Long Island's Premier Criminal & DWI Defense Law Firm
Arrested on Long Island: A Guide for Queens Residents
Queens has the shortest trip to Long Island court of any borough, and the cheapest — but only if you board in the right place. If you were arrested on Long Island and live in Queens, the fare difference between two stations on the same line is about $5 each way.
Everything below on getting to Long Island court from Queens assumes a weekday morning calendar call, which is when most of these cases are heard. Times and fares are current as of September 2026 and should be checked before you travel.
Board at Jamaica, not Penn Station
This is the most useful thing on this page. Jamaica is in LIRR fare Zone 3; Penn Station, Grand Central and Woodside are all in Zone 1. Jamaica is also a one-seat ride to both courthouses — every Ronkonkoma train stops there, and the Hempstead Branch runs through it. You pay less and you do not transfer.
| Trip | From Jamaica (Zone 3) | From Penn / Grand Central / Woodside (Zone 1) | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| To Hempstead, peak | $9.00 | $13.50 | $4.50 each way |
| To Hempstead, off-peak | $6.75 | $10.00 | $3.25 each way |
| To Central Islip, peak | $16.50 | $21.50 | $5.00 each way |
| To Central Islip, off-peak | $12.25 | $16.00 | $3.75 each way |
Fares shown are the LIRR schedule effective January 4, 2026. Buy at a machine or in the app — buying onboard adds a surcharge. A 9:30 a.m. calendar call usually means a peak train.
If you live in southeastern Queens, you may already be on the line. Queens Village and Hollis are stops on the Hempstead Branch itself. You can board there and ride to Hempstead without going into Jamaica at all, at the same Zone 3 fare.
Queens to Nassau County District Court, Hempstead
| How | Route | Rough time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| LIRR | Hempstead Branch from Jamaica, Queens Village or Hollis — no transfer | About 10–15 min from Jamaica | $9.00 peak / $6.75 off-peak |
| NICE n6 bus | Jamaica Bus Terminal to Hempstead Transit Center | 50–60 min, every 15–30 min at peak | $3.00 with OMNY, one free transfer |
| Car | Cross Island or Belt Parkway to the Southern State, Exits 17, 19 or 21. From northern Queens: Grand Central to Northern State to Meadowbrook south, Exit M4 | 20–30 min clear, 35–55 in rush | Gas plus meters |
| No highway at all | From Queens Village, Route 24 (Hempstead Turnpike) runs straight into Hempstead as Fulton Avenue | Varies | — |
The n6 is worth a mention on its own. It is slower than the train but much cheaper, it runs frequently, and it drops you at the Hempstead Transit Center two blocks from 99 Main Street.
Queens to Suffolk County District Court, Central Islip
| How | Route | Rough time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| LIRR | Ronkonkoma Branch from Jamaica — direct, no transfer | About 45–55 min, plus the last two and a half miles | $16.50 peak / $12.25 off-peak |
| Car | Long Island Expressway east to Exit 56 (Route 111) south, Wheeler Road, Carleton Avenue | 45–55 min clear, 70–100 in rush | Gas |
| Car, southern route | Cross Island or Belt to the Southern State east, Exit 43A | Similar | Gas |
Central Islip station is about two and a half miles from the courthouse. That figure comes from the federal bankruptcy court in the same complex and from Touro Law School, which sits inside it. Suffolk County Transit Route 17 links the station to the Cohalan Court Complex, roughly every 30 minutes on weekday mornings, $2.25. Do not plan to walk it.
Coming from Queens?
Call 516-939-1529. Hempstead is a fifteen-minute ride from Jamaica, and our office is two blocks from the station.
Driving to Long Island court from Queens for work
Queens is the easiest borough for this. The Long Island Expressway is a truck route from the Queens Midtown Tunnel out past the Nassau line, and it runs straight to Exit 56 for Central Islip. For Hempstead, Jamaica Avenue into Route 24 and Fulton Avenue is surface road the whole way and entirely truck-legal.
What you cannot use: the Grand Central, Cross Island, Belt, Northern State, Southern State and Meadowbrook parkways are all closed to commercial vehicles, and the overpasses are low enough to enforce it physically.
What time to leave for Long Island court from Queens
Criminal calendars in both courts are called at 9:30 a.m. Allow for a security screening line and be at the door by 8:45.
- Hempstead from Jamaica: a train leaving around 8:15 a.m. is comfortable.
- Hempstead by n6 bus: leave Jamaica by about 7:30 a.m.
- Central Islip from Jamaica: leave around 7:15 a.m. — the connecting bus at the far end is what drives this.
- Central Islip by car: leave by 7:30 a.m.
Long Island court from Queens: common questions
My ticket is from Nassau but I got it on the Cross Island. Which court?
Whichever county the stop actually happened in. The Queens–Nassau line runs through several of these roads, and the ticket will name the court.
Can I fight a Long Island speeding ticket the way I would in Queens?
Better, actually. In New York City these go to the DMV Traffic Violations Bureau, where plea bargaining is not allowed. Nassau and Suffolk use Traffic and Parking Violations Agencies, which operate as arms of the District Court — so a Long Island ticket can often be negotiated in a way the same ticket in Queens cannot.
Is there parking at either courthouse?
Hempstead has metered municipal fields beside the courthouse; bring coins. Central Islip has a large on-site lot that fills early, because the complex also holds Supreme Court, Family Court, the federal courthouse and a law school.
Do you have to make the trip to Long Island court from Queens at all?
Sometimes not. Whether your lawyer can cover a date without you depends on the stage of the case and on how it started — a desk appearance ticket leaves more room than a custodial arrest, and the judge decides either way. The rules, stage by stage with the statute for each, are on the main page for New York City residents.
One provision is worth knowing before your first date: under CPL 182.20(1)(b)(iv), if you ask to be arraigned by video and the court grants it on that basis, the only securing order available is release on your own recognizance. Whether that is the right move in your case is a conversation to have with a lawyer first, not a decision to make from Queens.
Tell us your court date before you plan the trip
Some of these appearances can be handled without you, and some cannot. Call 516-939-1529 and we will tell you which one yours is.
Long Island court from Queens: the short version
If you take one thing from this page, take this. Travelling to Long Island court from Queens is a two-part problem — the trip itself, and whether you need to make it at all.
- Check the courthouse on your ticket first. Nassau cases go to Hempstead, Suffolk cases from the five western towns to Central Islip, and East End arrests to that town’s justice court. Queens–Nassau border stops can go either way.
- Hempstead is walkable from the train. Central Islip is not. The Central Islip station sits about two and a half miles from the courthouse; Suffolk County Transit Route 17 covers the gap for $2.25.
- Calendars are called at 9:30 a.m. in both courts, with a magnetometer line before that. Be at the door by 8:45.
- If you drive a work vehicle, do not follow your phone. The parkways are closed to commercial traffic. Use the Long Island Expressway.
- Ask before every date whether you need to be there. Jamaica is a one-seat ride to both courthouses, but a date your lawyer can cover is still cheaper than a fare.
Hochhauser Criminal & DWI Defense
Richard Hochhauser
164 Jackson Street, Hempstead, NY 11550
Tel: 516-939-1529
RH@Hochhauserlaw.com
This page provides general information about New York criminal procedure and court logistics and is not legal advice. Court schedules, fares and transit routes change — confirm details with the court or carrier before you travel. Every case turns on its own facts.
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