Understand Your Summons - OATH

Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings

Independent and Impartial Administrative Law Court


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You Received a Summons, Now What?
Understand Your Summons
Know Your Rights
Small Business Help
Help for Senior Citizens
Help for Military Veterans
Pro Bono Legal Help
OATH Community Service
Request Documents or Hearing Recordings

You Received a Summons, Now What?

Understand Your Summons

Know Your Rights

Small Business Help

Help for Senior Citizens

Help for Military Veterans

Pro Bono Legal Help

OATH Community Service

Request Documents or Hearing Recordings


Understand Your Summons

*Text OATHreminder to (917) 451-8829 to get text message reminders about your case*

OATH’s Summons Finder lets you easily search for specific information about a summons. Search by name, address, or ticket number; find information about the OATH hearing; download a copy of the summons; or see how much may be owed.

Note: Summonses issued to restaurants, vehicles for hire, and summonses issued by the Department of Consumer Affairs will not be found using the Summons Finder.

Go to the Summons Finder

Summons to Appear for Civil Penalties Only

The Summons to Appear for Civil Penalties Only can be accessed in a number of languages through the following pdfs:
(English) (Spanish) (Arabic) (Bengali) (Chinese) (Haitian Creole) (Korean) (Russian)

Below is an image of the summons, followed by a glossary of terms:

Enforcement Agency - the agency that wrote the summons and filed it at the OATH Hearings Division for a hearing.

Respondent - The person or entity that the City enforcement agency names as responsible for the summons and that is responsible for answering the summons.

Phone No - Phone number of Respondent

D.O.B. - Date of Birth of Respondent

Mailing Address - Mailing address of Respondent

Race - Race of Respondent

Date of Occurrence - The date the charges on the summons were observed.

Place of Occurrence - The location where the charged offense took place.

Precinct - The NYPD Precinct where the charged offense took place.

Hearing Date - The date of scheduled hearing at the OATH Hearings Division.

Borough - The borough where the OATH hearing office is located.

Section/Rule - Section of law or the rule that the respondent is charged with violating.

OATH Code - Use this code to see if your summons is one that can be fought by mail, online, by phone or by webcam.

Mail-in Penalty - If you are eligible to pay your penalty without a hearing, a dollar amount will be checked or written in. Payments must be made before the hearing date. If you admit to the summons you waive your right to a hearing and you do not need to appear at the scheduled OATH hearing. Payments can be made online, by phone or in person at any OATH Hearing Office location.

Max. Penalty - Penalty amount that respondent could face if the summons is not responded to.

Details of Charge - Description explaining why the summons is being issued.

I/O Signature - Signature of officer who issued the summons.

Name - Name of officer who wrote/issued the summons.

Long Form Summons

Below is an image of the Long Form Summons, and a glossary of terms:

Summons Number - The unique number to identify a particular summons.

Enforcement Agency - the agency that wrote the summons and filed it at the OATH Hearings Division for a hearing.

Respondent - The person or entity that the City enforcement agency names as responsible for the summons and that is responsible for answering the summons.

Date of Occurrence - The date the charges on the summons were observed.

Place of Occurrence - The location where the charged offense took place.

Hearing Date - The date of scheduled hearing at the OATH Hearings Division.

Borough - The borough where the OATH hearing office is located.

Cure Date - Date by which the enforcement agency needs to process, accept and certify a Certificate of Correction in order for you to avoid the OATH hearing. If no date is shown, your summons cannot be cured and you are required to attend the OATH hearing.

Must Appear - If this box is checked and the respondent wants to fight the summons, then the Respondent must appear in person at the time, date, location and time of the scheduled OATH hearing. If checked, this summons cannot be fought by mail, online, by phone or by webcam.

Remedy - Explains how to come into compliance with the enforcement agency's rules and regulations so that you are not issued another summons for the same offense in the future.

Provision of Law - The section of law or the rule that the respondent is charged with violating.

Infraction Code - Use this code to see if your summons is one that can be fought by mail, online, by phone or by webcam.

Recurring condition - If you have already been issued a summons for the same offense, it will be indicated here.

Violation Details - Contains the inspector's detailed description of the conditions observed. Read this section carefully, since there may be multiple conditions included as part of the summons.

Remedy - Explains how to come into compliance with the enforcement agency's rules and regulations so that you are not issued another summons for the same offense in the future.