KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- New York collected $123.30 per licensed driver in 2022, ranking first in the nation, roughly 3.5 times the $35.16 national average.
- New York alone accounted for 18.1% of all traffic fine dollars collected nationwide, the single largest share of any state, despite holding just 5.2% of the country’s licensed drivers.
- New York’s per-driver figure was about 4.5 times higher than neighboring New Jersey at $27.59 and roughly 35.6 times higher than Connecticut at $3.46.
Traffic fines are a familiar part of driving in New York, yet how the state compares with the rest of the country is not always clear. A new analysis of 2022 data measures that burden on a per-driver basis and places New York at the very top of the national ranking. The figures show a state that collected far more per licensed driver than any other.
According to the analysis by Grigor Law, traffic fine revenue per driver was calculated by dividing each state’s total 2022 traffic fine revenue by its number of licensed drivers that year. Driver counts come from the Federal Highway Administration, and fine revenue figures come from the Reason Foundation Fines and Fees project.
Top 10 States by Traffic Fine Revenue Per Licensed Driver (2022)
| State | Licensed Drivers | Total Fines Collected | Fines Per Driver | Rank |
| New York | 12,084,675 | $1,490.0M | $123.30 | 1 |
| Illinois | 8,509,418 | $678.5M | $79.74 | 2 |
| Texas | 18,738,980 | $998.9M | $53.31 | 3 |
| Georgia | 7,360,699 | $389.1M | $52.86 | 4 |
| Wyoming | 431,900 | $20.6M | $47.70 | 5 |
| Tennessee | 5,061,288 | $209.4M | $41.37 | 6 |
| Arkansas | 2,306,921 | $94.0M | $40.75 | 7 |
| Oklahoma | 2,556,609 | $102.7M | $40.17 | 8 |
| Mississippi | 2,047,069 | $74.9M | $36.59 | 9 |
| California | 27,632,103 | $1,010.0M | $36.55 | 10 |
New York led every state in the country at $123.30 per licensed driver in 2022, ranking first on a per-driver basis. That figure was about 1.55 times second-place Illinois at $79.74 and roughly 3.5 times the $35.16 national average. Texas followed at $53.31 and Georgia at $52.86, both far below New York even though Texas carried more licensed drivers. New York’s position at the top shows how concentrated the per-driver burden was in a single state.
Looking at the study, Chrissy Grigoropoulos, founder of Grigor Law Injury and Car Accident Lawyers, commented:
“These figures show how heavily the per-driver burden of traffic fines fell on New York in 2022. At $123.30 per licensed driver, the state sat far above the $35.16 national average, and we think New York drivers benefit from understanding how their state compares in a given year.”
New York vs US Regional and National Averages (2022)
| Benchmark | Fines Per Driver |
| New York | $123.30 |
| Northeast region | $51.36 |
| National average | $35.16 |
| South | $32.98 |
| Midwest | $32.48 |
| West | $29.85 |
New York’s $123.30 per driver towered over every regional and national benchmark in 2022. It was about 2.4 times the Northeast region average of $51.36, the highest of the four US regions, and roughly 3.5 times the $35.16 national average. The South, Midwest, and West all sat between $29.85 and $32.98, well below New York’s figure. New York alone accounted for 18.1% of all traffic fine dollars collected nationwide, despite holding just 5.2% of the country’s licensed drivers.
Methodology
This analysis covers the 2022 calendar year. For each state, analysts calculated traffic fine revenue per driver by dividing total 2022 traffic fine revenue by the number of licensed drivers in that state during the same year. The Federal Highway Administration provided the licensed driver counts, and the Reason Foundation Fines and Fees project, which uses Census data, supplied the traffic fine revenue figures. Per-driver values represent state averages across all licensed drivers and do not reflect the amount paid by any single driver.
Data Note
Figures reflect total traffic fine revenue collected in 2022 divided by licensed drivers, and all per-driver values are state averages rather than amounts paid by any individual driver.
Data Sources
- Federal Highway Administration, 2022 licensed drivers by state: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2022/dl1c.cfm
- Reason Foundation, Fines and Fees project traffic fine revenue data: https://finesfees.reason.org/census-data
- Research Dataset: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-B4xHYGjcFzNnaQBhq8Fi5T37O5L4yjGU2AgIEheSrY/edit?gid=0#gid=0
- Research by: https://grigorlaw.com/
About Grigor Law Injury and Car Accident Lawyers
Grigor Law Injury and Car Accident Lawyers is a premier New York “all injury” law firm representing clients in personal injury, car accidents, workers’ compensation, and no-fault claims.
