A speeding ticket fine under California Vehicle Code section 22349(a) runs from about $238 to $490 or more, depending on how far above 65 mph you were clocked. The conviction also adds one point to your DMV record for 36 months, and that point usually costs you more in insurance premiums than the ticket itself.
What You’ll Pay by Speed
The Judicial Council’s Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule sets the base fine according to how many miles per hour you were over the limit. After California’s statewide penalty assessments and surcharges are added, the approximate totals are:
- 1 to 15 mph over: about $238
- 16 to 25 mph over: about $367
- 26 or more mph over: about $490 or more
Counties tack on small local surcharges, so treat these as close estimates. The courtesy notice from the court, or the court’s online payment portal, will show the exact figure for your citation.
Why the Fine Is So Much Higher Than the Base
The base fine for a first speeding infraction under VC 22349 tops out at $100.1California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code VEH 42001 – Infraction Penalties California then layers on roughly a dozen separate state and county assessments, including a state penalty assessment, county jail and courthouse construction funds, a DNA identification fund, an emergency medical services fee, a 20% criminal surcharge, a $40 court security fee, and a $35 criminal conviction assessment.2Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento. How Fines Are Calculated Most are calculated per $10 of base fine and add up to roughly $27 for every $10. That’s how a $35 base fine becomes over $230, and a $100 base fine approaches $500.
The Point on Your Record and What It Does to Insurance
A VC 22349 conviction adds one negligent-operator point to your DMV record, and that point stays for 36 months from the date of the violation.3California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code VEH 12810 – Violation Point Count A single point is enough to disqualify you from the state’s “good driver” insurance discount.
Insurers pull your record at renewal, and one speeding conviction typically triggers a noticeable rate hike. Industry data suggests California drivers see increases averaging around 40% or more. Spread over the three years the point remains visible, the added premium can run from several hundred to several thousand dollars. For most drivers, the insurance hit is the larger number.
When the Fine Goes Up
Construction and Maintenance Zones
If you’re cited for speeding in an active highway work zone where workers are present and traffic control signs are posted, the fine bumps up one penalty category.4California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code VEH 42009 – Increased Penalties in Highway Construction Zones A 10-mph-over violation gets calculated at the 16-to-25 tier, and so on. The enhancement requires that work actually be underway and warning devices be in place.
100 MPH or More
At 100 mph or higher, the charge shifts out of VC 22349 and into VC 22348(b), which carries a two-point hit instead of one and much larger fines.5California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code VEH 22348 – Speed Laws A first offense carries a base fine of up to $500 and possible license suspension of up to 30 days. A second offense within three years runs up to $750 with mandatory suspension, and a third within five years reaches $1,000 with mandatory suspension. Penalty assessments still apply on top, so the out-of-pocket totals are substantially higher.
The Rule Itself
Section 22349(a) prohibits driving faster than 65 mph on a California highway.6California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code VEH 22349 – Maximum Speed Limit The one exception is a stretch of highway where Caltrans and the CHP have jointly approved a posted 70 mph limit based on an engineering and traffic survey; those segments fall under VC 22356, not 22349(a).7California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code VEH 22356 – Increased Speed Limit If a 70 mph sign is up, that’s the limit you’re being measured against.
This is an absolute speed law. One mile per hour over is a violation. Unlike the Basic Speed Law under VC 22350, which lets you argue that your speed was safe for the conditions, VC 22349(a) leaves only one question on the table: were you above 65?8California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code VEH 22350 – Basic Speed Law The offense is an infraction, not a misdemeanor.
Your Three Options After You Get the Ticket
Pay It
Paying means pleading guilty. You submit the total fine by the due date on the courtesy notice, usually online, by mail, or in person at the clerk’s office. The conviction posts, the point lands on your record, and you’re done. You also lose any chance at traffic school or a trial.
Traffic School
Traffic school keeps the point off the public version of your driving record, which is what insurers see. You still pay the full fine, plus a court administrative fee (often around $50, varying by county), plus the course itself.
You’re eligible only if you have a valid, non-commercial driver’s license and haven’t attended traffic school for another violation in the past 18 months.9Judicial Branch of California. Traffic School10Judicial Branch of California. California Rules of Court Rule 4.104 The court clerk approves the request, then sets a deadline to complete the course and file your certificate. Miss that deadline and the conviction goes on your record anyway. Given what an unmasked point does to premiums over three years, the administrative fee is almost always the better deal.
Contest the Ticket
You have two ways to fight it: an in-court trial, or a trial by written declaration where you make your case on paper.11Judicial Branch of California. Trial by Written Declaration For a written declaration, you submit a court form with your defense and post the full fine as bail before the due date. The officer files a written statement, and a judge rules on the papers.
Common arguments include challenging the radar or lidar calibration and operation, questioning whether the speed limit was properly posted, or showing that the officer identified the wrong vehicle. If you lose a written declaration, you can still request a new in-person trial (a trial de novo) within 20 calendar days.12Judicial Branch of California. California Rules of Court Rule 4.210 Win at any stage and your bail comes back, with no point on your record.
What Happens If You Ignore It
Missing the response deadline is the most expensive move available. Under VC 40508, failure to appear or failure to pay is itself a misdemeanor, separate from the underlying speeding charge.13California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code VEH 40508 – Failure to Appear A simple infraction can turn into a criminal charge on your record.
The court can also impose a civil assessment of up to $100, place a hold on your driver’s license through the DMV, refer the balance to collections, issue a bench warrant, and block your vehicle registration renewal.14Judicial Branch of California. Canceling Civil Assessments in Traffic Cases If you can’t afford the fine, you can request an ability-to-pay determination at any time, including after the case has gone to collections.
Commercial Drivers
Traffic school is not available if you hold a commercial driver’s license. Federal regulations bar states from masking or diverting traffic convictions for CDL holders.15eCFR. 49 CFR 384.226 – Prohibition on Masking Convictions The conviction will show, your employer will see it, and contesting the ticket carries more weight than it would for a regular driver.
Out-of-State Drivers
California has been part of the Driver License Compact since 1963, so a conviction here gets reported to your home state’s licensing agency.16AAMVA. Driver License Compact and Non-Resident Violator Compact Whether that state adds its own points or raises your rates depends on its laws. Some treat the ticket like a local violation; others just log it. Either way, the California fine is owed, and ignoring it triggers the same failure-to-appear consequences described above, including a hold that can block your home-state license renewal. If returning for court is impractical, the trial by written declaration is often the most useful path.