A speeding ticket in Arizona puts three points on your driving record, and that number is the same whether the ticket is a civil violation or a criminal (excessive) speeding charge.1Arizona Department of Transportation. Points Assessment Points stay on your record permanently, but the Motor Vehicle Division only acts on them when they pile up inside a rolling window.
What Three Points Actually Costs You
The MVD watches two windows: 12 months and 36 months. Hit eight points in any 12-month period and the MVD can order you to complete Traffic Survival School or suspend your driving privileges for up to 12 months.1Arizona Department of Transportation. Points Assessment Three points from one speeding ticket won’t get you there on its own. Three speeding tickets in a year will.
Points don’t fall off. A conviction from two years ago still appears on your record, but it no longer counts toward the 12-month threshold that triggers MVD action.2Arizona Department of Transportation. A Guide to Understanding the New MVR
If a single traffic stop involves more than one violation, only the highest-value violation counts toward your point total. For context on where speeding sits, running a red light is also three points, and reckless driving is eight.
Civil Speeding vs. Criminal Speeding
Both carry the same three points, but the rest of the consequences diverge sharply. A civil speeding ticket is handled in traffic court with a fine. Criminal speeding is a class 3 misdemeanor under Arizona law, which means a conviction can bring up to 30 days in jail, a fine of up to $500 plus surcharges, and a criminal record.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-701.02 – Excessive Speeds; Classification4Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-707 – Misdemeanors; Sentencing5Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-802 – Fines for Misdemeanors
You can be charged with criminal speeding for:
- Exceeding 35 mph approaching a school crossing.
- Driving more than 20 mph over the posted speed limit anywhere, including business and residential districts.
- Exceeding 45 mph in a business or residential district where no speed limit is posted.
There is no 85 mph threshold in the statute, despite a common belief that one exists. What matters is how far over the posted limit you were driving.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-701.02 – Excessive Speeds; Classification
Keeping the Points Off Your Record
For a standard civil speeding ticket, you can usually avoid the three points by completing a state-approved defensive driving school. Finish the course and the court sends the record to the MVD with no points assessed.6Arizona Judicial Branch. Defensive Driving Schools
Two limits to know. First, you can only use this option once every 12 months, measured from violation date to violation date. A ticket in March 2025 handled through defensive driving school makes you ineligible again until March 2026.6Arizona Judicial Branch. Defensive Driving Schools Second, for a criminal speeding charge, defensive driving school isn’t automatic. The court has discretion to allow it, but isn’t required to.7Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-3392 – Defensive Driving School; Eligibility
Commercial drivers face a stricter rule. If you were operating a vehicle that requires a CDL when you were cited, the conviction must be reported and the court cannot dismiss it through diversion.
Traffic Survival School is a separate program. It is not the same as defensive driving school. TSS is the mandatory eight-hour course the MVD orders after you cross the eight-point threshold, and it costs around $150. You have 60 days from the action date in your MVD letter to complete it, or your license is suspended.
What the Points Do to Your Insurance
Insurers pull driving records, and a speeding conviction almost always raises premiums. A criminal speeding conviction typically raises them more than a routine civil ticket because it signals higher-risk driving. The increase generally persists for three to five years, tracking how far back insurers look. That’s the practical case for using defensive driving school when you qualify: no conviction on the record means your insurer never sees it.
Out-of-State Tickets and the Driver License Compact
Arizona is a member of the Driver License Compact, which most U.S. states have joined. If you hold an out-of-state license and get a speeding ticket in Arizona, the compact directs your home state to be notified and to treat the Arizona conviction as if it happened at home, applying its own point schedule.8The Council of State Governments. Driver License Compact
It runs the other direction too. An Arizona driver ticketed in another compact state can expect the MVD to add three points to their Arizona record. Ignoring an out-of-state citation is the worst option: the issuing state can notify Arizona, and the MVD can suspend your license until the ticket is resolved.