Here are five key ways: 1. After pleading not guilty to the traffic violation(s), the court will assign you a date to return for a pretrial conference OR trial before a judge. Research speed equipment. You do have a right to an attorney but, as previously discussed, this is probably not necessary when fighting a speeding ticket. In-person at any local District Court or the. Motorists can be cited for exceeding the speed limit by only one mph. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Instantly compare top auto insurance companies. 4 points. Super Speeder Fee: Additional charge of $200 if you're caught going at least 85 miles per hour or at least 75 miles per hour on a two-lane roadway. If ANY of the rules below are not followed, a driver will have a solid case against the speeding ticket. Write down the make, model, license plate and unit number of the officer's car. You have the right to remain silent. Its likely youre reading this because youve already gotten a speeding ticket, so file away these tips in case it happens again: Ask which method the officer used to determine you were speeding and write it down afterward. [2] It has to be significant, however. If you have any passenger's, take note of their names and make sure they stay silent during the exchange. Besides helping you win against speeding tickets in PA, DoNotPay can help you solve all your traffic ticket needs and other issues. If the Pennsylvania judge decides you're not guilty of the traffic violations, congrats! If you ask for a hearing, plan to make your case and be questioned before a judge. In order to fight the traffic ticket, the driver must appear before a judge. A speeding ticket in PA will cost $42.50 for going 5 miles per hour or less over the limit in a 65 mph zone, and $35 for going 5 miles per hour or less over the limit in any other . Then, those points drop off: 3 points for each 12 months you have a clean driving record. No matter what happens, you must be polite and submissive. How much can I save by refinancing my car? If you choose this option, be sure to return the plea and payment by the time stated on the ticket to prevent a bench warrant from being issued for your arrest. The details you wrote down earlier in terms of the incident you were pulled over will come in handy here. You can question the issuing officer, including about his or her memory and training with speed-clocking equipment. How to Get a Judge to Dismiss a Speeding Ticket from Your Phone, Can You Dispute Chicago Speeding Tickets? Show Up To Court. If the officer says he will get a search warrant, politely tell him to do so and continue to refuse a search. Based on your jurisdiction, your speeding offense may be considered an infraction, misdemeanor or felony. Instruction manuals include maintenance schedules you can question the officer about, and they may note radar gun weaknesses, for example. 3 points. 2. 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. Immediately put on your hazard lights to show you are respectful of the safety of other drivers on the road. One of the easiest ways to pay for your speeding ticket in PA, especially if you do not live in Pennsylvania, is by paying it online. Learn about different traffic ticket defense strategies, from disputing the officer's presentation of evidence to arguing your ticketed driving was somehow justified. Do not say something like, "I wasn't speeding. Besides paying the initial fee, after a ticket, your car insurance rates can rise by hundreds of dollars per year. To do so, the prosecutor will usually call up the officer who issued your citation and ask him a series of questions in an attempt to establish his reliability. From raising your insurance ratesto staying on your driving recordfor an extended amount of time, getting a PA speeding ticket can cause you more of a headache than just a one-time fine and getting points added to your PA driving record. How Do I Fight a Red Light Camera Ticket in Pennsylvania? The PA traffic court may also appoint you counsel if you meet the following criteria: At a pre-trial conference you (or your attorney) will meet with a Pennsylvania state prosecutor to try to work out a plea bargain. As the officer is exiting his car, roll down the driver's side window. Pleading "No Contest" means you're not contending the charges but not pleading guilty either. You should review the actual vehicle code in the area where you were allegedly speeding to make sure the officer pulled you over for the correct violation. Make sure you choose a firm who has experience fighting traffic tickets in Pennsylvania. Even if you were clocked at 26 miles per hour, the ticket is under $50. I'm a school teacher in PA and was just pulled over Friday morning for going 25 in an "active school zone" (15 mph). Check the violation and fines, and make certain that your name, address, vehicle information and license number are all correct. Find out how to fight a speeding ticket or other traffic offense, and when you should hire our speeding ticket lawyers to help you. Lacie Glover is an insurance editor and writer and a NerdWallet authority on insurance. Submit a request for certain public records. Log-in to DoNotPay and find the Speeding Ticket product. Your trial will occur within 45 days of the day you enter you plea. Select whether or not you want the letter mailed to the traffic ticket issuer on your behalf! If there were many other cars similar to yours on the road that day, the officer may have pulled you over by mistake. Plan your questions. plead guilty with an explanation. And while our site doesnt feature every company or financial product available on the market, were proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward and free. Look up the method the officer used to clock your speed, note its weaknesses and prepare to present them. Although this option is said to result in this matter . Fighting a Speeding Ticket in Pennsylvania The penalties for a speeding ticket can include fines, points on your record, and a suspended license. Speeding tickets have more penalties than just a fine. Now is not the time to fight your case. A search warrant is required without probable cause. How to Get a Speeding Ticket Dismissed In Tennessee Quickly. Thank you for your time. This will help you look like a credible witness in court. You have the right to remain silent. NerdWallet writer Philip Reed contributed to this report. 1. Exceeding a speed limit by at least 26 miles per hour. Radar: ONLY State Troopers are permitted to use radar guns to clock a driver's speed. Many speeding tickets result from the police officer following or "pacing" a suspected speeder and using his or her own speedometer to estimate the suspect's speed. Anything you say can be used against you if you go to court. We know how to fight a speeding ticket with efficacy and diligence. Handle this PROMPTLY as your court may only accept continuances submitted within a specific time frame. Continue to get speeding tickets and the suspensions will keep adding up. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. As soon as you've entered your plea, begin preparing for trial. You can also fight it or negotiate in court. I'm really angered by this and want to know what I can do to plead my case. The cost for PA speeding tickets varies according to the speeding scale fineover the posted speed limit. For every ticket that you pay, a percentage goes to the contracted company and the rest goes to the city. Whatever you do, dont ignore the ticket. This stretch of road is right around the corner of my house and I drive it every morning to work in another district, so I'm familiar with the protocols when children are crossing the street to the school on the other side. Call (614) 361-2804. Mitigation is making a deal with the prosecutor and court; it saves the jurisdiction money by avoiding a hearing while lowering your penalty for the ticket. Cost money upfront: Youll pay the speeding ticket and any court fees. Want to make smarter insurance decisions for the year ahead? Our attorneys can be reached at (614) 361-2804. Box 597 Baltimore, MD 21203-0597 Work Phone: By phone Immediately after the officer gives you the written citation, make sure all the information is correct, including anything identifying you or describing your car. You should get documents on the radar device used to determine your speed to check for any malfunctions or recent repairs. 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. All Rights Reserved. 9 Best Car Insurance Companies of March 2023, The Difference Between Comprehensive and Collision Coverage, Get more smart money moves straight to your inbox. That's it! That lawyer can help you review your driving record, the ticket, and the potential consequences to decide if it is worth your time, money, and effort to contest the ticket. You could receive a deferral, in which case typically youll pay a fine and your ticket will be dismissed after a period of time if there are no further offenses. Some jurisdictions use similar technology for other traffic violations, such as illegal rail crossings or toll violations. You can fight your traffic ticket by scheduling a court hearing. You will need to post collateral with the court, usually the cost of the ticket plus court costs or request a waiver of reduction. Keep you hands visible as the officer approaches your car, placing both hands on the steering wheel. You can submit a discovery subpoena to the court to get certain documents that may help your case. Whether you live in the PA city where you received the ticket or want to commute back to the area, pay for your speeding ticket in Pennsylvania in person by going to the court stated on your ticket. Violation payment can be made in several manners: Through mail by check, money order, or credit card by detaching the payment coupon enclosed with the violation and mailing payment for the amount due. Check the PAePay website to see if the traffic court your ticket was assigned to accepts online payments, as it varies by county. Clinton M. Sandvick worked as a civil litigator in California for over 7 years. How a speeding ticket is classified depends on several factors. You'll receive an appeal letter that contains state vehicle codes to boost your case. If you plead guilty, over the next six years you may end up paying close to $2500 extra, you'll be getting that much closer to . Penalties for Speeding Tickets in Ontario: 0 - 6 demerit points; Fine payable according to table victim fine surcharge to be added; A conviction for speeding will stay on your driving record for 3 years; Possible increase of car insurance premiums with 0 to 3 points with a duration of up to 3 years; Definitely increased insurance premiums . HOWEVER, some PA traffic courts may allow you to notify them: After informing the court of your plea, you must post collateral. That's it! Once you get a red light camera ticket, you first need to check the instructions on the violation. This video describes 20 speeding tickets defenses and how to beat a speed. Although, in Pennsylvania only the Pennsylvania State Police are permitted to use radar. Pay attention to your shirt color, any small dents or cracks in your car, and any noticeable physical characteristics of the officer. You could mail a copy of the citation to the courthouse, along with a request for a trial date. All financial products, shopping products and services are presented without warranty. A lack of prosecution witness is an easy way to get a ticket dismissed. Take note of your precise location and try to get an approximate sense of where the alleged violation took place. In addition to the financial costs of a traffic ticket, you also need to consider the points assessed. Hire a Traffic Attorney. In other cases, fighting the ticket may be the best option. The True Cost of a Speeding Ticket The actual cost of the ticket should not be your primary concern. }); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); All of the information on the Colgan & Associates, LLC web site is for informational purposes only. Remember, you're not making any arguments during cross-examination. The speed limit in Pennsylvania school zones is 15 miles per hour. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Since it can be difficult to prove you were not guilty when representing yourself in court, you may consider hiring an attorney to fight on your behalf. However, a traffic ticket can end up costing you a lot more money in insurance premiums, and winning your case may be easier than you think. Traffic Citations, Speeding Ticket Attorney Plantation - Melanie E. Horowitz, PATraffic Citations, Speeding Ticket Attorney Plantation - Melanie E. Horowitz, PA Description. Although you have the right to represent yourself in court, you will likely feel much more comfortable with the help of a traffic attorney. You're only two minutes away from getting your PA speeding ticketdismissed using these steps: It's really that simple! You need to address the ticket and start fighting it right away. Your best chances to win the argument will be if you have physical proof you werent speeding. 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. Also, pay attention to the traffic conditions and look especially for extenuating circumstances that could have caused inadvertent speeding. Considering the costs, hiring a lawyer is likely worth the money if your ticket is particularly expensive or could result in the loss of your license. Pennsylvania's speeding ticket fees Excess of legal speed limit Fee imposed for breaking the legal speed limit Every mile over 5 mph $35 + $2 per mile over the limit Every mile over 65 mph $42.50 + $2 per mile over the limit If excess over 11 mph (school zone) Up to $500 How Pennsylvania speeding tickets are calculated