Paying the ticket is easy, but will likely increase insurance rates. Generally, you must inform the court in person if you plead not guilty. You can then choose to fight the ticket in court, negotiate a lesser penalty or pay the speeding ticket and accept the ding to your driving record and the higher insurance premiums likely to result. A lack of prosecution witness is an easy way to get a ticket dismissed. When issued , most people simply pay the lower fine; however, if facing the larger ticket or the accumulation of points will cause your license to be suspended, fighting the ticket may be worthwhile. We offer a quick and easy solution to help you win against unfair speeding tickets without the stress of a court appearance. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. A traffic lawyer costs between $250 and $350 on average nationally, according to Thumbtack, an online marketplace for service professionals. This will help you look like a credible witness in court. Instantly compare top auto insurance companies. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. MORE: Comparing auto insurance rates after speeding tickets. 1) Admit guilt and pay the fine, 2) Attend a defensive driving class (at your expense) 3) Request a trial be set by mail. The state of Pennsylvania bases the amount of your speeding fine on how fast you were going and what the speed limit was in the area where you were caught speeding. Join 1,972,984 Americans who searched for Car Insurance Rates: In Pennsylvania, you must submit your plea of not guilty to the traffic court handling your case, within 10 days of receiving the traffic citation, if you wish to fight your ticket. If youre convicted, a violation will: Affect your driving record, possibly resulting in suspension of your license. Other factors that can affect the total cost of your PA speeding ticket include: Besides fines being doubled in active construction and maintenance areas when workers are present, there are other consequences if drivers speed in work zones. When evaluating offers, please review the financial institutions Terms and Conditions. But, in order to properly pace a vehicle, the officer must take certain steps. All Rights Reserved. This information may be different than what you see when you visit a financial institution, service provider or specific products site. Some get lucky when driving over the speed limit, while others get caught and are hit with hefty fines. Why Fight a Speeding Ticket? return false; If the officer doesnt show up at the hearing, you could be off the hook, but dont rely on that. http://traffic.findlaw.com/traffic-tickets/fight-a-speeding-ticket-is-speeding-always-speeding.html. The goal is to avoid the speeding ticket going on your driving abstract, so that your insurance is not affected. ; some companies will raise your rates more than others. However, if you want to give some answer do not admit guilt here. If he refuses, ask him to note the request. Fighting traffic tickets in Pennsylvania is a procedure that can be initiated by submitting a "not guilty" plea to the court that is processing your citation. In some cases, you may be able to look up your traffic ticket online. If you do end up accepting the speeding ticket, its crucial to compare car insurance quotes; some companies will raise your rates more than others. Your trial will occur within 45 days of the day you enter you plea. You may also be required to pass an on-road drivers exam. We know the law. So, in response to the first letter, I mailed them back the following letter (copied and pasted): I received a letter claiming I committed a violation of a speeding law in the District of Columbia on 04/21/2012. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); jQuery(document).on(click, .wpcf7-submit, function(e){ The True Cost of a Speeding Ticket The actual cost of the ticket should not be your primary concern. There are three ways to set your court date. Experienced Legal Advice When The Future Is At Stake. 1. If you are considering fighting your speeding ticket, we have listed some strategies that might come handy: Show Up & Get Lucky As weird as it might seem, if you show up in the court as decided and the issuing officer doesn't, you'll automatically win without having to do anything at all. Call your DMV or licensing agency to see if your state has a similar program. Shop our 2023 Best-Of Awards list. Why You Should Fight A Speeding Ticket If you do end up accepting the speeding ticket, its crucial to compare. To do this, you must send a written request to the court noted on your ticket to request a hearing, and then showing up on the assigned court date. Fighting a Speeding Ticket in Pennsylvania The penalties for a speeding ticket can include fines, points on your record, and a suspended license. Drivers who rack up too many points face consequences like having to take a driver improvement course and license suspension. ", answer, "No, I don't." When evaluating offers, please review the financial institutions Terms and Conditions. Posting bail means you've already paid your fine, so if you lose your case there will be no additional fees. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money. Traffic tickets usually contain instructions on how to contest or enter a 'not-guilty' plea. If you are facing an aircraft speeding ticket in the Columbus area, talk to one of our Columbus speeding ticket attorneys about your potential defenses and options. The judge is the person overseeing the case, who has final authority on the rulings. 3 points. However, if you dont pass within 30 days, your license will be suspended until you do. However, this can increase your insurance rates and put your license at risk, especially if you make money as a commercial driver. Therefore, you will incur the cost of the speeding ticket, and the PA Department of Transportation may add points to your driving record. For example, the fine for speeding is $120-$200, and the fine for careless driving is $400-$2000. Stick to questions with short answers and avoid asking why questions. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 106,613 times. You have the right to subpoena witnesses or documents. I'm really angered by this and want to know what I can do to plead my case. You can call in witnesses, including any passengers in the car when the ticket was issued. Whatever you do, dont ignore the ticket. A bailiff will help conduct the ceremony of a trial. Show Up To Court. Get free quotes from the nation's biggest auto insurance providers. You should sketch a diagram of the scene that includes all roads, making the width of lanes, traffic controls like lights and signs, the location of your vehicle and the officer's vehicle when you were pulled over, any buildings, power lines, foliage, fences, or other notable features of the area. Arguably, both are required to accurately testify to speed and identity of the correct vehicle. Persons who choose to dispute the ticket may need to make an appearance in court to enter this plea. Get your attitude right. If you recently received a traffic ticket in Pennsylvania, and have the means to prove it was issued. Here are the 16 top reasons cited for getting out of a speeding ticket, and their rates of success as determined by CarInsurance.com: I'm bringing home hot food and didn't want it to get cold (11% . Call 855-868-1675. Even if you were clocked at 26 miles per hour, the ticket is under $50. All financial products, shopping products and services are presented without warranty. You can pay: Online. How Many Points Is a Speeding Ticket In Florida? Anything you say can be used against you if you go to court. How to beat a speeding ticket. You can appear before a judge and enter a Not Guilty plea as well as a request for a court date. You can then choose to fight the ticket in court, negotiate a lesser penalty or pay the speeding ticket and accept the ding to your driving record and the higher insurance premiums likely to. Technicalities can also help you get your ticket dismissed. Wed appreciate if youd take a few minutes to explain where we went wrong. If you decide to fight the ticket in court. Law Firm Website Design by The Modern Firm, Emergency medical service (EMS) surcharge: $10, Judicial computer program / access to justice account surcharge: $10, General fund surcharges: $30-300 depending on the traffic offense and your driving history, Court Costs: $37 or $45 if you request a hearing, Fourth or higher suspension = 1 year, no matter how many points, You are facing a potential suspension because of points, Your ticket is based off a VASCAR device reading (these devices must be properly calibrated and are often inaccurate), Police committed errors in tracking your vehicle, issuing the citation to the right vehicle, or performing the stop, You believe your officer may not show up to the hearing. Your best chances to win the argument will be if you have physical proof you werent speeding. To do so, alert the court within 10 days of receiving the notice that you are pleading not guilty. Look out for your traffic ticket issuer's response to discover whether you won! Doing this, the officer can immediately see that you're not an immediate threat, and his stress level is reduced. Instead, give a noncommittal answer like, "I'm not really sure.". Missing or incorrect information on your ticket may be grounds for dismissal. Your driver's license could be canceled, no matter how good your . Please tell us about what went wrong (required), If we were able to correct this bad experience, would you refer us to friends and family? For instance, NerdWallets 2020 rate study found that: A 40-year-old driver with good credit and full coverage will pay $355 more per year after one speeding ticket, on average. Because of this, you need to know EXACTLY what the officer used to measure your speed. Pleading guilty means you're accepting the ticket and paying the resulting fines, which will raise your insurance premiums. Fighting a Speeding Ticket In Texas And Winning! That's it! Although all this may seem like a lot of hassle for a $50 ticket, getting a PA speeding ticket dismissed can save you hundreds over time from increased insurance rates and accumulated driving points. If convicted of vehicular homicide in an active work zone, drivers will be given up to five additional years of jail time. You can question the issuing officer, including about his or her memory and training with speed-clocking equipment. If there were many other cars similar to yours on the road that day, the officer may have pulled you over by mistake. This article has been viewed 106,613 times. For example, speeding up to 10 miles over the speed limit is a 2-point violation. How to Fight a Speeding Ticket - What to Do in 10 Steps Contents Remain calm and respectful Sign the paper copy of the ticket Check your contact information on your ticket copy Make sure you know how to handle the citation Read the instructions on how to pay your speeding ticket Attend defensive driving school instead of paying the fine It is now time to prepare your case. If you win your case, the traffic ticket fines will be returned to you. No bawling is necessary. traffic school or defensive driving course. Also, pay attention to the traffic conditions and look especially for extenuating circumstances that could have caused inadvertent speeding.