A California VC 22406 fine typically totals somewhere between $285 and $490, depending on how far over the 55 mph limit you were driving and which county issued the citation. The base fine looks small on paper, but state penalty assessments, a surcharge, and several flat fees stack on top and multiply it several times over. A conviction also adds one point to your driving record for three years, and if you hold a commercial driver’s license the fallout can reach well beyond the money.
How the Total Bail Is Calculated
California’s Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule sets the base fine at $50 for driving 1 to 9 mph over the 55 mph cap and $100 for driving 10 mph or more over.1California Courts. Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules Every $10 of that base fine draws a $27 penalty assessment funded by several state accounts. A 20 percent state surcharge applies to the base fine. Then flat fees are added: a $40 court security fee, a $35 conviction assessment, a $10 DMV administrative assessment, and a $4 emergency medical transport fee.
Once everything is layered on, a $50 base fine climbs to roughly $285 in total bail, and a $100 base fine reaches about $490.2Superior Court of California, County of Amador. Penalty Assessment Your exact number will vary. Some counties layer on local penalty rates or courthouse processing fees, and the enhanced schedule under Vehicle Code Section 42009 can push the base fine higher for certain violations. Confirm the figure with the traffic court listed on your citation before you pay.
The Point on Your Driving Record
A VC 22406 conviction puts one point on your DMV record, and it stays there for three years from the violation date.3California Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Code Violations Used in Negligent Operator Counts One point alone won’t cost you your license, but the DMV presumes you are a negligent operator once your record hits four points in 12 months, six points in 24 months, or eight points in 36 months. That finding triggers a one-year probation that includes a six-month license suspension.4California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 12810.5
Insurance is the other cost. Because the conviction reaches your public driving record, your carrier will typically see it at renewal and price accordingly.
Extra Consequences for CDL Holders
Commercial drivers face a harsher version of nearly every piece of this. For a Class A or Class B license holder, every point earned while operating a vehicle that requires that license class counts as 1.5 points in the DMV’s negligent operator calculation. To offset the multiplier, Class A and B drivers who request a hearing get higher thresholds: six points in 12 months, eight in 24 months, or ten in 36 months.4California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 12810.5
Federal law treats excessive speeding by a commercial motor vehicle operator as a “serious traffic violation.”5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 49 USC 31301 – Definitions A second serious traffic violation within three years brings at least a 60-day CDL disqualification. A third within three years raises that to at least 120 days.6GovInfo. 49 USC 31310 During a disqualification you cannot legally operate any commercial vehicle.
Traffic school is limited too. If you were driving a personal vehicle when cited, courts generally let CDL holders attend, but federal regulations prevent the conviction from being fully hidden on a CDL record. If the citation was issued while you were actually driving a commercial vehicle, traffic school is off the table.
When VC 22406 Speeding Becomes a Misdemeanor
Most VC 22406 violations are infractions. The line moves at 15 mph over the limit. Under Vehicle Code Section 22406.1, a driver operating a commercial motor vehicle at 15 mph or more over any posted speed limit commits a misdemeanor, which carries potential jail time, a criminal record, and higher fines.7California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 22406.1 A CDL holder driving a personal, non-commercial vehicle at 15 mph or more over stays in infraction territory, but the offense is still tagged a serious traffic violation for federal CDL purposes.
How to Respond to the Ticket
Your citation shows a due date, and the court should also mail a courtesy notice listing the exact bail amount and your options.8California Courts. Traffic Tickets You generally have four ways to handle it.
Pay the Full Bail
Simplest and worst for your record. Payment is treated as a conviction: the point posts, and your insurer will see it at renewal.
Request Traffic School
If eligible, you pay the bail plus an administrative fee and complete the course. The point stays off your public record for insurance and negligent operator purposes.9California Courts. Traffic Court Trial Eligibility usually requires a valid non-commercial license, a non-commercial vehicle at the time of the stop, and no traffic school on another citation within the past 18 months. The court decides.
Contest It in Court
You can request a court trial and challenge the officer’s evidence, the speed measurement, or whether the vehicle you were driving falls within VC 22406 at all. Win, and there is no fine and no point.
Trial by Written Declaration
You can fight the ticket entirely on paper. Fill out form TR-205, submit your evidence and explanation, and post the full bail. A judge decides based on your statement and the officer’s written account. Win, and the court refunds your bail.10California Courts. Trial by Written Declaration This route is useful when taking time off for court isn’t realistic.
What Happens If You Ignore It
Missing your due date is not passive. Under Vehicle Code Section 40508, willfully violating your written promise to appear is a separate misdemeanor, no matter how minor the original infraction.11California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 40508 The court can add a civil assessment of up to $300, place a hold on your driver’s license, or issue a bench warrant. For commercial drivers, a failure to appear also lands on employer background checks. Ignoring the ticket costs more, not less.
Which Vehicles the 55 MPH Cap Covers
VC 22406 applies to a specific set of vehicles, not to all traffic. The 55 mph maximum covers trucks and truck tractors with three or more axles, any truck tractor pulling another vehicle, passenger vehicles or buses towing a trailer, school buses carrying students, farm labor vehicles carrying passengers, vehicles transporting explosives, and trailer buses as defined in Vehicle Code Section 636.12California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 22406 – Other Speed Laws If you weren’t driving one of these, VC 22406 is the wrong charge, and that is worth raising if you contest the ticket.