Although speeding over 100 mph tickets are NOT a misdemeanor in California, these tickets carry some very serious consequences. CA Vehicle Code (CVC) 22348 (b) states, “…highway at a speed greater than 100 mph is guilty of an infraction…” There are three types of motor vehicle violations: infractions, misdemeanors, and felonies, although many people do not realize the difference, the classification of misdemeanor or felony can have wide-ranging effects on your future because most people, employers included, consider infractions as traffic violations and misdemeanors and felonies as crimes, even though they are all crimes.

A conviction for speeding over 100 mph, (1) stays on your record for 7 years, (2) can double or triple your insurance rates, (3) has a fine between $800 and $2500, depending on the speed and the court, and (4) can lead to a 30-day suspension. Additionally, you will receive two points on your motor vehicle driving record (MVR) and there is a mandatory court appearance for either you or your lawyer.

100+ MPH Tickets Stay on Your Record for Seven Years

A conviction on a speeding over 100 mph tickets will stay on your MVR for seven years. Since there is no option to attend traffic school after you are convicted of driving in excess of 100 mph your only option is to wait for the seven years to go by to get a cheaper insurance policy.

Once the time has passed, you can request a copy of your MVR from DMV and make sure it has been removed, it usually takes 60-90 days for it to drop off. Simply go to CA.gov Driver Record Request site, register, fill out the .pdf INF 1125, pay the fee ($5.00), and submit the form to DMV.

Increased Insurance Premiums

A conviction on speeding over 100 mph tickets will often double or triple your insurance premiums if you can find a company to insure you. This may not happen right away, but when your current policy is up for renewal, an adjuster will look at your MVR and either offer a much higher rate or send you a notice of non-renewal. This is one circumstance where being older may work to your advantage (if you are older) since younger drivers are normally higher risks, insurance companies check their MVR more frequently.

High Fines

Even though the California Legislature prescribed a fine for 100 mph tickets, “not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500)” that didn’t stop them and the counties from adding assessments, fees, and surcharges that would bring the total cost of your ticket between $800 for first-time offender and $2500 for subsequent offences, not including the raise in insurance premiums.

30-Day Suspension

The use of the 30-day suspension authorized under CVC 22348 (b) was previously only used in extreme cases. However, many traffic commissioners in CA are insisting on its application, even for first time offender who plead guilty or are convicted of this violation without legal representation. One of the first actions of a traffic ticket defender is talking to the law enforcement (LE) officer that gave you the citation to see if there is a possibility to get the charge reduced before court. Since 100 mph tickets are infractions, there is usually not a District Attorney (DA) assigned and a traffic ticket defender can approach the LE officer to plea bargain the ticket.

However, if you go to traffic court in Bakersfield or Lamont in Kern County and you are convicted of speeding over 100 mph, you will likely hear the judge ask, “Do you have your driver’s license in your possession? If yes, give it to our bailiff. Your driver’s license has been suspended for 30 days.”

Bigger & Harman, APC

Many drivers on Highway 99 or “Lost Highway” 58 get pulled over and are presented with traffic tickets, those who receive 100 mph tickets for speeding in Kern County wind up on the wrong side of a 30-day driver’s license suspension.

When you receive a 100-mph ticket in Kern, Mono, SLO or another south-central CA county, call Bigger & Harman, 661-349-9300 for professional traffic ticket advice and counsel. Bigger & Harman work very hard on getting 100 mph tickets dismissed or the charge/fine reduced.