Most common traffic ticket issued in California?
By a long shot, speeding tickets
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It would be helpful to discuss the REAL cost of speeding fines in California. Speeding ticket fines can be confusing and ambiguous and are not listed on the actual traffic citation or notice handed to you by the officer.
When it comes to California speeding ticket cost, each city and county has different fee schedules, so the price of the violation is dependent on multiple variables:
- City fees
- County Fee
- Number of previous violations
- Type of vehicle code cited
Let’s look at what a California speeding ticket actually costs…
How Much is a Speeding Ticket in California?
If you’re wondering how much a speeding ticket costs in California, it depends on how fast you were traveling, where you were speeding, and what type of zone (construction, school zone, or residential).
Furthermore, there can be additional costs and taxes that can quickly pile up, making California one of the most expensive states to receive a speeding ticket. Information on The Judicial Branch of California’s website, California Courts, estimates that a speeding ticket fine, costs, and other penalties could total $490 or more. However, the overall amount you’ll pay can change.
California Speeding Ticket Base Fines
It can be difficult to estimate the cost of your California speeding citation because there are other state and county-imposed fines and surcharges that are often added to the base fee or base fine.
Let’s discuss the standard fines. The base fine for speeding between 1-15 mph is a relatively moderate $35. The basic fine for speeds between 16 and 25 mph is $70. Over 26 mph carries a $100 basic fine, while exceeding the speed limit by 100 mph or more results in a hefty $200 base fine. And that’s if you aren’t also charged with reckless driving at those speeds.
Californians often pay six times the original speeding ticket’s base fine. This astronomically high rate can be attributed to Californians’ innate propensity to exceed the posted speed limit when breaking the law.
Average Cost of Speeding Tickets Based on Miles Per Hour (MPH)
Total Penalty
You can expect to pay the following when it comes to the cost of tickets by miles over the limit:
- $237 for violations of 15 or more mph over the limit
- $367 for violations of 25 or more mph over the limit
- $467 or more for violations of 26 or more mph over the limit
In California, if you receive a speeding ticket for over 100 mph, a fine of $800 to $1000 will be accessed along with 2 DMV points and the possibility of losing your license.
Speeding Ticket Surcharges
California imposes a 20% extra fee on all traffic penalties, even higher for excessive speed. Your main fine is supplemented with other evaluations that revolve around the base sum.
A full list is provided below:
- Conviction assessment: $35.00 State penalty assessment: 100% of base amount Court operations assessment: $40.00
- For every $10 of the base fine, the county penalty charge (night court assessment: $1.00) is $7
- $4 is added to each $10 of the base fine as DNA Identification Fund Penalty Assessment
- 50% of the base fine is the state court construction penalty assessment
- Assessment of a $4 fine from the Emergency Medical Air Transportation Services budget
- Assessment of the penalty for the emergency medical services fund is $2 for each $10 of the base fine
California Speeding Tickets By Zone
In California, unless a speed restriction of 70 mph is posted, the top highway speed is 65 mph. You should not exceed 55 mph when driving a trailer or on a two-lane road without dividers.
Off the highway, speed limits are set based on the volume of local traffic and the state of the roads. These are made to demonstrate how quickly you can travel in good conditions without additional dangers like construction. Unless otherwise noted, the following are the state’s top speeds:
Construction Zones
Drivers who receive tickets for speeding in construction zones are subject to different fines and punishments than those imposed under the general speeding statute.
Penalties include:
- One or more points on your license driving record
- $367-$600 elevated fine amounts
According to Section 22362 of the California Vehicle Code, a prima facie infraction is traveling more than the statutory speed limit within 400 feet of a work or construction zone. This indicates that a person is presumed to have broken the law just by performing the action.
Safety Enhancement Zones
The following are scenarios in which the safety enhancement zone rules are applicable:
- Speed limits of 25 miles per hour are in effect near schools, hospitals, and other public buildings
- When a bus, trolley, or streetcar is in the way, the maximum speed limit is 10 miles per hour
- Within one hundred feet of a railroad crossing, 15 mph
- At an intersection where you cannot see more than 100 feet in, either way, reduce your speed to 15 mph
- The speed limit in a school zone is 25 miles per hour
How Speeding Tickets Affect Your Insurance
It’s not enjoyable to receive a speeding ticket in California, after receiving your car insurance renewal, it gets even worse.
With expensive fines and fees, it can get much more expensive when you factor in your car’s insurance cost. If you receive a point for speeding, it might not have a big impact on you personally, but your insurance provider—as most car insurance companies do—will view you as a risk and raise your insurance premiums.
If you are 18 years old, have full coverage, and receive a speeding ticket in California, your insurance rates may increase by 20%, according to Bankrate. In California, if you are 40 years old, have full coverage, and receive a speeding ticket, your rate could increase by 36%.
Of course, how much your insurance rate increases will depend on your age, driving record, and auto insurance company. If your auto insurance rates increase noticeably, it might be time to compare your options to see if there are any that are cheaper and more suited to your needs.
In the end, the potential consequences and the true cost of one or two speeding tickets might be thousands of dollars a year, not just hundreds of dollars from fines.
How to Fight a California Speeding Ticket
Californian drivers who receive a speeding ticket have three options:
- Worst option – Pay the fine, admit guilt, and get a point on their driver’s license in exchange. Insurance fees normally last one to three years, whereas points might stay on their record for three to seven years
- Avoid being found guilty and getting a point, enter a guilty plea, pay the fee, and complete road safety training or traffic school.
- Ask for a hearing or court date so they can choose whether to enter a guilty or not guilty plea. Additionally, they are permitted to attempt to bargain with the judge in court about a lesser fine depending on their financial situation, or maybe even community service.
Don’t know what to do?
Call our traffic ticket experts at Ticket Snipers and let us help you save any trouble regarding a traffic or speeding ticket. We can dismiss your alleged traffic violations and keep the points off your record.