A Desk Appearance Ticket, or D.A.T., is a written order that is issued by the police, which requires a person to appear in criminal court on a specific date and time - also known as a return date. At the return date, an accused person will be arraigned, and expected to respond to accusations that they have committed a crime.

D.A.T.’s are issued in place of putting a person through the formal arrest process. However, it is important to note that while these tickets are more serious than NYPD summonses, a person is not considered guilty of a crime just because they receive a D.A.T., however, they have been arrested. Simply, it is the same as any other arrest, but you are released that same day with a date to return to court.