School speed zone tickets may be reimbursed in Albany
Have you received a speeding ticket lately from getting caught on camera speeding in a school zone? Well, you may be eligible for reimbursement if Albany County successfully defends their stance in a legal fight alleging the city violated state law in issuing some of these tickets.
This dispute centers around "bad blood" between Albany county and the city according to attorney Greg Rinckey. "In a nutshell, it’s really a fight between the County and the City. Hopefully they can resolve it through settlement"
Albany county laid out alleged violations in a document sent to the New York State Supreme Court. In this document it's stated that a county audit found six citations issued from a camera in front of a school that was not even in session. In one instance, a county vehicle received a citation for speeding past All Saints Catholic Academy. The problem is this citation occurred two months after the school had shut down in May of 2025.
Greg Rinckey urges drivers who received a school zone violation from the city to review the circumstances surrounding their ticket. "That should be automatic refunds to everyone who has paid for going back several years you know whether or not that's going to happen or whether you're going to have to fight to get a refund that's yet to be seen,"
Rinckey also mentioned taxpayers could ultimately bear the cost of the dispute, which he attributed to the "bad blood" between the city and county.
As Rinckey says much still remains uncertain, and if this case goes to trial, the outcome will help determine how residents can seek reimbursement for citations like these.
