In California, there are several tiers of fines for speeding, depending on how fast you were going. The faster you go, the more it will cost you. Speeding over 100 mph is considered a major infraction and will cost you plenty, in more ways than one. If ticketed for this major infraction, it is wise to consult a traffic ticket attorney before making any decisions on whether to pay the fine or fight the ticket.

Three Tiers to Regular Speeding Fines and Penalties

CA Vehicle Code (CVC) 22350, Speed Laws says, “No person shall drive a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility…” The penalties for a conviction of violating this CVC is the same as all other CA speed laws. The only exception is its subjectivity, as you can tell by the wording it leaves much to the law enforcement officers (LEO) judgment as to what is “reasonable or prudent.”

Tier #1, 1-15 mph over the posted speed limit or prudent speed. If convicted will pay a fine base fine of $35, after state and county assessments, surcharges, and fees the total is closer to $230-250 and the driver will be assessed one Negligent Operator Treatment System (NOTS) point. Although the base fine is standard across CA and approved by the State Legislature, each county may have different surcharges and fees above what the state charges. The court clerk may approve traffic school.

Tier #2, 16-25 mph over the posted speed limit or prudent speed. If convicted will pay a fine base fine of $70, after state and county assessments, surcharges, and fees the total is closer to $380-400 and the driver will be assessed one Negligent Operator Treatment System (NOTS) point. The court clerk may approve traffic school.

Tier #3, 26 mph over the posted speed limit or prudent speed. If convicted will pay a fine base fine of $100, after state and county assessments, surcharges, and fees the total is closer to $490-500 and the driver will be assessed one Negligent Operator Treatment System (NOTS) point. The court clerk cannot approve traffic school, it must be approved by the judge.

CVC 22349, makes it an infraction to exceed 65 mph on the highway, with two exceptions. One is those that fall under CVC 22406, which is the differential speed law that restricts trucks, some buses, those hauling explosives, and other vehicles to 55 mph and the second is when the posted speed is 70 mph.

The Peculiarities of a Speeding Over 100 MPH Conviction

Unlike convictions for other speeding violations, your driver’s license (DL) could be suspended for 30 days, at the discretion of the judge and in Kings County, you can almost count on it if you are convicted of speeding over 100 mph. Another widely used discretion by CA judges is the ability to add $100 for every mile per hour over 100 mph, which along with the base fine of $500, state and county assessments, surcharges and fees, can get you over a $900 fine and upward to $2600. A second conviction within three years of the first has a base fine of $700 and or third within five years has a base of $1000. Since state and county surcharges are based on a percentage of the base fine, your total will be cumulatively higher.

The state penalty alone is $10 for every $10 of the base fee, that’s 100% for those doing the math, so a $1000 base fine is now $2000. The county penalty is $9 for every $10, so tack on another $900, make it $2900. The state court construction penalty is $5 for every ten, add $500, $3400. A state surcharge of $2 for every ten, add $200 and it is $3600, and then goes up from there. I think you get the idea that the total is over $4000 for a third conviction.

Never go into a CA courthouse, particularly in Kings County, without a traffic ticket attorney, or you’re liable to hear the judge tell you to hand your DL to the bailiff, you won’t need it for 30 days.

Hire a Kings County Traffic Ticket Defender

When you face a major infraction such as speeding over 100 mph, call the law office of Bigger & Harman. Mark Bigger and Paul Harman make up the legal team of Bigger & Harman, APC, they are ticket defenders and represent clients in Central Valley traffic courts in Tulare, Inyo, Mono, Kern, Kings, and Fresno counties and Riverside, San Bernardino, SLO, and LA counties in SoCal courts in Porterville or Visalia and many other major cities in CA.

Call Bigger & Harman, 661-349-9300, or email: attorney@markbigger.com when you need a traffic ticket attorney to represent you in court. A court appearance is mandatory for speeding over 100 mph.

Bigger & Harman provide a FREE phone consult, so there is no reason not to ask for their straightforward advice and legal counsel. You can’t beat free! For a truly confidential appointment, you can use the website contact form.

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