A speeding ticket in Utah costs anywhere from $130 for going a few miles per hour over the limit to more than $1,000 for excessive speed in a school or construction zone. Those figures come from the state’s Uniform Fine Schedule, which already bakes in the mandatory surcharges, so the posted number is close to what you’ll actually hand over. The ticket itself is only part of the cost, though. A conviction also adds points to your driving record and typically raises your auto insurance premium by about 24%.
Standard Speeding Fines by MPH Over
Utah’s Judicial Council publishes a Uniform Fine Schedule that most justice courts follow. Fines climb in tiers based on how far above the posted limit you were clocked:1Utah Courts. 2025 Uniform Fine Schedule
- 1–10 MPH over: $130
- 11–15 MPH over: $160
- 16–20 MPH over: $210
- 21–25 MPH over: $280
- 26–30 MPH over: $380
- 31+ MPH over: $480, plus $10 for each additional MPH beyond 31
Once you’re 31 or more MPH over the limit, you can’t just pay online or by mail. A court appearance is mandatory.1Utah Courts. 2025 Uniform Fine Schedule
What’s Already Included in the Fine
The Uniform Fine Schedule amounts are not bare base fines with surcharges tacked on later. Two mandatory add-ons are already inside the number you see:
- A 35% criminal conviction surcharge that applies to speeding and other offenses in Utah’s motor vehicle code. The 90% surcharge you may have read about applies to felonies, DUI, and certain higher-level misdemeanors, not standard traffic tickets.2Utah Legislature. Utah Code 51-9-401 – Surcharge Application
- A $60 court security surcharge assessed by justice courts on each conviction.3Utah Legislature. Utah Code 78A-7-122 – Security Surcharge
Individual courts sometimes add small local administrative fees, so your total may run a few dollars above the schedule figure. For most standard tickets, though, the schedule amount is what you’ll owe.
Speeds Over 100 MPH
If you’re clocked at 100 MPH or above, a separate, steeper schedule applies. These are minimum mandatory fines that a judge cannot reduce:1Utah Courts. 2025 Uniform Fine Schedule
- 16–20 MPH over: $315
- 21–25 MPH over: $420
- 26–30 MPH over: $570
- 31+ MPH over: $720, plus $15 for each additional MPH beyond 31
Every tier in the 100+ MPH category requires a court appearance.
School Zone Fines
Utah school zones carry a 20 MPH speed limit, and fines are based on your actual vehicle speed rather than MPH over. First offense:1Utah Courts. 2025 Uniform Fine Schedule
- 21–29 MPH: $260
- 30–39 MPH: $420
- 40+ MPH: $760
A second or subsequent school-zone speeding conviction within three years costs more:4Utah Legislature. Utah Code 41-6a-604 – Maximum Speed in a School Zone
- 21–29 MPH: $320
- 30–39 MPH: $560
- 40+ MPH: $960
Driving 40 MPH or faster in a school zone also triggers a mandatory court appearance, first offense or not.1Utah Courts. 2025 Uniform Fine Schedule
Construction Zone Fines
When workers are present and warning signs are posted, the fine for speeding through a highway construction or maintenance zone must be at least double the standard amount.5Utah Legislature. Utah Code 41-6a-209 – Increased Penalty for Speeding in Highway Construction or Maintenance Zone These are mandatory minimums:1Utah Courts. 2025 Uniform Fine Schedule
- 1–10 MPH over: $260
- 11–15 MPH over: $320
- 16–20 MPH over: $420
- 21–25 MPH over: $560
- 26–30 MPH over: $760
- 31+ MPH over: $960, plus $20 for each additional MPH beyond 31
Both conditions have to be met for the doubled fine to apply. Workers must actually be on site and the zone must be signed with a warning about the enhanced penalty. Otherwise the standard schedule applies.5Utah Legislature. Utah Code 41-6a-209 – Increased Penalty for Speeding in Highway Construction or Maintenance Zone
Points on Your License
Every conviction adds points to your Utah driving record:6Utah Driver License Division. ACD Code Table
- 1–10 MPH over: 35 points
- 11–20 MPH over: 55 points
- 21+ MPH over: 75 points
Courts can grade a violation as minimum or maximum severity, adjusting the point count by 10% either way. The statute also directs courts to consider assessing zero points for speeding up to 10 MPH over, except in school zones.7Utah Legislature. Utah Code 53-3-221 – Offenses That May Result in Denial, Suspension, Disqualification, or Revocation of License
If you’re 21 or older, hitting 200 points within three years can trigger a license suspension lasting three months to a year.8Utah Driver License Division. Utah Points System Two tickets at 21+ MPH over plus one in the 11–20 tier already puts you at 205.
Completing an approved defensive driving course knocks 50 points off your record. You can use that reduction once every three years.
Insurance Costs After a Conviction
The fine is the number you write on the check. The insurance hit is the one you feel for years. Utah drivers typically see premiums rise about 24% after a single speeding conviction. On a $2,000 annual policy, that’s roughly $480 more per year, and most insurers keep the surcharge in place for three to five years. Over that span, a single ticket often costs more in premium increases than the fine itself.
What Happens If You Don’t Pay
Your citation lists a deadline to pay or appear. Miss it and the court can issue a warrant for your arrest and suspend your driver’s license.9State of Utah Judiciary. Traffic Offenses Driving on a suspended license is a separate criminal offense, and getting reinstated later means paying additional fees to the Driver License Division. Ignoring the ticket is by far the most expensive way to handle it.
Ways to Reduce the Cost
A few paths can shrink or erase the long-term consequences of a Utah speeding ticket.
Plea in Abeyance
Many Utah justice courts allow a plea in abeyance. You plead guilty, but the court holds the plea instead of entering a conviction. You typically pay the fine, complete a traffic school course, and stay ticket-free for six months. Meet those conditions and the case is dismissed with nothing on your record. Pick up another ticket during the probation period and the original conviction goes through.
Defensive Driving Course
Even without a plea deal, taking an approved defensive driving course removes 50 points from your record. If you’re getting close to the 200-point suspension line, this is the most direct way to buy yourself room.
Contesting the Ticket
You can also plead not guilty and request a hearing. Common challenges include the calibration of the radar or lidar device, the officer’s visual speed estimate, and missing or obscured speed-limit signs. For tickets 31+ MPH over, where a court appearance is already required, you’ll have that chance built in.
Extra Risks for CDL Holders
If you hold a commercial driver’s license, speeding 15 MPH or more over the limit qualifies as a “serious traffic violation” under federal rules. A second such conviction within three years brings a 60-day disqualification from commercial driving; a third within the same window extends it to 120 days.10eCFR. 49 CFR 383.51 – Disqualification of Drivers These consequences apply even when the ticket was in your personal vehicle.
If You’re an Out-of-State Driver
A Utah ticket doesn’t stay in Utah. The state participates in the Driver License Compact, so your home state generally treats the offense as if it happened at home and applies its own point values.11CSG National Center for Interstate Compacts. Driver License Compact Utah is also in the Nonresident Violator Compact, which lets your home state suspend your license if you fail to resolve the Utah citation.
Looking Up Your Exact Amount
The citation itself shows your fine, your deadline, and the court handling the case. If you’ve misplaced it, Utah’s statewide court system runs an online ePayments portal where you can look up your case by citation number.12State of Utah Judiciary. Pay Fines/Fees Online (ePayments) You can also call the court printed on the ticket. Some municipal courts run their own portals separate from the state system.