NYC Violation Code 18: No Standing - Bus Lane
Parking violation · $115 base fine · 5-stage penalty escalation
Fine Breakdown
Base Fine
$115
Maximum (before judgment)
$215
Penalty Escalation Timeline
Base Fine
$115
At issue
+$10 Late Penalty
$125
After 30 days
+$30 Late Penalty
$155
After 60 days
+$60 Late Penalty
$215
After 75 days
Judgment Entered
$215
After 90 days
Quick Tip
Bus lanes have restricted hours posted on signs. If you were making a right turn within 200 feet of an intersection or the restricted hours had ended, document the time and location.
When this ticket gets issued
Code 18 is issued for standing in a bus lane during posted restricted hours. The base fine is $115. Bus lanes appear on major avenues and corridors, marked with red-painted pavement and overhead signage. Restricted hours vary by corridor — some run weekdays 7 AM to 7 PM, others have narrower windows. Officers enforce from the street and through bus-mounted cameras (camera violations use code 7B with different rules). A vehicle standing in the bus lane during restricted hours is ticketed regardless of whether the driver is present. Making a legal right turn within 200 feet of an intersection is the primary posted exception.
How to fight code 18
Vehicle was in the bus lane outside of restricted hours
Photograph the bus lane sign showing the exact restricted hours. Produce telematics or a dashcam timestamp confirming the vehicle's time in the lane fell outside the posted window. Some corridors have narrow restriction periods, and officer-issued tickets outside those windows are defective.
Evidence to bring: written_account, photo_of_sign
Signs were missing, damaged, or obscured
Photograph the overhead bus lane sign and any adjacent restriction notices. Document scaffolding coverage, missing sign faces, or faded red pavement paint. Sign defects combined with ambiguous lane markings support the defense.
Evidence to bring: photo_of_location, photo_of_sign
Vehicle was responding to an emergency
Describe the emergency in a signed statement. Attach a tow receipt, 911 log, or mechanical repair invoice. Bus lane standing due to a genuine breakdown with documentation can succeed; post-hoc emergencies do not.
Evidence to bring: written_account
Vehicle was not at this location at the time
Pull telematics for the exact ticket timestamp. Bus-lane corridors are well-mapped, so a GPS trace on a parallel street generally clears the ticket.
Evidence to bring: written_account
Wrong plate number on the ticket
Verify plate and state exactly. Include plate photo and DMV document. In camera-enforced corridors, image quality can produce transcription errors worth challenging.
Evidence to bring: photo_of_plate, photo_of_registration
Ticket contains errors (wrong date, time, location, or vehicle description)
Verify body type, color, make, and corridor. Also verify the ticket time falls within the posted hours. Flag any blank mandatory field.
Evidence to bring: written_account
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my commercial truck briefly use a bus lane to make a right turn?
Yes. Most bus lanes allow any vehicle to enter the lane within 200 feet of an intersection for a right turn. This is the single most common defense against both officer-issued code 18 tickets and camera-issued code 7B tickets. Dashcam footage showing the right turn is the strongest evidence.
What are typical bus lane restricted hours in NYC?
Most Manhattan bus lane corridors run weekdays 7 AM to 7 PM, but hours vary by route. Some lanes have narrower windows (e.g., 7 AM to 10 AM peak only). Always read the sign on the specific corridor. Bus lanes on Select Bus Service routes often have stricter enforcement hours and camera coverage.
How is code 18 different from code 7B?
Code 18 is issued by a human officer observing the violation. Code 7B is issued by an automated bus-mounted camera. Defense structure is similar, but camera violations (7B) have a harder time with the not-driver defense because the registered owner is liable regardless of who was driving.
What this means for commercial fleets
Bus lane tickets are a growing exposure for commercial fleets, especially with expanded camera enforcement across NYC. At $115 per ticket and growing coverage on major avenues, a fleet making turns and brief stops in Midtown can see $300+ in weekly exposure from a single driver. Mitigation is training plus telematics: drivers must understand the 200-foot-right-turn rule and avoid any non-turn use of bus lanes, and fleet managers should map bus lane corridors against recurring routes to alert dispatch of exposure zones.
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Disclaimer: Clear Plates is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. The information on this page is general educational content about NYC violation code 18 and is not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney. Defenses, evidence strategies, and hearing outcomes depend on facts specific to each ticket. For legal advice about a specific violation, consult a qualified attorney licensed in New York.