Texas Speed Limit Signs: Fines, Record, and Dismissal Options

Texas speed limit laws work differently from those in most states: a posted number is a legal presumption of what is safe, not a hard ceiling, and you are always required to drive at a speed that is reasonable and prudent for the conditions. The base statutory fine for speeding runs from $1 to $200, but court costs stack on top and typically push the real bill past $150 even for a minor violation. Fines double in construction zones when workers are present, school zones cost more than regular roads, and commercial drivers face license disqualification for going 15 mph or more over the limit.

How Posted Speed Limits Work in Texas

Texas uses what the Transportation Code calls a “prima facie” system. Exceeding a posted limit is prima facie evidence that your speed was not reasonable and prudent, which means the law presumes you were driving unsafely, but the presumption can be rebutted in court.¹

The flip side matters more for everyday driving. Section 545.351 requires you to drive at a speed that is “reasonable and prudent under the circumstances then existing,” no matter what the sign says. You can be ticketed for driving at or below the posted limit if fog, ice, or heavy traffic makes that speed dangerous, and you are always required to control your speed to avoid a collision with any person or vehicle lawfully on the road.¹

The prima facie defense sounds useful in theory. In practice, rebutting the presumption requires proving your speed was safe given road geometry, traffic, weather, and visibility at the time of the stop. Courts weigh the posted limit heavily, and dismissals on this ground are uncommon. Most drivers should treat posted numbers as firm ceilings.

Default Limits When No Sign Is Posted

Not every road in Texas carries a speed limit sign, and the absence of one does not mean there is no limit. The Transportation Code sets default prima facie limits that apply where nothing is posted:

30 mph on streets in an urban district, not counting alleys
15 mph in alleys
70 mph on state- or U.S.-numbered highways outside urban districts, including farm-to-market and ranch-to-market roads
60 mph on other highways outside urban districts that are not state or U.S. numbered

School buses that have passed a commercial motor vehicle inspection are capped at 60 mph on highways outside urban districts, and other school activity buses at 50 mph on those same roads.¹ On an unfamiliar road with no signage, these are the numbers you are expected to follow.

School Zones and Construction Zones

School Zones

Municipalities and county commissioners courts can set reduced limits near schools, typically 20 mph, based on engineering studies. These zones generally extend within 500 feet of elementary, secondary, or open-enrollment charter schools and apply during posted hours marked by flashing beacons or time-specific signage.² Reduced school zone limits must be approved under Section 545.357.³

School zone fines run significantly higher than fines for the same speed on a regular road. Based on fine schedules published by Texas courts, the school zone increment is roughly $50 to $75 above the standard fine for the same speed over. The exact number varies by court, but even 1 to 5 mph over in a school zone carries a meaningful financial sting.

Construction Zones

Reduced construction zone limits can stay in effect around the clock when hazards like uneven pavement or narrowed lanes persist even after workers have left. Signs indicating the reduced limit must be placed before the affected area.⁴

The rule that hits hardest is fine doubling. When workers are physically present and the citation states so, both the minimum and maximum fines for speeding double.⁵ Worker presence is the legal trigger. If you were ticketed in a signed construction zone but no workers were on site, the doubled fine does not apply, though the reduced limit itself remains enforceable as long as the zone is properly signed.

What a Speeding Ticket Actually Costs

The base statutory fine ranges from $1 to $200 under the Transportation Code’s general penalty provision.⁵ That figure is misleading on its own because mandatory court costs, fees, and technology surcharges stack on top and usually exceed the base fine. What you actually pay depends on how far over the limit you were and which court handles your case, since cities and counties publish their own fine schedules.

As a rough guide, total costs for speeding in a normal posted zone tend to fall in these ranges:

1 to 5 mph over: around $150 to $180
10 to 14 mph over: around $200 to $250
20 to 29 mph over: around $250 to $300
30 mph or more over: $300 and up

These figures are approximate, and your jurisdiction may run higher or lower. School zone and construction zone fines run substantially higher for the same speed increment.

Ignoring the ticket makes things much worse. Under Article 45.014 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a justice or municipal court judge may issue a warrant for your arrest once a sworn complaint has been filed.⁶ A minor traffic ticket can turn into an arrest at the next traffic stop. Respond before the court date, even if you plan to contest.

Speeding alone does not automatically become reckless driving. Section 545.401 defines reckless driving as operating a vehicle with “willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property,” a broader standard than simply exceeding the limit. It is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $200, up to 30 days in county jail, or both. Extreme speed paired with other dangerous behavior can push a case into that territory.

What a Conviction Means for Your Record and Insurance

Texas repealed its Driver Responsibility Program on September 1, 2019. The state no longer assesses annual surcharges based on points from moving violations, all previously assessed surcharges were waived, and DPS stopped tracking points for that purpose.⁷ Drivers whose licenses had been suspended under the old program had those suspensions lifted.

The repeal did not make convictions consequence-free. A speeding conviction stays on your Texas driving record for three years, and insurance companies typically look back three to five years when setting premiums. Most insurers apply a rate increase for the full window the conviction is visible. Many drivers see rates return to normal after three clean years, though the timeline varies by insurer and by how far over the limit you were.

Options for Keeping a Ticket Off Your Record

Two paths let you avoid a final conviction: the driving safety course and deferred disposition. Both require action before your appearance date, and neither is available for every situation.

Driving Safety Course

Under Article 45.0511 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, you can ask the court to defer your case while you complete an approved driving safety course. The request must come on or before the appearance date on your citation. You plead guilty or no contest, provide proof of insurance, and pay court costs and an administrative fee upfront. The court then gives you 90 days to complete the course and submit a certificate along with a copy of your driving record from DPS.

You are not eligible if:

You were speeding 25 mph or more over the posted limit
You were going 95 mph or more regardless of the posted limit
You hold a commercial driver’s license
The offense occurred in a construction zone with workers present
You completed a driving safety course to dismiss a ticket within the previous 12 months

When you finish the course and submit everything on time, the court dismisses the charge without a final conviction. That keeps the violation off your record for insurance purposes, which is the main reason to pursue this option when you qualify.

Deferred Disposition

Deferred disposition is a form of probation. The judge holds off on entering a conviction for a set period, typically 90 to 180 days. Meet all conditions and commit no new violations, and the charge is dismissed without a final conviction. You plead guilty or no contest and pay the deferred fees, often equivalent to the standard fine with court costs, at the start. Drivers under 25 are usually required to complete a driving safety course as a condition of the probation. The same disqualifications that block the safety course option apply here: speeding 25 mph or more over the limit, construction zone violations with workers present, and CDL holders.

Commercial and Out-of-State Drivers

CDL Holders

CDL holders face steeper consequences even when driving a personal vehicle. Speeding 15 mph or more over the posted limit qualifies as a “serious traffic violation” under federal and Texas CDL rules.⁸ Two serious traffic violations within three years triggers a 60-day CDL disqualification, and three within three years extends it to 120 days.⁹ For drivers whose livelihood rides on their CDL, a single ticket that would be routine for other drivers can start a countdown toward losing the ability to work. CDL holders also cannot use the driving safety course or deferred disposition to dismiss a ticket.

Drivers Licensed in Another State

Texas joined the Driver License Compact in 1993 and reports out-of-state speeding convictions to the driver’s home state. The home state treats the violation as if it happened there and applies its own point system and penalties.¹⁰ Ignoring the ticket is not an option; the conviction will follow you home and can hit your insurance rates, points balance, and license status under your own state’s rules.

Damaging or Removing Speed Limit Signs

Altering, damaging, knocking down, or removing a speed limit sign or any other traffic-control device without lawful authority is illegal under Section 544.005 of the Transportation Code.¹¹ The prohibition covers damaging the sign face, bending it to face the wrong direction, covering it, or tampering with its mounting.

Prosecutors can charge the offense under different statutes depending on the damage. Spray-painting or marking a sign falls under the graffiti statute, Penal Code Section 28.08, with penalties that scale by damage amount:

Less than $100 in damage: Class C misdemeanor, fine up to $500
$100 to $749: Class B misdemeanor, up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine
$750 to $2,499: Class A misdemeanor, up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine
$2,500 to $29,999: state jail felony, 180 days to two years in state jail and a fine up to $10,000

Physical destruction or removal falls under the criminal mischief statute, Penal Code Section 28.03, with a similar escalating structure based on the value of the damage.¹² Beyond criminal charges, anyone whose sign tampering contributes to a crash can face civil liability for resulting injuries and property damage.

1
State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 545 – Operation and Movement of Vehicles
2
State of Texas. Texas Code Transportation – Section 545.355 Authority of County Commissioners Court to Alter Speed Limits
3
State of Texas. Texas Code Transportation – Section 545.357
4
State of Texas. Texas Code Transportation – Section 472.022
5
State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 542 – General Provisions
6
eLaws. Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Art 45.014 – Warrant of Arrest
7
Department of Public Safety. Driver Responsibility Program Surcharge Repeal FAQs
8
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. If a CDL Holder Was Convicted of One Excessive Speeding 15 Or More Miles Over the Speed Limit
9
Department of Public Safety. Commercial Driver License CDL Disqualifications
10
National Center for Interstate Compacts. Driver License Compact
11
State of Texas. Texas Code Transportation – Section 544.005 Interference With Traffic-Control Device or Railroad Sign or Signal
12
State of Texas. Texas Penal Code Chapter 28 – Section 28.08 Graffiti