How Much Is a Speeding Ticket in California?
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While the base fee for a speeding ticket in California is $35, additional legal and court fines can increase that amount to $200 or more. And the faster you go, the more you’ll have to pay.
How much is a speeding ticket in California?
The cost of a speeding ticket in California depends on how fast you were going over the limit. At minimum, you’ll be charged a base fee, but additional penalties and fees will likely be added.
Your car insurance rates will likely increase as well, further raising the “cost” of your ticket. You can learn more about this in our article on how a speeding ticket affects car insurance rates.
California speeding ticket fees
Here are the specific ticket fees in California, broken up by how fast the driver was going over the speed limit:
MPH over speed limit | Total estimated cost of ticket |
|---|---|
1 to 15 | $234 ($35 base fee + court penalties/fees) |
16 to 25 | $363 ($70 base fee + court penalties/fees) |
26 and over | $486 ($100 base fee + court penalties/fees) |
If you get a speeding ticket in a highway construction zone or maintenance area while work is being performed, your fine will be doubled.
California car insurance rates after a speeding ticket
While a speeding ticket itself may hurt financially, the biggest hit to your bank account may actually be the change to your insurance costs. The average 35-year-old California driver will pay $2,831 per year for full coverage insurance after one speeding ticket compared to the $1,948 per year that a California driver with a clean record would pay, according to NerdWallet’s January 2025 rates analysis.
Based on that research, the true cost of a speeding ticket in California could be significantly more than the cost of the actual ticket, even after all of the court fines and legal fees.
If you are found guilty for speeding, you should consider shopping around for car insurance quotes. Some insurers might overlook your first speeding ticket, but you won’t know if your company is one of them unless you do some research.
What to do after you get a speeding ticket in California
California drivers with clean records have three options after receiving their first minor speeding ticket:
Plead guilty, pay the fine and receive a point on your license. Points can stay on your record anywhere from three to seven years, but insurance surcharges typically last up to three years.
Plead guilty, pay the fine and attend traffic safety school to avoid receiving a conviction and a point on your license.
Request a court date where you can decide whether to plead guilty or not guilty. You can request a trial by written declaration, in which case you’ll provide a written statement and any relevant evidence. You could also request an in-person trial instead.
If you are unable to pay the full amount, you can ask the court to lower the fine, schedule a payment plan or agree to perform community service instead.
Completing traffic school can help you avoid points on your driving record, although you still have to pay the fine for your speeding ticket. To be eligible for traffic school, you must have a valid license, have gotten your speeding ticket in a private (nonwork) vehicle and not have attended traffic school in the previous 18 months.
Average car insurance rates after a speeding ticket in California
Car insurance companies use multiple factors beyond a person’s driving history to determine auto insurance rates. These factors can include gender, location and a car’s make and model.
» MORE: Why is my car insurance so high?
Insurers will also consider additional characteristics like age and coverage amounts. NerdWallet’s January 2025 rates analysis looked at the average rates in California for different profiles of 20-year-old and 35-year-old drivers, including the average rates for drivers with one speeding ticket for going 16-20 mph over the speed limit.
We compared these rates between two types of coverage:
Minimum coverage, which only includes the required amount of liability insurance in California.
Full coverage, which combines liability insurance with comprehensive and collision coverage to cover you in most scenarios.
Average rates for 20-year-old drivers in California
| Driver profile | Full coverage rate | Minimum coverage rate |
|---|---|---|
| Clean driving record, good credit | $3,399 | $915 |
| One speeding ticket, good credit | $4,789 | $1,262 |
| One at-fault crash, good credit | $5,552 | $1,530 |
| One DUI, good credit | $8,940 | $2,214 |
| Clean driving record, poor credit | $3,399 | $915 |
Average rates for 35-year-old drivers in California
| Driver profile | Full coverage rate | Minimum coverage rate |
|---|---|---|
| Clean driving record, good credit | $1,948 | $511 |
| One speeding ticket, good credit | $2,831 | $728 |
| One at-fault crash, good credit | $3,542 | $916 |
| One DUI, good credit | $5,300 | $1,286 |
| Clean driving record, poor credit | $1,948 | $511 |
These average rates may seem like drivers with a speeding ticket will be stuck paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars more on car insurance. However, different insurers could put more or less value on a recent accident. The only way you’ll find the cheapest price for your unique situation is if you compare car insurance quotes from multiple companies.
» MORE: Best car insurance in California
Cheapest car insurance companies after a speeding ticket in California
It’s smart to shop around and get several quotes to find the cheapest car insurance in California, whether you want more affordable coverage before or after a speeding ticket. To help you find the best company for your needs, NerdWallet compared rates among the largest insurance companies in California for hypothetical drivers with different driver profiles. We specifically looked at how rates were affected for drivers ticketed for going 16-20 mph over the speed limit.
Here are the cheapest car insurance companies in California, on average, for 20-year-old, 40-year-old and 60-year-old drivers with a recent speeding ticket:
Cheapest car insurance companies in California for 20-year-old drivers with a speeding ticket
| Company | Median annual rate | Median monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| CIG | $2,836 | $236 |
| Geico | $2,919 | $243 |
| Auto Club of SoCal | $3,634 | $303 |
| Grange Insurance Association | $3,813 | $318 |
| State Farm | $3,816 | $318 |
For reference, the average cost of car insurance for a 20-year-old in California with a recent speeding ticket is $4,789 a year for full coverage insurance, or $399 per month.
Cheapest car insurance companies in California for 40-year-old drivers with a speeding ticket
| Company | Median annual rate | Median monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| CIG | $1,718 | $143 |
| Grange Insurance Association | $1,938 | $162 |
| Auto Club of SoCal | $2,086 | $174 |
| Geico | $2,261 | $188 |
| Mercury | $2,363 | $197 |
For reference, the average cost of car insurance for a 40-year-old in California with a recent speeding ticket is $2,748 a year for full coverage insurance, or $229 per month.
Cheapest car insurance companies in California for 60-year-old drivers with a speeding ticket
| Company | Median annual rate | Median monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| CIG | $1,614 | $135 |
| Grange Insurance Association | $1,827 | $152 |
| Auto Club of SoCal | $1,833 | $153 |
| Geico | $2,171 | $181 |
| Mercury | $2,199 | $183 |
For reference, the average cost of car insurance for a 60-year-old in California with a recent speeding ticket is $2,500 a year for full coverage insurance, or $208 per month.
If you're an active member of the military or a veteran — or have an immediate family member who is — chances are you'll get a relatively cheap rate with USAA, a company that isn't available to the general public. Because of that restriction, USAA isn't ranked with the others on these tables, but it was among the cheapest three auto insurance options for 57 of the 70 driver profiles we examined.
If you have trouble finding an insurer or getting an affordable car insurance policy, you may need to use a high-risk insurance company. In addition to price, you should also consider a company’s customer satisfaction ratings, consumer complaint data and coverage options. Taking the time to compare rates could not only save you hundreds of dollars, but it could also help you find the company that’s the best fit for you.
Learn more about California car insurance |
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For more information about California car insurance, check out these articles: |
NerdWallet averaged rates based on public filings obtained by pricing analytics company Quadrant Information Services. Although it’s one of the largest insurers in the country, Liberty Mutual is not included in our rates analysis due to a lack of publicly available information.
In our analysis, “good drivers” had no moving violations on record; a “good driving” discount was included for this profile. Our “good” and “poor” credit rates are based on credit score approximations and do not account for proprietary scoring criteria used by insurance providers.
These are average rates, and your rate will vary based on your personal details, state and insurance provider.
Sample drivers had the following coverage limits:
$100,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person.
$300,000 bodily injury liability coverage per crash.
$50,000 property damage liability coverage per crash.
$100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person.
$300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per crash.
Collision coverage with $1,000 deductible.
Comprehensive coverage with $1,000 deductible.
In states where required, minimum additional coverages were added. We used the same assumptions for all other driver profiles, with the following exceptions:
For drivers with a ticket, we added a single speeding violation for driving 16 mph over the speed limit.
For drivers with minimum coverage, we adjusted the numbers above to reflect only the minimum coverage required by law in the state.
We used a 2019 Toyota Camry L in all cases and assumed 12,000 annual miles driven.
These are rates generated through Quadrant Information Services. Your own rates will be different.
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