Suffolk Vehicles To Be Towed For Unpaid Tickets, Fines: Reports

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Suffolk County officials said they will begin booting and towing vehicles of those who haven't paid either three parking tickets, three traffic citations or $300 in fines, Newsday reported. The program will kick off with commercial vehicles on Friday and expand to all vehicles by June 1.

The new initiative includes a self-release booting using a SmartBoot and a new Mobile License Plate Recognition (MLPR) system, which will allow the county to more easily find vehicles with unpaid parking and red-light camera fines, ABC 7 New York reported.

A booted vehicle will be immobilized, and if the fines are not paid within 48 hours, it'll be towed, Newsday reported. Drivers would need to pay all outstanding fines, plus a $250 fine, to get his or her car removed from the boot. If a car is towed, the owner will have to shell out an extra $350, plus $75 for each day the car goes uncollected for up to 30 days, according to Newsday.

There are currently over 47,800 vehicles eligible to be booted and/or towed, as well as more than 58,000 unpaid parking tickets worth upwards of $30 million, ABC 7 reported.

Suffolk won't allow payment plans, according to Newsday.

Paul Margiotta, executive director of the county’s Traffic and Parking Violations Agency, told Newsday the program is aimed at those who have not tried to pay their fines.

Suffolk drivers can pay parking and red-light camera fines here.