A ticket under O.C.G.A. 40-6-181 becomes a “Super Speeder” case when your speed hit 75 mph or more on a two-lane road, or 85 mph or more on any road or highway in Georgia. When that happens, you’re dealing with two separate penalties from two separate agencies: the underlying speeding conviction handled by the local court that issued the ticket, and a $200 state fee added on by the Georgia Department of Driver Services under O.C.G.A. 40-6-189.1Justia Law. Georgia Code Title 40 – 40-6-189 Paying one does not resolve the other, and missing the DDS fee is what most often turns a bad ticket into a suspended license.
Why There Are Two Bills
O.C.G.A. 40-6-181 is Georgia’s general speeding statute, setting the maximum limits you can be cited for exceeding.2FindLaw. Georgia Code Title 40 – 40-6-181 That’s the ticket you take to court, and the court sets the fine. Speeding is a misdemeanor, so the fine can run up to $1,000, with county surcharges, court costs, and technology fees added on. A citation for 15 to 24 mph over the limit commonly runs several hundred dollars; speeds 34 mph or more over push toward the statutory maximum.
O.C.G.A. 40-6-189 is a separate layer that only kicks in once you’re actually convicted of speeding at Super Speeder levels. DDS then mails you a notice demanding the $200 fee, which funds Georgia’s trauma care system.3FindLaw. Georgia Code Title 40 – 40-6-189 The notice arrives weeks or months after your court date, which is why so many drivers assume they’ve handled everything when they pay the local court. Out-of-state drivers especially. A realistic total for a driver ticketed at 90 mph might be $500 to $1,000 to the court plus $200 to the state, before insurance moves.
Points on Your Record
The points DDS puts on your record come from the underlying speeding conviction, not from the Super Speeder label itself. They scale with how far over the limit you were:4Georgia Department of Driver Services. Points Schedule
- 15–18 mph over: 2 points
- 19–23 mph over: 3 points
- 24–33 mph over: 4 points
- 34 mph or more over: 6 points
Nearly every Super Speeder violation lands in the 4- or 6-point range. Accumulate 15 points in any 24-month window and DDS suspends your license separately from anything the Super Speeder fee does.5FindLaw. Georgia Code Title 40 – 40-5-57 A single 6-point conviction won’t hit that alone, but stacked on prior tickets it can.
The Nolo Contendere Plea
Drivers 21 and older can enter a nolo contendere (no contest) plea once every five years to keep points off their record.6Georgia Courts. Will Nolo Plea Avoid Points/Suspension? You still accept the conviction and pay the fine, but DDS doesn’t count the points, which softens the insurance hit.
The nolo plea does not eliminate the Super Speeder fee. You’re still convicted of speeding under 40-6-181, so DDS still mails the $200 notice. If you’ve used your nolo plea within the past five years, it isn’t available at all. And it doesn’t shield drivers under 21, who face automatic suspension for a 4-point violation regardless of the plea entered.7Georgia Department of Driver Services. Section 10 Continued
The 120-Day Deadline
Once DDS mails the Super Speeder notice, you have 120 days to pay the $200 fee. Miss that deadline and DDS suspends your license or driving privileges automatically. To get reinstated you’ll pay the original $200 plus a $50 reinstatement fee, for a total of $250.8Georgia Department of Driver Services. Reinstatement FAQs – Super Speeder The notice explains how to pay online, by mail, or in person at a DDS Customer Service Center.9Georgia.gov. Pay a Super Speeder Fine
Driving on a suspended license is a separate criminal offense with its own fines, possible jail time, and a longer suspension. This is where an expensive ticket becomes something much worse.
If You’re Under 21
Georgia is much harder on young drivers. A single speeding violation of 24 mph or more over the limit triggers automatic license suspension for anyone under 21, with no point accumulation required. Most Super Speeder speeds clear that threshold, so a young driver typically faces both the $200 fee and a mandatory suspension from the underlying conviction. Drivers under 18 face an even lower bar: 4 points in 12 months is enough for suspension, and a single Super Speeder ticket can reach it in one shot.7Georgia Department of Driver Services. Section 10 Continued
If You Hold a CDL
Commercial license holders face a federal layer on top of the state penalties. Under FMCSA rules, speeding 15 mph or more over the posted limit is a “serious traffic violation” whether or not you were driving a commercial vehicle when it happened.10eCFR. 49 CFR 383.51 – Disqualification of Drivers Super Speeder speeds always clear that bar.
One serious violation doesn’t disqualify you by itself. A second within three years brings a 60-day CDL disqualification, and a third within the same window brings 120 days.10eCFR. 49 CFR 383.51 – Disqualification of Drivers For a professional driver, two months off the road is reason enough to talk to a traffic attorney before pleading to anything.
If You’re From Out of State
The law applies to you the same way. You’ll get the same $200 notice in the mail, and missing the 120-day deadline suspends your driving privileges in Georgia.9Georgia.gov. Pay a Super Speeder Fine DDS reports the suspension to your home state’s licensing authority. Most states are members of the Driver License Compact and treat an out-of-state conviction as if it happened at home, meaning your own state can assess points under its schedule and may suspend based on Georgia’s notice. Specifics depend on where you live.
Fighting the Ticket in Court
The $200 fee itself is not something you contest; you pay DDS directly and there’s no court appearance for that piece. The underlying speeding charge is different. Some jurisdictions let you pay speeding fines without appearing; others, especially for higher speeds, require you in court. Showing up is what lets you negotiate.
The most valuable outcome a traffic attorney can sometimes negotiate is getting the cited speed reduced below the Super Speeder threshold. That eliminates the $200 fee entirely and lowers the points on your record. Flat-fee representation for a straightforward speeding case commonly runs several hundred dollars, and whether it’s worth it depends on the charge, your driving history, and what your insurance stands to do.
What It Does to Your Insurance
Insurers see a Super Speeder conviction for what it is. Rate increases for excessive speeding convictions commonly range from around 20% to over 40% of the annual premium, depending on the carrier, your prior record, and the speed. On a $2,000 premium that’s an extra $400 to $800 a year, and the surcharge typically sticks for three to five years.
A successful nolo plea keeps points off your record, and some insurers respond less aggressively when there are no points, though the conviction itself is still visible. Losing a safe-driver or good-student discount compounds the pain. Shopping carriers after a conviction is worth the time, because insurers weigh speeding violations differently from one another.