How many Drug Possession and Drug Sale cases are filed in New York?

From 2019-2024, 95,766 Drug Possession cases and 50,303 Drug Sale cases were recorded across New York counties. Visit NewYorkCourtFile.com for county-specific data.

Drug Possession vs Drug Sale in New York

Statistics from DCJS pretrial release data for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. These are different charges with different legal elements — consult a licensed New York attorney for guidance on your specific situation.

According to 146,069 DCJS pretrial release records from 2019–2024, Drug Possession cases across 59 New York counties have an average dismissal rate of 37.4% and conviction rate of 62.5%, while Drug Sale cases across 61 counties have an average dismissal rate of 32.2% and conviction rate of 67.5%.

Drug Possession

95,766

Total Cases

59

Counties

Dismissal Rate 37.4%

Conviction Rate 62.5%

vs

Drug Sale

50,303

Total Cases

61

Counties

Dismissal Rate 32.2%

Conviction Rate 67.5%

Top Counties Comparison

How the highest-volume counties handle each charge.

Drug Possession — Top Counties

County	Cases	Dismissal	Conviction
New York	13,680	42.9%	57.1%
Nassau	11,024	38.4%	61.5%
Bronx	10,371	55.8%	44.1%
Kings	10,120	62.1%	37.9%
Suffolk	9,702	29.4%	70.5%

Drug Sale — Top Counties

County	Cases	Dismissal	Conviction
Kings	8,331	52.4%	47.6%
Bronx	8,026	49.2%	50.7%
New York	7,130	37.1%	62.5%
Queens	4,785	32.6%	67.2%
Suffolk	2,727	7.2%	92.1%

Source: DCJS Pretrial Release Data, 2019–2024 — NewYorkCourtFile.com

What the Data Shows

Drug Possession and Drug Sale are distinct charges with different legal elements, but defendants sometimes face questions about how they compare. Based on 146,069 DCJS pretrial release records from 2019–2024:

Volume: Drug Possession is more commonly charged (95,766 cases) than Drug Sale (50,303 cases)
Dismissals: Drug Possession has a higher average dismissal rate (37.4%) compared to Drug Sale (32.2%)
Variation: Both charges show significant variation in outcomes across New York counties — the county where a case is heard matters

These statistics reflect aggregate patterns across New York counties and do not predict individual case outcomes. The legal elements, potential consequences, and defense considerations differ between these charges. Consult a licensed New York attorney for guidance on your specific situation.

Common Questions

Drug Possession and Drug Sale are separate charges with different legal definitions and elements. Our data shows they have different outcome patterns: Drug Possession has a 37.4% average dismissal rate while Drug Sale has a 32.2% average dismissal rate. For information about the legal distinctions, consult a licensed New York attorney or the New York Penal Law.

Drug Possession has a higher average dismissal rate (37.4%) compared to Drug Sale (32.2%), based on 2019–2024 New York DCJS data. However, dismissal rates vary significantly by county. Visit the individual charge pages for county-specific data.

From 2019–2024, 95,766 Drug Possession cases were recorded across 59 counties, and 50,303 Drug Sale cases were recorded across 61 counties. View the full data on our Drug Possession and Drug Sale pages.