To pay an OATH violation, you have three options: pay online through NYC’s CityPay portal at nyc.gov/citypay, mail a check or money order to the address that matches your case type, or pay in person at one of three OATH Hearings Division locations. You’ll need your summons number for any of them, and your payment has to be received before your hearing date to avoid a default and a higher penalty.
Find Your Summons Number First
Every OATH summons carries a unique summons number, and that number is what links your payment to your case. The summons also shows a mail-in penalty amount (if your case is eligible for payment without a hearing) and the maximum penalty if you ignore it.1Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Understand Your Summons
Lost the paper copy? Use the OATH Summons Finder at a820-ecbticketfinder.nyc.gov. You can search by name, address, or summons number to pull up hearing dates, penalty amounts, and a downloadable copy of the summons.2Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Case Status One limit worth knowing before you start clicking: summonses issued to for-hire vehicles, restaurants, and those from the Department of Consumer Affairs don’t currently show up in the Summons Finder. For building-related violations, the Department of Buildings directs you to search through its Buildings Information System instead.3NYC Department of Buildings. OATH Summonses
Pay Online Through CityPay
The fastest way to pay is through NYC’s CityPay portal at nyc.gov/citypay. You’ll need your summons number. CityPay accepts credit card, debit card, or electronic check.4Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Pay Penalty Online
A service fee is added to every online payment. For NYC payments processed through CityPay with a credit or debit card, the fee is typically 2% of the payment amount and is nonrefundable.5NYC Department of Finance. Paying a Parking or Camera Violation Online FAQ Paying by electronic check may avoid or reduce that fee. Once the transaction goes through, save the confirmation number as your proof of payment.
Pay by Mail
Send a check or money order for the full penalty amount. Never send cash. Write your summons number on the front of the check or money order so the payment gets applied to the right case.6Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Pay Penalty by Mail
Where you send it and who you make it out to depends on the case type:
- Restaurant, day care, lead paint, and X-ray cases: make the check payable to “Finance Commissioner, City of New York” and mail to PO Box 4199, Church Street Station, New York, NY 10261-4199.
- Consumer cases: make the check payable to “NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection” and mail to Collections Division, 42 Broadway, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Don’t include any other documents with the payment.
- All other cases: make the check payable to “Finance Commissioner, City of New York” and mail to PO Box 2307, Peck Slip Station, New York, NY 10272.
Timing is the real risk with mail. The payment has to arrive before your hearing date, and the postmark alone may not be enough. Mail it well ahead. If you’re close to the deadline, pay online instead.
Pay in Person
Three OATH Hearings Division locations currently accept in-person payments:7Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Hearing in Person
- Manhattan: 66 John Street, 10th and 11th Floors, New York, NY 10038
- Queens: 31-00 47th Avenue, 3rd and 4th Floor, Long Island City, NY 11101
- Staten Island: 350 St. Marks Place, Main Floor, Staten Island, NY 10301 (payments made at Department of Finance windows)
The Bronx location at 260 E. 161st Street does not accept in-person payments, so don’t go there expecting to pay.7Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Hearing in Person
Accepted payment methods in person are checks, credit cards, and money orders.8Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Pay Penalty In Person Cash is not listed as an accepted method, so bring an alternative. Bring the physical summons if you have it.
Know What Paying Means
Paying an OATH summons admits the violation. If you think you have a defense, you can contest the summons instead of paying, and you don’t have to appear in person to do it. OATH offers phone hearings, in-person hearings, online One-Click Hearings, and written hearings by mail, each with its own deadline for requesting or submitting.9Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Hearings and Defaults
If your summons lists a mail-in penalty amount, that’s the set figure you can pay before the hearing date to admit the violation and skip the hearing.1Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Understand Your Summons Pay it after the hearing date and you’re looking at a default judgment at a higher amount.
If You Can’t Pay the Full Amount
The NYC Department of Finance offers payment plans for OATH Environmental Control Board judgment debt. The terms depend on how much you owe:10NYC Department of Finance. Payment Plans for Environmental Control Board (ECB) Judgment Debt
- Under $1,000: you must agree to a 60-day payment plan.
- $1,000 or more: plans can extend up to 24 months.
Both require a down payment of at least 20% of the total. You have to include every outstanding OATH ECB judgment that isn’t already subject to a pending motion to vacate. If you want to dispute a default judgment, file that motion before entering the plan.
A separate hardship payment plan is available for respondents with genuine financial hardship. If your OATH ECB debt is below $25,000, you can certify your financial information and enroll directly. At $25,000 or more, you’ll need to submit additional documentation for review, and Finance will notify you whether the application is approved. Apply through the Department of Finance e-Services website or call (212) 440-5300.10NYC Department of Finance. Payment Plans for Environmental Control Board (ECB) Judgment Debt
What Happens If You Don’t Pay
Missing the deadline gets expensive fast. If you don’t pay before the hearing date and don’t show up to contest, you’ll be found in violation by default and a higher penalty will be imposed, often the maximum amount printed on the original summons.11Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Payments/Penalties
From there, the city can file with the Civil Court of New York City and enter a judgment against you. Unpaid judgments can be referred to a New York City marshal, the Sheriff, or the NYC Law Department for collection.12NYC Department of Finance. OATH-Adjudicated ECB Judgments Settlement Program For certain building code violations, unpaid Environmental Control Board judgments can become tax liens on the property named in the violation.13American Legal Publishing. NYC Administrative Code 28-204.6 – Enforcement of Environmental Control Board Judgments
If you defaulted because you actually missed the hearing, OATH will let you try to reopen the case. You can file a motion to vacate the default online or by mail through the OATH Hearings Division.9Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Hearings and Defaults Move fast; the longer a judgment sits, the harder and more expensive it is to unwind.
After You Pay
Keep proof of payment no matter which method you used. Online payments generate a confirmation number immediately. In-person payments produce a physical receipt. For mailed payments, your canceled check is the record.
Processing takes several business days, so don’t panic if your case still shows as outstanding right away. Check the Summons Finder at a820-ecbticketfinder.nyc.gov to confirm the payment has posted.2Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Case Status If it still hasn’t cleared after a week or so, contact the OATH Help Center with your confirmation details.