A speeding ticket in Georgia usually costs somewhere between $150 and $450 in fines and court surcharges, but that is only the opening bill. Add the state’s $200 Super Speeder fee if you were going fast enough to trigger it, then a two- to three-year insurance rate increase that often runs several hundred dollars a year, and a single ticket can easily cost $1,500 or more by the time it clears your record. How much a speeding ticket costs in Georgia depends on three things: how far over the limit you were, which county wrote the ticket, and whether you have tools left to keep points off your license.
Court Fines and Surcharges
Georgia has no statewide fine schedule for speeding. Each county and municipal court sets its own amounts, so the same violation can produce different bills in different jurisdictions. As a rough guide, fines in metro-area courts start around $150 for 6 to 10 mph over the posted limit and climb from there, reaching $450 or more for 21 to 30 mph over. Going 31 mph or more over the limit often triggers a mandatory court appearance rather than a pay-by-mail option.
The base fine is only part of what you owe. Georgia courts add surcharges that fund state programs including the Crime Victims Emergency Fund and local jail construction. Those surcharges and processing fees commonly add $50 to $100 or more on top of the fine. On a moderate ticket, the total you pay the court is often close to double the base fine.
One category carries no points but still costs you the fine: a “too fast for conditions” citation is a misdemeanor traffic offense that appears on your record with zero points assessed.1Justia Law. Georgia Code 40-5-57 – Suspension or Revocation of License
The $200 Super Speeder Fee
Georgia’s Super Speeder law adds a flat $200 state fee on top of whatever the local court charges if you are convicted of driving 85 mph or faster on any road, or 75 mph or faster on a two-lane road.2Justia Law. Georgia Code 40-6-189 – Classification as Super Speeder; Fees The Department of Driver Services collects this fee separately from the court, and many drivers do not realize it is coming until a notice arrives in the mail.
DDS mails the Super Speeder notice within 30 days of receiving your conviction. You then have 90 days from receipt to pay. Miss that deadline and your license is automatically suspended, and you will owe an additional $50 reinstatement fee on top of the original $200 to get it back.3Georgia.gov. Pay a Super Speeder Fine The notice goes to the address DDS has on file, so an outdated address can turn a $200 fee into a suspension you learn about only when you are pulled over again.
School Zones and Work Zones Cost More
Speeding in a school zone monitored by an automated speed camera carries a civil penalty of $75 for a first violation and $125 for each subsequent violation, plus up to $25 in processing fees.4Justia Law. Georgia Code 40-14-18 – Enforcement of Speed Limit in School Zones With Recorded Images Camera tickets are civil rather than criminal, so no points are added, but ignoring the notice lets the Department of Revenue refuse to renew your vehicle registration. Officer-issued school zone tickets are set by local courts and routinely run higher than the standard speeding schedule.
Highway work zones are much more expensive. Speeding in a work zone is a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature, with fines from $100 to $2,000 and up to 12 months of possible imprisonment.5Justia Law. Georgia Code 40-6-188 – Highway Work Zones The enhanced penalty applies only if the zone had the required signage in place along with either workers present or physical hazards like barriers, work vehicles, or pavement drop-offs. Signs alone in an empty zone do not trigger the higher penalty.
Insurance Costs Are Usually the Biggest Bill
The financial sting extends well past the day you pay the fine. Insurance companies review your driving record when setting premiums, and a speeding conviction typically produces a rate increase that lasts two to three years. Industry data suggests the average increase runs around 24 percent after a first speeding ticket, though your actual figure depends on your insurer, your prior record, and how fast you were going.
On a $2,000 annual premium, a 24 percent bump adds roughly $480 a year. Over three years, that is nearly $1,500 in extra premium on top of the fine, surcharges, and any Super Speeder fee. A speeding conviction typically stays visible on your record for three to five years.
Points and the Cost of Losing Your License
Georgia assigns points to your driving record based on how far over the limit you were traveling. Accumulate 15 points within any 24-month window and your license is suspended.6Georgia Department of Driver Services. Points Schedule The speeding schedule:
- 14 mph or less over: 0 points
- 15 to 18 mph over: 2 points
- 19 to 23 mph over: 3 points
- 24 to 33 mph over: 4 points
- 34 mph or more over: 6 points
Points do not cost you money directly, but they set the ceiling on how many tickets you can absorb before losing your license. A suspension brings reinstatement fees and, for many people, weeks or months of paying for rides or rentals while you sort it out.
Ways to Reduce What You Pay
Nolo Contendere Plea
A nolo contendere (no contest) plea lets you resolve the ticket without points added to your record. If you are 21 or older, you can enter a nolo plea once every five years on a points-bearing traffic offense.7Georgia Courts. Will Nolo Plea Avoid Points/Suspension? You still pay the full fine and the conviction still appears on your record, but DDS will not assess points. The judge is not required to accept a nolo plea, and using one within the past five years means the next one is treated as a guilty plea with full points. Save it for a ticket that actually carries points rather than burning it on a low-speed infraction worth zero.
Defensive Driving Course
Completing a DDS-approved defensive driving course can erase up to seven points from your record, available once every five years.8Justia Law. Georgia Code 40-5-86 – Reduction of Point Count You submit the certificate to DDS and the points come off. The course does not erase the conviction and does not affect the Super Speeder fee.9Georgia Department of Driver Services. Defensive Driving Program FAQs
Challenging the Ticket
Officers using radar must test the device for accuracy at both the beginning and end of each shift, following the manufacturer’s procedures.10Justia Law. Georgia Code 40-14-5 – Requirements for Use of Radar Speed Detection Devices County and municipal officers must also tell you before writing the ticket that you can request an on-the-spot accuracy test. Skipping that notification or a failed test means the ticket cannot be issued. For high-point tickets, hiring a traffic attorney to negotiate a reduction to a lesser offense can pay for itself once you count the insurance savings.
Extra Costs for Drivers Under 21
Georgia is harsher on young drivers, and the real cost is often the license itself rather than dollars. For drivers under 18, just 4 points within any 12-month period triggers a six-month suspension with no early reinstatement or limited permit available. For drivers 18 to 20, the standard 15-point threshold applies, but any single conviction worth 4 or more points brings an automatic six-month suspension. Reinstatement requires a defensive driving course, retaking the Georgia driver’s exam, and paying a reinstatement fee.1Justia Law. Georgia Code 40-5-57 – Suspension or Revocation of License A nolo plea does not automatically prevent points for drivers under 21, though the court can issue a separate zero-points order at its discretion under O.C.G.A. 40-5-57(c)(1)(C).
Extra Costs for CDL Holders
If you hold a commercial driver’s license, federal rules treat speeding 15 mph or more over the posted limit as a “serious traffic violation” for CDL purposes, whether or not you were driving a commercial vehicle at the time.11Georgia Department of Driver Services. Section 1.3 – Serious Traffic Violations Two serious violations within three years brings a minimum 60-day CDL disqualification; three or more within three years brings 120 days minimum. For a professional driver, the cost of the ticket is measured in months of lost income, which makes fighting the ticket or negotiating a reduction far more valuable than for the average driver.
If You Live Out of State
Georgia is a member of the Non-Resident Violator Compact, so ignoring a Georgia ticket will not make it disappear.12Georgia Department of Public Safety. Non-Resident Violator Compact Georgia will report non-compliance to your home state, which can suspend your license until you resolve the ticket. Through the Driver License Compact, your home state will likely apply its own points and penalties to a Georgia conviction. The $200 Super Speeder fee applies to out-of-state drivers too, and unpaid fees can complicate license renewal back home. Only Alaska, California, Michigan, Montana, Oregon, and Wisconsin are outside the Non-Resident Violator Compact.