scene.
Stopping briefly may not be enough if required information was withheld or a necessary report was not made.
Preserve the Original Timeline
Keep photographs, dashcam footage, messages, call logs, insurance correspondence, and police records with available timestamps. Compare reported events with communications and attempts to contact the owner or police.
A criminal defense attorney may assess identification evidence and disputes about the driver's knowledge without assuming that inconsistencies defeat the charge.
4. How Do DMV Reporting and License Consequences Differ?
Immediate duties under § 600, later accident reporting, and licensing penalties are distinct legal matters.
The MV-104 Reporting Requirement
VTL § 605 generally requires a DMV accident report within 10 days if a crash causes injury, death, or more than $1,000 in damage to any one person's property, including the driver's. The driver normally uses Form MV-104, subject to statutory exceptions.
Failure to file a required report may constitute a misdemeanor and affect driving or registration privileges. A police report or insurance claim does not necessarily replace the DMV filing. The $1,000 threshold does not apply to § 600(1)'s duty to stop.
Points and Revocation
A § 600(1) property-damage violation carries three DMV points. VTL § 510(2)(a)(iii) requires license revocation for a § 600(2) conviction, subject to the applicable restoration process.
A DMV law consequence is separate from the criminal sentence or an accident-related civil claim.
5. Frequently Asked Questions
Will a Hit-and-Run Conviction Raise My Insurance Premium?
Possibly, but not automatically. Insurers apply approved rating rules and consider relevant conviction and accident history. DMV license points are not the same as insurance rating points.
Can the Other Driver Drop a Hit-and-Run Charge?
The other driver's wishes do not automatically end a prosecution. Prosecutors decide whether to pursue criminal charges, subject to court procedures. Paying for damage may settle a private claim but does not undo an earlier failure to comply with § 600.
6. When Should You Speak with a Traffic Lawyer?
Legal review may be useful when injury is alleged, the incident produced both traffic and criminal papers, or license revocation is possible. An attorney can examine the charge, deadlines, original evidence, and available response procedures before a plea or hearing.
09 Mar, 2026
