Your Guide to Speeding Tickets in Texas
Texas has their own laws pertaining to speeding tickets just like every other state. If you live in this particular state, you should really be familiar with these laws. We will go over everything you need to know when it comes to speeding tickets. This way you will be adequately prepared should you ever get pulled over and receive such a citation.
Table of Contents
Everything To Know About Speeding Tickets in Texas
Point System
In Texas, speeding tickets come with either two or three points on your license. The faster you are going over the speed limit, the more points you will get (https://www.texashealthandlife.com/speeding-laws/). If you are cited for speeding, you will get two points. Any moving violation that involves an accident is automatically three points.
You will be required to begin paying surcharges if you accumulate six or more points on your license within a period of three years. The more points you have on your record, the steeper these fees will be.
If you receive four moving violations within a period of 12 months, or seven violations in 24 months, your license will instantly be suspended.
Want to see how Texas fares compared to other states? You don’t need to go any further to calculate the average speeding tickets in the US.
How to Get a Speeding Ticket Dismissed in Texas
While there is never any guarantee that you will get your speeding ticket dismissed, you can always try. In fact, it is a good idea to go to court when you receive a traffic ticket instead of just admitting guilt from the start.
The first thing you will have to do after getting a speeding ticket in Texas is to choose the “not guilty” option on your traffic ticket. It basically means that you are not admitting guilt and want to go to court. A date will be set for your court appearance, which you must show up to on time. It is a good idea to arrive early just to be safe.
Make sure that you mail in your not guilty plea within the amount of time you have been given. You can reference your traffic ticket to see how much time you have from when it was issued to make a decision. If you fail to take action within this period of time, a bench warrant could be issued for your arrest.
If you want to get your speeding ticket dismissed, you need to provide solid evidence of some kind. It’s always good if you have eyewitnesses who can back up your side of the story. Keep in mind that you will be going against the word of a police officer.
Some people choose to hire a lawyer to help them get their speeding tickets dismissed. This can be an effective way to do so, but it’s also quite expensive. You have to decide for yourself whether it is ultimately worth the cost.
The judge will be the one to decide if your speeding ticket is dismissed. You ultimately have to convince this person that your citation is not valid for one reason or another. Take the time to prepare a solid argument before going to court.
Getting Your Ticket Reduced
If you aren’t able to get your ticket dismissed altogether, there is a chance that you can get it reduced. You might be able to do this by meeting with the prosecutor to negotiate. If this is your first speeding ticket, you can probably get it taken down. The prosecutor might be willing to switch it to “impeding traffic” or something very minor.
One of the great things about getting your ticket reduced is that you might not have any points on your license, and you could end up paying less. If you don’t believe that you can really get your ticket dismissed, this is the next best thing to try. We listed down helpful tips for you on this page.
Paying for Your Speeding Ticket
If you decide to pay speedingtickets in Texas instead of going to court, you will be able to do so online or in person. There is a chance that you might encounter credit card processing fees if paying online. This is a very simple and quick process that can be incredibly convenient. Paying online is probably the best option if you don’t live near the city where you were issued the ticket.
Defensive Driving Course
You can potentially avoid having points go on your driving record by taking a defensive driving course. The course is required to be a minimum of six hours long and approved by the Texas TDLR.
You will be able to take an online course from home to fulfill your obligation. Keep in mind that you must plead guilty and admit responsibility for your citation to do this. After you have admitted guilt, you’ll have to request permission from the court to take the course. This can be done either by mail or in person at the courthouse.
Once you receive approval for the defensive driving course, you will have 90 days to complete it. You must pass the course before the points are taken off your record. Make sure that you take the certification of completion to the courthouse.
There are some people who will not be able to take the defensive driving course. You are not eligible for this course if you were ticketed for 25 mph or more over the speed limit, committed an infraction in a construction zone, or you’ve taken the course in the last 12 months.
Review Your Driving Record
Before you make a decision about what to do regarding your speeding ticket, it’s a good idea to look at your driving record. There is an online service through the Texas Department of Public Safety website that lets you do this. It is a print-only service, and you may not request your record through the mail.
While you will be required to pay a small fee for your driving record, it can definitely be worth it. If you haven’t received any tickets in the last several years, you should try to negotiate with the prosecutor to get your ticket reduced. There is a good chance of this happening if you have a fairly clean overall driving record. For other states, check the info guides we have for speeding in New York and speeding in Virginia.
We hope this guide helped you understand how to deal with getting speeding tickets in Texas.
Drive safely!
William Johnson is the owner and founder of RatedRadarDetector.org. He writes about car accessories, with his passion stemming from a deep enthusiasm for all things automotive. His website, RRD, focuses on in-depth reviews of car accessories to help people find the best and latest products in the market.
