A speeding ticket in Florida adds 3 points to your license if you were going less than 15 mph over the limit and 4 points if you were going 15 mph or more over. If the speeding caused a crash, the ticket carries 6 points regardless of how fast you were going. Those points sit on your driving record for at least five years and feed into a separate suspension system that kicks in once you pile up enough of them in a short window.1Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 322.27 – Authority of Department to Suspend or Revoke License
Points by Speed
- Less than 15 mph over the limit: 3 points
- 15 mph or more over the limit: 4 points
- Any speed that results in a crash: 6 points
The 15 mph line is the only break point for ordinary speeding; the fine goes up in smaller tiers, but the point value does not. The 6-point crash penalty is separate and applies whether you were 5 mph or 25 mph over at the time.1Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 322.27 – Authority of Department to Suspend or Revoke License
How Long Points Stay on Your Record
Points remain on your Florida driving record for at least five years from the date of conviction.2Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Points and Point Suspensions The underlying conviction stays on the record longer than that. Insurers don’t use the state point total directly, but they see the convictions behind it, and multiple speeding tickets commonly push premiums up 15% to 50% or more for three to five years.
When Points Lead to a Suspended License
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles suspends your license once you hit any of these thresholds:1Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 322.27 – Authority of Department to Suspend or Revoke License
- 12 points in 12 months: suspension of up to 30 days
- 18 points in 18 months: suspension of up to 3 months
- 24 points in 36 months: suspension of up to 1 year
Three 4-point speeding tickets in a year will take you to the 12-point line. A single crash-related speeding conviction puts 6 points on the record in one incident, which is half the yearly threshold on its own.
What the Ticket Costs
Florida law sets base fines that climb with each speed bracket:3Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 318.18 – Amount of Penalties
- 1–5 mph over: warning, no fine
- 6–9 mph over: $25
- 10–14 mph over: $100
- 15–19 mph over: $150
- 20–29 mph over: $175
- 30 mph or more over: $250
These are base figures. Counties add court costs, surcharges, and administrative fees that typically double or triple the final bill. A $100 base fine for going 10–14 mph over often lands above $200 by the time you pay.
School Zones, Construction Zones, and Toll Zones
Fines double for speeding in a posted school zone or at a designated school crossing. Even going 1–5 mph over in a school zone brings a $50 fine instead of a warning. Construction zones double fines when the zone is clearly posted with a speed limit sign and a notice that fines are doubled, and workers are present or operating equipment on or near the road. Posted toll collection zones also carry doubled fines.3Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 318.18 – Amount of Penalties
Repeat 30-Over Convictions
A second or subsequent conviction for going 30 mph or more over within a 12-month period doubles the base fine from $250 to $500.3Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 318.18 – Amount of Penalties
When Speeding Forces a Court Date or Becomes Criminal
Most Florida speeding tickets are civil infractions you can resolve by mail. Going 30 mph or more over the posted limit is different: it’s a mandatory hearing offense, and you or an attorney have to show up in court.4Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 318.19 – Infractions Requiring a Mandatory Hearing If the citation doesn’t list a court date, the clerk’s office will mail you a notice. Skipping that hearing leads the court to notify FLHSMV, which then suspends the license.
Going 50 mph or more over the limit crosses into criminal territory under Florida Statute 316.1926. It’s a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine, and a conviction creates a criminal record, not just a traffic one. Reckless driving charges under a separate statute can also apply where speed shows a willful disregard for safety.
How to Keep Points Off Your Record
You have 30 days from the date on the citation to act. There are three choices.
Paying the Fine
Paying is the simplest route and the worst for your record. Payment counts as a guilty plea, and the matching points go on your license.5Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers. How Do I Pay a Traffic Ticket You pay the Clerk of Court in the county where the ticket was issued.
Electing Traffic School
Electing a state-approved Basic Driver Improvement course lets you avoid the points while still paying the fine. Notify the Clerk of Court within 30 days, pay the fine and an election fee, then finish the course and submit the certificate before the court’s deadline.
The limits matter. You can elect the 4-hour course only once every 12 months and no more than five times in a lifetime.6Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 318.14 – Noncriminal Traffic Infractions; Exception; Penalties Burning that eligibility on a minor ticket leaves you nothing when a bigger one comes along.
Contesting the Ticket
To fight the ticket, send the Clerk of Court a written hearing request within 30 days.5Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers. How Do I Pay a Traffic Ticket Win and there’s no fine and no points. Lose and you pay the fine, take the points, and can’t fall back on traffic school afterward.
What Happens If You Ignore the Ticket
Doing nothing is the worst outcome. If you don’t pay, elect traffic school, or request a hearing within 30 days, the court reports the delinquency to FLHSMV and your license is suspended indefinitely until you clear it. This is commonly called a D6 suspension.7Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Traffic Citations or Court Suspensions To clear it you pay the original ticket (which counts as a conviction and adds points) plus a reinstatement fee. Driving on a suspended license is a separate criminal offense, so ignoring a citation stacks problems quickly.
Commercial Drivers Face Steeper Penalties
If you hold a Florida CDL, any speeding conviction of 15 mph or more over the posted limit counts as a “serious traffic violation” for CDL purposes.8Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 322.61 – Disqualification From Operating a Commercial Motor Vehicle Two in three years brings a 60-day CDL disqualification; three in three years brings 120 days. The disqualification applies whether you were driving a commercial vehicle or your personal car at the time.