A speeding ticket issued under Indiana Code 9-21-5-2(a), marked “IFC” on the citation, typically costs between $140 and $200 in total. The code is the state’s maximum speed limit statute, and “IFC” means infraction, a civil violation rather than a criminal charge. The exact amount depends on how far over the limit you were driving and which county issued the ticket, and higher speeds, work zones, or school zones push the number up quickly. Beyond the ticket itself, a conviction adds points to your driving record and usually raises your insurance for at least two years.
Why the Bill Is Mostly Court Costs
The dollar amount on your ticket is not really a fine for speeding. Most of it is a fixed stack of state court fees that applies to every infraction case, no matter how minor. Those fees — filing, record-keeping, judicial salaries, document storage, public defense administration, and several smaller charges — add up to roughly $139 before any penalty for the speeding itself.1Indiana State Government. Indiana Trial Court Fee Manual
The actual speeding penalty is often just a few dollars. That is why the cheapest possible ticket still runs about $140. The maximum fine a court can impose for a Class C infraction, which is what 9-21-5-2(a) is, is $500, but a routine speeding ticket lands well below that ceiling.2Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 34 Civil Law and Procedure 34-28-5-4
Fine Tiers by How Fast You Were Going
Counties set their own fine amounts within tiers based on miles per hour over the posted limit. The pattern is consistent across the state even though the exact dollars vary.
In Jasper County, 1 to 15 miles per hour over the limit costs $144 total, with just $4.50 going to the fine and the rest to court costs.3Jasper County, IN. Traffic Tickets Harrison County charges $142 for 1 to 15 over, $167 for 16 to 25 over, and $192 for 26 or more over.4Indiana State Government. Harrison County Clerk – Traffic Violation Filing Fees Daviess County comes in at $136.50 for speeds up to 24 over and $160.50 for 30 or more over.5Daviess County, IN. Traffic Infractions
A fair rule of thumb for a standard road:
- 1 to 15 mph over: about $140 to $170
- 16 to 25 mph over: about $150 to $200
- More than 25 mph over: approaching $200 or more
Work Zones and School Zones Change Everything
If your ticket was written in a highway work zone or an active school zone, the numbers above do not apply. The violation is reclassified and the fines are much higher.
Under Indiana Code 9-21-5-11, speeding in an active work zone carries a mandatory minimum fine of $300 for a first offense, at least $500 for a second offense within three years, and a flat $1,000 for a third or subsequent offense within three years.6Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 9 Motor Vehicles 9-21-5-11 Those minimums come on top of court costs, so a first offense realistically runs $440 or more. The Indiana Department of Transportation adds that reckless or aggressive driving in a work zone can bring fines up to $5,000, and injuring or killing a worker can mean a $10,000 fine and up to six years in prison.7Indiana Department of Transportation. Work Zone Safety
Speeding in a school zone when the reduced limit is in effect is a Class B infraction rather than a Class C, which raises the maximum possible fine to $1,000.8Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 9 Motor Vehicles 9-21-5-6 Expect several hundred dollars more than you would pay for the same speed on an ordinary road.
Points Added to Your License
Paying the ticket is an admission, and the conviction puts points on your Bureau of Motor Vehicles record. The scale is tied to how far over you were:9Indiana BMV. Driver Record Points
- 1 to 15 mph over: 2 points
- 16 to 25 mph over: 4 points
- More than 25 mph over: 6 points
Points stay active for two years from the conviction date. Hit 20 active points and the BMV suspends your license, starting at one month and climbing to a full year at 42 points.9Indiana BMV. Driver Record Points
If you are getting close to the threshold, completing a BMV-approved Driver Safety Program earns a four-point credit. The citation itself stays on your record, but the credit can keep you under the suspension line.10Indiana BMV. Driver Safety Program Courses generally cost $20 to $60.
Insurance Will Cost You More Than the Ticket Did
Insurers pull driving records, and a speeding conviction almost always triggers a premium hike at your next renewal. In Indiana that increase averages roughly $350 to $400 per year and lasts a minimum of two years. Some carriers look back three to five years. Drivers with an otherwise clean record see smaller increases than those with prior violations, and the margin over the limit matters too.
Over the two years the conviction is active, the insurance cost usually dwarfs the ticket itself. Completing the Driver Safety Program may help with some insurers, but not all offer a discount for it.
How to Pay or Contest the Ticket
You have 60 days from the date you receive the citation to either pay or contest it.11Indy.gov. Traffic Tickets
To pay, the easiest route is online at publicaccess.courts.in.gov/pay using the citation or case number from your ticket.11Indy.gov. Traffic Tickets Mail payments usually require a money order or cashier’s check payable to the county clerk; personal checks are generally not accepted.3Jasper County, IN. Traffic Tickets You can also pay in person at the courthouse, and some clerks take credit cards at the counter with a service fee. Paying ends the case but admits the violation, so the points and insurance consequences follow.
To contest, write “Deny” or “Denial” on the ticket and mail it back to the court on the citation within the same 60-day window.11Indy.gov. Traffic Tickets The court will set a hearing. Because this is a civil infraction, the burden of proof is lower than in a criminal case, but you can still challenge the speed measurement, the signage, or other evidence. Lose at the hearing and you owe the full fine plus court costs.
All payments go to the county that issued the ticket. The Indiana State Police does not take payments and refers everyone to the issuing county’s court.12Indiana State Police. Traffic Tickets If you lost the ticket, call the clerk of courts in the county where you were stopped.
What Happens If You Ignore It
Doing nothing is the most expensive option. Failing to appear or failing to pay after a judgment can result in a driver’s license suspension.13Indiana BMV. Common Traffic Violations Getting back on the road then requires the court to notify the BMV that you have appeared or paid, often an SR-22 proof of financial responsibility from your insurer, and a reinstatement fee on top of the original ticket. Some courts add late fees or send balances to collections. A $144 ticket can balloon into several hundred dollars once suspension and reinstatement are added.
If You Live Out of State
An Indiana speeding ticket will follow you home. Indiana belongs to the Driver License Compact, under which 46 states and the District of Columbia share traffic conviction data with the driver’s home state.14The Council of State Governments. Driver License Compact Your home state’s BMV or DMV will then apply its own point system. Only Georgia, Michigan, Tennessee, and Wisconsin are outside the compact, and other data-sharing arrangements can still catch the conviction.
Out-of-state drivers get the same 60-day deadline and the same payment options as Indiana residents. Ignoring the ticket is a bad bet, because Indiana can report the failure home and your own state can suspend your license over it.