At first glance, it appears that getting a speeding ticket in California will not be that expensive. The base fine for going up to 15 miles per hour over the speed limit is just $35, and the base fine for going more than 15 miles over the speed limit is $70. However, this is misleading because the state tacks on a variety of fines and surcharges.
After all of the additional charges have been added on, a ticket for going 15 miles per hour or less above the speed limit can cost more than $200, and a ticket for going even faster can run about $400. The total cost is likely to rise even higher than that because most speeding tickets also add a point to offenders’ driver’s licenses, which means their insurance rates will probably rise.
Individuals may end up paying 15 percent more on their insurance for three years from just one ticket. By attending traffic school, the points may be considered private, and insurance companies are not made aware of them. Traffic school lasts eight hours and involves a test, but it may be worth the time to reduce insurance premiums.
It’s important to note that someone may be able to fight traffic citations. If the equipment that an officer was using was faulty or if the circumstances surrounding a ticket are called into question, a person may be able to have the ticket dismissed. Additionally, when people receive too many points on their license in a set period of time, they may lose their driving privileges, so in some cases having legal assistance in fighting a citation may be a better way to handle it.