California Speeding Ticket Cost, Points & Options (2026 Guide)

Your citation is not the bill. The base fine is only the starting component before penalty assessments and fees are added, and the total you owe comes from your court's bail schedule, not from a statewide price list.

What a speeding ticket actually costs

Every county court publishes its own bail schedule, and amounts differ from court to court. Here is what one court lists for an ordinary ticket under Vehicle Code 22349(a), the 65 mph maximum speed law. These examples exclude 22348(b) tickets for over 100 mph.

Yolo County 2026 examples (source: Yolo Superior Court bail schedule):

The base fine is small, and the scheduled total is several times larger once assessments and fees are folded in. These totals include the assessments and fees listed in that schedule, but the amount in your actual case and its circumstances control. Traffic school, postage, and any service you choose to use are separate.

Other courts may list different amounts. Your courtesy notice or the court's case lookup controls what you actually owe. For how these numbers are built, see the full cost breakdown, or run your own ticket through the speeding ticket cost calculator.

What it does to your record and insurance

A citation is not a conviction. The point values discussed here apply to convictions, not to merely receiving a citation. A case ends in a conviction when you pay, plead guilty, or are found guilty at trial.

An ordinary speeding conviction generally counts as one point under Vehicle Code 12810. A conviction for driving over 100 mph counts as two.

Insurance is harder to predict. Whether and how much your rate changes depends on your insurer, your record, and your policy. No one can promise you a specific savings or zero impact. The insurance increase calculator can give you a rough range for planning.

Over 100 mph and other higher-risk cases

Driving over 100 mph is cited under Vehicle Code 22348(b). It is an infraction, not an automatic felony, but a conviction carries two points and the court may suspend your driving privilege for up to 30 days on a first offense.

Speed alone does not tell you whether you also face reckless driving, injury-related, or DUI charges.

If your citation is over 100 mph, you hold a commercial license, your license is already at risk, anyone was injured, or a criminal charge is involved, follow your court notice closely and get individual help from a qualified professional.

Which speeding law you were cited under

Check the exact code section on your citation. Two common ones are the basic speed law and the maximum speed law.

Vehicle Code 22350, the basic speed law, makes it a violation to drive faster than is reasonable for the weather, traffic, visibility, road width, and surface, or to endanger people or property.

Vehicle Code 22349 sets the maximums. Subdivision (a) sets 65 mph, except where a higher limit is lawfully established under Vehicle Code 22356. Subdivision (b) sets 55 mph on two-lane undivided highways unless a higher limit is posted.

Good conditions do not raise the posted maximum. The section on your ticket shapes what has to be proved, so check it before you decide anything. The speeding-specific written declaration guide walks through what each section means for your statement.

Your four options, compared

Pay the fine. Paying ends the case and counts as a conviction. For ordinary speeding, that generally means one point.

Pay and request traffic school. If the court says you are eligible, you pay the fine plus an administrative fee and the school's own fee, then finish the course by the deadline. The conviction is not dismissed, but for qualifying drivers it is kept confidential from insurers. Courts are not required to offer it after you lose a trial. The court self-help traffic school page explains eligibility and steps.

Contest in court. You appear, and a judge hears the evidence and testimony, then decides. Follow your court's instructions on scheduling and what to bring.

Contest by written declaration. For eligible infractions, you submit your side in writing on form TR-205 by the deadline, along with your bail deposit. The judge reads the written record and rules by mail. If you are found not guilty or the case is dismissed, the deposit is refunded. If you are found guilty, it is applied to the fine. The court self-help written declaration page sets out the rules.

Contesting in writing

Trial by written declaration lets eligible drivers present their side in writing and get a decision from a judge without arguing in person.

It is not a loophole. If the officer does not file a response, the case is not automatically dismissed. The judge rules on whatever is in front of them, which is why your statement matters.

If you are seriously weighing this route, read the speeding-specific guide to trial by written declaration before you file. It covers eligibility, deadlines, what belongs in your statement, and what happens after the ruling. For the process that applies to any eligible infraction, see the general TR-205 guide.

How ClerkHero fits in, and when it does not

You can do all of this yourself. The court's official forms are free, and the self-help pages linked above explain the steps. Free does not mean no cost, since bail and postage apply either way.

ClerkHero is for drivers who want the writing done and the steps laid out. For a one-time $49.99, we prepare your TR-205 form, a written statement based on the details you give us, and filing instructions. You review everything, then print, sign, and mail it yourself. We do not mail or file anything for you, and we do not judge whether your ticket is likely to win. ClerkHero is not a law firm, does not give legal advice, and does not guarantee any outcome. Court bail and postage are separate. See pricing and the refund policy before you decide.