When you receive a speeding ticket in Texas, the actual fine amount is determined by the municipality that issued your ticket. Either the citation will list the fine, or you may have to contact the respective court to determine how much you will have to pay. Either way, you're looking at some serious fines, points added to your license, and a real possibility of an increase in your car insurance payment moving forward.

If you're facing a speeding ticket in Texas you should know that you have options. From contesting the ticket to a defensive driving course, the choices you make will determine how much you'll have to end up paying, and what kind of additional penalties you may have to deal with. The first step in determining the best course of action is to know just how much your ticket will cost you.

Every municipality uses a scale to base their fine on, which considers the number of MPH over the posted speed limit you were traveling. Even so, these scales can vary based on the locality. To put this variance into perspective, the following information examines three different major Texas municipalities and their respective fines:

Houston

  • 1 - 5 m.p.h. over the speed limit: $224 fine
  • 6 - 9 m.p.h. over the speed limit: $234 fine
  • 10 - 14 m.p.h. over the speed limit: $259 fine
  • 15 - 19 m.p.h. over the speed limit: $284 fine
  • 20 - 29 m.p.h. over the speed limit: $309 fine
  • 30 m.p.h.+ over the speed limit: $334 fine

San Antonio(Bexar County)

  • 0 - 10 m.p.h. over the speed limit: $185 fine
  • 11 - 15 m.p.h. over the speed limit: $210 fine
  • 16 - 20 m.p.h. over the speed limit: $235 fine
  • 21 - 25 m.p.h. over the speed limit: $260 fine
  • 26 - 30 m.p.h. over the speed limit: $285 fine
  • 31 m.p.h.+ over the speed limit: $335 fine

Dallas

  • 1 - 10 m.p.h. over the speed limit: $201.10 fine + fees
  • 11 - 15 m.p.h. over the speed limit: $226.10 fine + fees
  • 16 - 20 m.p.h. over the speed limit: $251.10 fine + fees
  • 21 m.p.h.+ over the speed limit: $304.10 fine + fees

Austin

  • Speeding costs $10.00 per mile over the limit + $107.10 in court costs/strong>
  • Traveling 94 m.p.h.+ over the speed limit costs $307 in fines + fees

Speeding in School and Work Zones

In addition to speeding ticket costs varying by county and municipality, the conditions under which you are caught speeding can affect what you'll have to pay. Here's how speeding in school and construction zones can add to what you'll have to pay:

Houston

M.P.H. OVER LIMIT SPEEDING: POSTED ZONE SPEEDING: SCHOOL ZONE SPEEDING: CONSTRUCTION ZONE (workers present)
1 - 5 m.p.h. $224 $254 $269
6 - 9 m.p.h $234 $274 $294
10 - 14 m.p.h. $259 $289 $329
15 - 19 m.p.h. $284 $309 $414
20 - 29 m.p.h. $309 $334 $464
30 or more m.p.h $334 $359 $534

San Antonio (Bexar County)

M.P.H. OVER LIMIT SPEEDING: POSTED ZONE SPEEDING: SCHOOL ZONE SPEEDING: CONSTRUCTION ZONE (workers present)
0-10 $185 $350 $370
11-15 $210 $350 $420
16-20 $235 $350 $470
21-25 $260 $350 $520
26-30 $285 $350 $570
31+ $335 $350 $670

Dallas

VIOLATION BASE FINE FEES/COST TOTAL
SPEEDING/SCHOOL ZONE (1 ‐ 10 miles over the limit) $117 $104.10 $221.10
SPEEDING/SCHOOL ZONE (11 ‐ 15 miles over the limit) $142 $104.10 $246.10
SPEEDING/SCHOOL ZONE (16 ‐ 20 miles over the limit) $167 $104.10 271.10
SPEEDING/SCHOOL ZONE (over 20 miles over the limit) $200 $104.10 $304.10

Austin

SPEEDING IN SCHOOL ZONE COURT COSTS (including $2.00 processing fee) FINE TOTAL
$20.00 per mile over speed limit OR $107.10 $20.00 per mile Court Costs + Fine
10 mph or more above speed limit $107.10 $199.90 $307.00
Unsafe Speed/Fail to Control Speed $107.10 $199.90 $307.00

The Texas Point System Explained

If you are found guilty of a speeding violation in Texas you will not only have to pay the associated fees and fines, but points will also be assessed to your license. The point system in Texas is simple, for each violation you are assessed 2 points. Any conviction that results in a crash will add an additional point to your license. When you reach 6 or more points you will have to pay a yearly surcharge to keep your license.

For every year you drive without being found guilty of a moving violation one point will be removed from your license. Accumulate 4 or more convictions within a year or 7 or more within two years, and your license will not only cost you a ton in annual surcharges, but it could be suspended altogether.

Texas Speeding Ticket Options

So, you've received a ticket. You know how much it's likely to cost you and you know how many points you're facing if found guilty. The question is, what are your options now? Thankfully, you have several:

Pay the fine

The simplest option will always be to pay your ticket, but there are a few things you should know about doing so. First, by paying your ticket you are in effect pleading guilty to your violation. This means that you will have to pay the full amount of penalties and court costs, as well as be assessed the 2 points to your license for being convicted of a moving violation.

Contest Your Ticket

You always have the option to enter a not guilty plea with the court and contest your ticket. You could win and have your charges dismissed entirely. However, you risk spending additional time and money doing so, and there is no guarantee that you will succeed. You should consider professional representation if you're Lose your case and you'll be liable for any additional court and lawyer fees, your original fine, and still face the dreaded increase in your car insurance premium.

Speeding Ticket Dismissal Through a Defensive Driving Course

You may be eligible to take have your ticket dismissed by taking a defensive driving course. If you are, you'll be able to dismiss your ticket, and avoid points being added to your license as well as potential increases to your insurance premiums. However, depending on the nature of your violation, you may not be eligible for ticket dismissal at all.

The following will make you ineligible for a defensive driving course:

  • Traveling 25mph or more above the speed limit, or at 95mph or over at any time.
  • You possess a commercial driver's license.
  • Your violation occurred in a school or work zone.

If you're eligible, the steps to successfully dismissing your ticket through driver education are simple:

  • Plead guilty or not contest to your speeding ticket
  • Request permission to take a defensive driving course
  • Register for a TDLR approved defensive driving course
  • Complete your defensive driving course

  • Obtain your driver record from the Texas Department of Public Safety
  • Submit your driver record and defensive driving certificate of completion to the court

Note that you may only take a defensive driving course for ticket dismissal, of any and every kind, once per year.

Receiving a speeding ticket in Texas doesn't have to break the bank, or create long term complications you'd rather not deal with. In many cases, taking a TDLR approved defensive driving course will be your best option. Whichever path you choose to follow knowing what you're up against in terms of fees, fines, and penalties as well as the options you have to minimize them is the first step to putting your troubles behind you.