A client came into our Hollywood office for a free consultation last week. He had two tickets, one for speeding and the other traffic ticket was for not wearing a seatbelt (which he removed to reach over and grab his registration and insurance card). He asked me if it was often that clients hired a traffic attorney for a speeding ticket. Unfortunately, the most common civil traffic citation (or traffic ticket) given by the law enforcement in the State of Florida are, you guessed it, speeding tickets. As far as punishment is concerned, speeding tickets in the state of Florida fall into four categories: 15 miles per hour or less over the lawful or posted speed, 16 miles per hour or more over the lawful posted speed, 30 miles per hour or more over the lawful or posted speed, and 50 miles per hour or more over the speed limit. Let’s review the punishments for each category.

15 Miles Per Hour or Less Over the Lawful or Posted Speed

If you happen to receive a speeding ticket in the state of Florida for driving 15 miles per hour or less, you will receive a fine along with 3 points on your driver’s license. These points fall off your driving record after 3 long years and the speeding ticket itself remains on your driving record forever. Every insurance company is different, but some may also raise your rates because of a speeding ticket. You are not obligated to attend court for this type of speeding ticket. You can either pay it and live with the points and guilty conviction on your driving record, elect traffic school to avoid the points but still have the guilty conviction on your record (if eligible), or dispute it in court. You can dispute a traffic ticket in court yourself or you can hire a traffic attorney to dispute your speeding ticket in court on your behalf.

16 Miles Per Hour or More Over the Lawful or Posted Speed

If you receive a speeding ticket in the state of Florida for driving 16 miles per hour or more over the speed limit, you will receive a fine along with 4 points on your driver’s license. The 4 points will stay on your driver’s license for 3 years and the traffic ticket will stay on your driving record forever. Depending on your insurance company, your rates could go up. You are not obligated to attend court for this type of speeding ticket.

30 Miles Per Hour or More Over the Lawful or Posted Speed

This is the second most serious type of speeding ticket you can receive in the State of Florida. If you receive a traffic ticket for speeding 30 miles or more over the posted limit, it comes with a fine, the possibility of 4 points on your license, the possibility of your license being suspended, and a mandatory court date. This means that you have no choice but to attend court or have an attorney attend court on your behalf. The amount of the fine is assessed by the Judge at the court hearing. The points will stay on your driver’s license for 3 years and the ticket will stay on your record forever if you are adjudicated (or found guilty). Depending on your insurance company, your rates could go up. If you fail to appear at your mandatory court date, your license can be suspended.

50 Miles Per Hour or More Over the Speed Limit

The King of all speeding tickets in the State of Florida. If you receive a speeding ticket for speeding 50 miles per hour or more, you will be looking at a speeding ticket cost of 1,000. If this is your second time receiving a speeding ticket of this magnitude, expect a 2,500 fine. The third time around you will be charged with a third degree felony and will face a fine up to 5,000 and the revocation or your driver’s license for 10 years.

Getting pulled over is a headache on its own, so cut your losses and call the traffic ticket team for a free consultation regarding your traffic ticket. We will discuss your options with you and keep you out of court. You can reach us at (954) 472-3888.