In Florida, speeding ticket fines and penalties scale by how many miles per hour you were driving over the limit: a warning at 1 to 5 mph over, base fines from $25 up to $250 as the brackets climb, a mandatory court appearance once you hit 30 mph over, and criminal charges with possible jail time at 50 mph or more over. Points on your license and insurance consequences follow every conviction.
Base Fines by Speed Over the Limit
Florida sets base fines in fixed brackets:1Justia. Florida Code 318.18 – Amount of Penalties
- 1 to 5 mph over: warning, no fine
- 6 to 9 mph over: $25
- 10 to 14 mph over: $100
- 15 to 19 mph over: $150
- 20 to 29 mph over: $175
- 30 mph or more over: $250
The base fine is not what you pay. Every citation adds mandatory state surcharges, court costs, and county fees that roughly triple the number. A 6-to-9 mph ticket typically totals around $129, a 10-to-14 mph ticket around $204, and a 20-to-29 mph ticket around $279. Totals vary by county, so the clerk of court where the ticket was issued has the exact figure.
Points on Your License
A speeding conviction adds 3 points to your driving record. Speeding 50 mph or more over the limit adds 4 points. Those points remain on your record for at least five years from the conviction date, not the date of the stop.2Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Points and Point Suspensions
Points accumulate on rolling windows, and hitting a threshold triggers an automatic license suspension:
- 12 points within 12 months: 30-day suspension
- 18 points within 18 months: 3-month suspension
- 24 points within 36 months: 1-year suspension
Beyond the license itself, insurance carriers pull your record. A conviction with points almost always raises your premium, and the increase over several years often costs more than the ticket did.
At 30 MPH Over, You Must Appear in Court
Once your speed hits 30 mph over the posted limit, you lose the option to pay the fine by mail or online. Florida law requires a court appearance before a judge or hearing officer.3Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 318.19 – Infractions Requiring a Mandatory Hearing Traffic school is not available at this speed, so a conviction puts points on your record with no way to opt out.
A second conviction for speeding 30 mph or more over the limit within 12 months doubles the base fine from $250 to $500.1Justia. Florida Code 318.18 – Amount of Penalties
At 50 MPH Over, Speeding Becomes a Crime
As of July 1, 2025, driving 50 mph or more over the posted limit is a criminal offense in Florida called dangerous excessive speeding. A conviction creates a permanent criminal record.4Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 316.1922 – Dangerous Excessive Speeding
A first conviction carries up to 30 days in jail, a $500 fine, or both. A second or later conviction within five years carries up to 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both, plus license revocation for at least 180 days and up to one year.4Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 316.1922 – Dangerous Excessive Speeding A court appearance is mandatory, traffic school is not an option, and 4 points are added to your record on top of the criminal penalties.
School Zones and Construction Zones Double the Fine
Speeding in a school zone doubles the base fine at every bracket above 5 mph over. At 15 mph over, the fine jumps from $150 to $300; at 30 mph or more over, it becomes $500. The one wrinkle is at the low end: 1 to 5 mph over in a school zone carries a flat $50 fine instead of a warning.1Justia. Florida Code 318.18 – Amount of Penalties
Construction zone fines double only when two conditions are both met: workers must be present or operating equipment near the road, and the zone must be posted with signs warning of the reduced limit and doubled fines. If neither crew nor equipment is present, the doubling does not apply even if the signs remain up. Standard points still apply in both zone types.
Keeping Points Off With Traffic School
For lower-level tickets, electing the Basic Driver Improvement course withholds adjudication, keeps points off your record, and reduces the fine by 18 percent.5Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Basic Driver Improvement – Find Approved Listing of BDI Course Providers You have to notify the clerk of court in the ticketing county within 30 days of the citation. The 30-day deadline is hard: miss it, and you lose the option even if you would otherwise qualify.
You cannot elect traffic school if:
- You were cited for speeding 30 mph or more over the limit
- You hold a commercial driver’s license
- You already elected traffic school within the past 12 months
- You have used all eight lifetime elections
The course runs about four hours and typically costs $25 to $40 through state-approved providers. Because the lifetime cap is eight, it is worth thinking about whether a minor ticket that may not affect your insurance is the right one to spend an election on.
If You Live Out of State
Florida participates in the Driver License Compact, so a conviction here is reported to your home state if it is also a member. Your home state then applies its own points and penalties as if the offense had happened there. Skipping a Florida ticket does not make it disappear: the conviction follows you home, and Florida can flag your license status in ways that create problems at renewal.
What Happens If You Do Nothing
You have 30 days from the date on the citation to pay, elect traffic school, or request a hearing. Miss that window and you are automatically found guilty, and the court can suspend your license for failure to comply. Reinstatement requires paying the original fine plus additional fees, and the suspension itself lands on your permanent record. Ignoring the ticket also strips every other option: no traffic school, no contest, and possibly a requirement for SR-22 insurance, which costs substantially more than standard coverage. The 30-day clock runs from the date printed on the citation, not the date you opened the envelope.