Administrative Hearings Held at OATH's Hearings Division

The OATH Hearings Division is part of the NYC Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH). Hearing Officers at OATH hear cases about summonses which charge someone broke a City rule or law.

A summons is a notice from a City agency that says you violated a rule. These are not crimes, but it is very important to respond to them. If you do not fully resolve a summons, you could face:

• Liens on your property
• Civil judgments
• Actions by the City Sheriff or Marshal

These can hurt your credit score. They can make it hard to get credit cards, mortgages and other items. Not paying a fine can also lead to losing or not getting a City license, permit or registration.

OATH does not write summonses or do inspections. More than 20 different New York City and State agencies issue the summonses heard by OATH. These agencies include:

• Department of Sanitation
• Department of Buildings
• Department of Environmental Protection
• Fire Department of New York
• Department of Consumer Affairs
• Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
• Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC)
• Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

OATH is separate from these agencies.

You can search for, review and pay many types of tickets on the NYC Business website. You can also search for tickets on the OATH website using OATH's Summons Finder.

If you get a summons, you must respond. You can admit to the violation and pay the fine, or you can fight the summons by having a hearing. All hearings must be scheduled in advance. Most hearings are done by phone. You must request a phone hearing three business days before the hearing date on the summons. Use the online Hearing by Phone Request Form. You will get an email with directions on how and when to call in for your hearing.

If you do not request your hearing at least three business days in advance, you will be found in violation by default, and a higher penalty may be imposed. You can request a new hearing after a default once for each summons. If you submit the new hearing request within 75 days of the missed hearing, the request will be automatically granted.

You can get text message reminders about your case by texting OATHreminder to 917-451-8829. If you need help understanding the hearing process or scheduling your hearing, text OATHhelp to 917-451-8829. Someone from OATH's Help Center will assist you.