Were you recently given a speeding ticket in Los Angeles, California? These are common, but they are costly to ignore. A Los Angeles speeding ticket lawyer at Fight My Ticket can challenge your citation and protect you from additional license points and other penalties.
At our firm, we fight traffic tickets. That’s all we do, and we have helped countless clients get their tickets dismissed or reduced. Let us help you get the right result in your case. Contact us at (323) 435-6045 today to schedule a case review.
Why Hire Fight My Ticket to Challenge My Speeding Ticket?
Speeding cases often come down to an officer’s estimate or a radar reading, and both can be challenged with the right approach. We know where these cases are vulnerable and how to use that to your advantage.
Clients choose our firm in Los Angeles, CA, because:
- We have been fighting speeding tickets for more than 30 years.
- Our practice is dedicated to fighting traffic tickets.
- We can appear in court for you on most infractions.
- We understand the technical defenses unique to speeding cases, including California’s speed trap laws.
- We offer free consultations and affordable representation
A speeding ticket is not a lost cause. Call us today and let our Los Angeles speeding ticket attorneys fight it for you.
What Is a Speeding Violation in California?
California enforces speed limits through several different laws:
- The Basic Speed Law (Vehicle Code Section 22350) states that you may never drive faster than is safe for current conditions, even if you were under the posted limit. Because “safe” is a judgment call, these tickets can often be contested.
- The Maximum Speed Law (Vehicle Code Section 22349) sets the hard ceiling of 65 mph on most highways, 70 mph where posted, and 55 mph on two-lane undivided roads.
- Prima facie limits (Vehicle Code Section 22352) are presumed limits in places like business and residential districts, where the limit is 25 mph unless otherwise posted, and in school zones.
Most speeding tickets are infractions. However, driving faster than 100 mph carries enhanced penalties. Likewise, reckless or racing-related speeding can be charged as a misdemeanor.
How an officer measured your speed also matters. In California, police commonly use radar, laser (lidar), pacing from a patrol car, and occasionally aircraft to establish speed. Each method has its own rules and vulnerabilities.
Radar and lidar require regular calibration and proper training, whereas pacing depends on the officer maintaining an exact distance for a set stretch of road. When the method is flawed or based on an officer’s subjective judgment, the reading may have errors. That is why the details of the stop are so important.
What Are the Penalties for a Speeding Ticket?
The cost of a speeding ticket rises with how fast you were going. Fines and license points are the most common penalties.
Fines
Fines. The base fine is only part of the total. California adds penalty assessments and surcharges that often double or triple the amount of the fine.
As a general guide:
- 1 to 15 mph over the limit results in the lowest fines
- 16 to 25 mph over the speed limit brings a higher fine
- 26 mph or more over carries a steep fine that can exceed $490
- More than 100 mph can bring a fine of up to $500 for a first offense, and higher penalties for repeat violations
Points
Most speeding violations add one point to your driving record. Driving over 100 mph adds two points. These points typically remain on your record for about three years.
Insurance
Once a point hits your record, insurers can raise your auto insurance rates, often for three years or more. This increase usually costs more than the ticket itself, which is why fighting a speeding ticket can pay off long after the case ends.
For many eligible speeding infractions, California also lets you attend traffic school to keep the point off your public record and avoid an insurance increase. This option is generally available only once every 18 months. An attorney can help you decide whether to fight the ticket, use traffic school, or pursue both.
Speeding in a School Zone or Construction Zone
California treats speeding in a school zone or construction zone more seriously than an ordinary speeding ticket. School zones typically carry a reduced speed limit of 25 mph or 15 mph when children are present or when lights are flashing.
Construction and work zones also feature lower limits to protect workers on the road. Fines in these areas are often doubled. A violation can still add a point to your record.
What Is Considered Excessive Speeding in California?
Driving faster than 100 mph is in a category of its own. Under Vehicle Code Section 22348(b), exceeding 100 mph is not treated like a routine speeding ticket, even though it is still an infraction.
A first offense can bring a fine of up to $500, two points on your driving record, and a license suspension of up to 30 days. Repeat violations carry higher fines and longer suspensions.
If you are facing an excessive speeding charge, an experienced attorney can challenge the speed measurement and work to protect your license.
Can Speeding Result in My License Being Suspended?
Yes. Speeding tickets can lead to a suspended license in two different ways.
The first is through the accumulation of points. Under California’s negligent operator rules, the DMV can suspend your license if you collect too many points in a set period, such as:
- 4 points in 12 months
- 6 points in 24 months
- 8 points in 36 months
Most speeding tickets add a point, and faster violations add two. Therefore, they can move you toward these thresholds quickly.
The second way is through excessive speed. A conviction for driving more than 100 mph carries a possible license suspension of up to 30 days for a first offense. Repeat offenses bring longer suspensions.
How Can I Challenge My Speeding Offense?
A speeding ticket can be challenged. These cases rely on evidence, and California law provides several avenues to fight back.
Common defenses include:
- The speed trap defense. Under California law, if an officer used radar or another electronic device to clock your speed in a location that lacks a valid, current engineering and traffic survey, that evidence may qualify as an illegal “speed trap” and be inadmissible in court. This is one of the most powerful defenses available in speeding cases.
- Radar or lidar error. These devices must be properly calibrated and maintained; operator mistakes or interference can produce inaccurate readings.
- Pacing errors. When an officer estimates your speed by following you, their own speedometer and technique can be challenged.
- Safe for conditions. For a Basic Speed Law ticket, you may be able to show that your speed was reasonable and safe given the traffic, weather, and road at the time.
- Mistaken identity. On a busy road, an officer may have clocked another vehicle and stopped the wrong one.
- Emergency or necessity. You may have briefly increased your speed to avoid an immediate hazard.
The right defense depends on the details of your stop and the type of speed law you were cited under. An attorney can identify which arguments give you the best chance of success.
How an Attorney Can Defend Your Speeding Ticket Case
Fighting a speeding ticket alone can be intimidating, and many drivers give up and simply pay. An experienced attorney changes that.
Your lawyer can:
- Review your citation and the details of the stop for weaknesses
- Determine whether the location qualifies as an illegal speed trap
- Challenge the accuracy and calibration of the radar or lidar equipment
- Appear in court on your behalf for most infractions
- Prepare and file a trial by written declaration when appropriate
- Cross-examine the citing officer at trial
- Negotiate to reduce the charge or keep points off your record
- Advise you on whether traffic school is a smart option in your case
Even keeping a single point off your record can save you far more than the cost of representation once the insurance impact is factored in. The goal is always to protect your record, your finances, and your license.
Contact a Los Angeles Speeding Ticket Lawyer for Assistance
You do not have to accept a speeding ticket and everything that comes with it. At Fight My Ticket, we have spent more than two decades helping Southern California drivers challenge unfair and expensive speeding tickets.
Contact our Los Angeles speeding ticket lawyers today at (323) 435-6045 for a free consultation, and let us put our experience to work for you.
Fight My Ticket – Traffic Ticket Attorneys
8149 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 435-6045
