Although the base fine for a one to 15 mph over or any speeding ticket has not gone up, the overall cost of speeding tickets (in fact all tickets) has gone up many times due to the state using traffic violations as their own personal fundraiser. The base fine for 1-15 mph over is still $35.00, but the actual fine is $234.00. Both pale in comparison to the insurance costs over three years.

Likewise, the total cost of a conviction can range widely from county to county within CA. When the state or county has a construction project or needs money for emergency services, they tack on a surcharge, assessment, or fee to raise the funds for their project. Even night court has a fee attached to every ticket, whether you use night court to clear your speeding tickets or not. As if you aren’t already paying for night court with your taxes.

What Are these Fees and Surcharges?

The state surcharge is 20 percent of the base fine, there is a state penalty of 100 percent of the base fine, a court operations fee of $40.00 per ticket, a $35.00 conviction assessment, a construction penalty of 50 percent of the base fine, a DNA ID surcharge of $4.00 per every $10.00 of the base fine, a county assessment of $7.00 per every $10.00 of the base fine, a night court fee of $1.00, an EMT air transport penalty of $4.00, and a fee for EMT of $2.00 per every $10.00 of the base fine. Therefore, your speeding ticket for going 1-15 mph over the speed limit has a base fine of $35.00, but it will cost you $234.00. Likewise, speeding tickets over 100 mph with a base fine of $100.00 will cost a minimum of $480 depending on the county. It is more likely going to cost you $800.00 to 2500.00, including your raise in insurance premiums if you can find a company to insure you after an over 100 mph conviction.

How Much Is my Insurance Going to Go Up?

There’s a wide range of insurance costs in California, but a good rule of thumb is that a 1 point ticket costs you close to 36% on your insurance for a three year period. In other words, if you pay $1500 a year for insurance, you’re likely to end up paying about that much more in insurance premiums over three years. If your speeding tickets were for speeding over 100 mph, you could face serious problems with your insurance company, if convicted. Although it is not a misdemeanor crime, your insurance company will likely see you as a high-risk and will either raise your insurance so high you can’t afford it or refuse to insure you at all.

Bigger & Harman, APC Traffic Ticket Defenders

When you receive a speeding ticket, particularly for exceeding 100 mph and are ordered to appear in traffic court in Shafter, Kern County, or LA, San Bernardino, Riverside, Inyo, and other counties in south-central California, contact Bigger & Harman for legal advice. Give Mark or Paul a call today and explain your circumstances with a free, no obligation consultation, 661-349-9300. Your privacy and confidentiality are always respected. Or, send them an email today, attorney@markbigger.com.