OATH Appeal Deadline Calculator for TLC Decisions

In short: You have 30 days from the decision date to appeal an OATH Hearings Division decision, or 35 days if the decision was mailed to you. Enter the decision date and how you got it, and the calculator shows your last day, how much of the window has passed, and the TLC payment date that runs alongside it.

How the calculator works

It applies two published rules:

1. The appeal clock. OATH says an appeal must be filed "within 30 days of the date of the decision, or 35 days of the date of the decision if the decision was mailed to you." The tool adds 30 or 35 calendar days to the date you enter. If you choose "Not sure", it uses the earlier 30-day date, because being early is never a problem and being late can be.
2. The fine clock. Under TLC rule §80-02(c), a TLC fine is due within 30 days of the guilty finding. If you appeal on time, TLC defers the payment until 30 days after the appeal decision.

You may see a third rule on OATH's website: for most city summonses, OATH says you must pay the penalty before you appeal unless you get a financial hardship waiver (OATH appeals FAQ). TLC summonses are an exception. OATH's TLC chapter says that, under Administrative Code §19-506.1(c), a respondent "will not be required to pay the fines, penalties, or restitution imposed in the decision in order to file a timely appeal" (48 RCNY §5-04(b)). So for a timely TLC appeal, you don't pay first, and the fine isn't due until 30 days after the appeal decision. Two cautions. A late appeal loses this protection. And a suspension in the decision takes effect when the decision is issued; an appeal doesn't pause it.

One exception to the 30/35 days: if the hearing officer used OATH's TLC-only power to reduce your penalty (§5-06(c)), the appeal deadline is 50 days (§5-04(a)). The calculator doesn't cover that case; count 50 days from the decision date.

Worked example

Your decision is dated Tuesday, September 15, 2026.

If you appealed on October 10, OATH's 180-day promise would run to early April 2027 instead. During that time a timely TLC appeal defers the fine, but check whether the decision also imposed a suspension, which an appeal does not pause.

What an appeal is — and isn't

An appeal is not a new hearing. OATH says you cannot submit new evidence or raise facts that weren't presented to the hearing officer. An appeal makes sense when facts or a legal argument that would change the result were overlooked or misunderstood. That is why preparing well before the hearing matters so much — see evidence for a TLC hearing and what TLC must prove.

If you paid the summons before a hearing, you pleaded guilty, which is different again — see can I appeal a TLC default or guilty plea?.

You must also send your appeal to the enforcement agency (TLC); the back of the decision explains how. Full details are in our guide to appealing an OATH decision, and the quick answer on paying first is in do I have to pay my TLC fine before appealing?. If the date has already passed, read how long you have to appeal and contact OATH or a lawyer straight away. If you never had a hearing, use the deadline calculator in "Missed hearing" mode.