As a traffic ticket lawyer in Florida, I’ve seen and fought more than my fair share of speeding tickets. Speeding tickets are the most common type of tickets doled out in the State of Florida. Speeding tickets are also considered primary offenses, which means an officer will usually pull you over for speeding and then tack on additional tickets such as a seatbelt ticket or texting. In 2013, 870,000 speeding tickets were given in Florida. 101,806 of those tickets were issued in Broward County alone. That means that out of the 63 counties in the State of Florida, Broward accounts for a little over 1/8 of all speeding tickets issued. As a traffic ticket attorney, I’ve had many clients come into the traffic ticket team office for a free consultation regarding their speeding tickets. Every case is different, but one fact remains – you should never pay a speeding ticket.

Speeding tickets vary in prices depending on which bracket of miles over the limit the officer determines. Not only are the fines steep, but because Florida speeding tickets are considered moving violations, every single speeding ticket carries points. When you pay a ticket you are automatically declaring yourself guilty in a court of law even if you never see a courtroom. Along with that guilty conviction on your driving record comes points which can influence and justify your insurance company in raising their rates.

Police officers have many ways to determine at which speed your car is going. They can use radars, laser, pacing, and even use airplanes to determine at which speed your vehicle is traveling. These techniques or tactics to measure your speed are not always one hundred percent accurate and an experienced traffic ticket attorney can dispute them in court to avoid points on your license or get the ticket dismissed altogether. For example, every device must be calibrated every so often in order to remain accurate. If the device used to determine the speed at which you were traveling has not been calibrated, a traffic ticket attorney may be able to get your traffic ticket dismissed.

If you have received a traffic ticket in Broward County, you more than likely have also received a green pamphlet. These green pamphlets are meant to be used as a guide to understanding the different types of fines for different violations such as moving violations (speeding) and non-moving (registration not carried). Unfortunately, these green pamphlets can be confusing and overwhelming. Below, I will briefly discuss the different types of speeding tickets in Broward County, how much their approximate fines are, and how many points you could potentially get on your driver’s license if you pay them.

Speeding Tickets in Broward County or Speeding in a Construction Zone with Workers/Equipment not present:

• If you are allegedly going 1-5 miles over the speed limit, police officers are supposed to let you go with a warning. Unfortunately, I’ve defended many clients where this was not the case.
• If you are allegedly going 6-9 miles over the speed limit, you could be facing a fine of $130 and up to 3 points on your driving record/driver’s license.
• If you are allegedly going 10-14 miles over the speed limit, you could be facing a fine of $205 and up to 3 points on your driving record/driver’s license.
• If you are allegedly going 15-19 miles over the speed limit, you could be facing a fine of $255 and up to 4 points on your driving record/driver’s license.
• If you are allegedly going 20-29 miles over the speed limit, you could be facing a fine of $280 and up to 4 points on your driving record/driver’s license.

Speeding in a School Zone in Broward County or Speeding within a Toll Facility or Construction Zone with Workers or Equipment present:

• If you are allegedly going 1-5 miles over the speed limit, you could be facing a fine of $155 and up to 3 points on your driving record/driver’s license.
• If you are allegedly going 6-9 miles over the speed limit, you could be facing a fine of $155 and up to 3 points on your driving record/driver’s license.
• If you are allegedly going 10-14 miles over the speed limit, you could be facing a fine of $305 and up to 4 points on your driving record/driver’s license.
• If you are allegedly going 15-19 miles over the speed limit, you could be facing a fine of $405 and up to 4 points on your driving record/driver’s license.
• If you are allegedly going 20-29 miles over the speed limit, you could be facing a fine of $455 and up to 4 points on your driving record/driver’s license.

When you are pulled over and given a traffic ticket, you have three options: Pay the ticket (which comes with points and a guilty conviction on your driving record); pay the ticket and elect driving school to avoid points (you can elect driving school once a year or five times in your life time), but you will still get the guilty conviction on your driving record; or elect to fight the traffic ticket in court by hiring a traffic ticket attorney or on your own. Fighting a traffic ticket is the only way to avoid points and avoid a guilty conviction on your driver’s license.

However, when you are allegedly going 30 miles or more over the speed limit, you no longer have three options. If a police officer issues you a ticket for going 30 miles or more over the speed limit, you automatically have a mandatory court date. If you are found guilty of going 30 miles or more over the speed limit, you could facing a fine of $605 and up to 6 points on your driving record. A traffic ticket attorney can keep you out of court and attend court on your behalf. A traffic ticket attorney may even be able to help you get your ticket dismissed or reduced and keep it off your driving record.

It is important to keep points of your record for various reasons. Insurance is a common concern, but a lesser known caveat is that the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) has a points system. If you are assessed 12 points within 12 months, your driver’s license will be automatically suspended for 30 days. That means that if you pay four speeding tickets in the county of Broward within 12 months, your driver’s license will be automatically suspended. If you accrue 18 points within 18 months, your driver’s license will automatically be suspended for 60 days. If you accrue 24 points within 24 months, your driver’s license will automatically be suspended for 90 days.

If you happen to be one of the unlucky eight hundred thousand who received a traffic ticket, don’t hesitate to call our firm for a free consultation. As a traffic ticket lawyers with over 50 years of experience, we have defended over 1,000,000. We can help keep the points off your driving record and even get your traffic ticket completely dismissed.