If all this sounds like more than youd want to handle on your own, you can enlist a traffic lawyer to help you. How to pay a speeding ticket in Maryland. 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. After a ticket, your car insurance rates can rise by hundreds of dollars per year. MORE: How much can I save by refinancing my car? Check the PAePay websiteto see if the traffic court your ticket was assigned to accepts online payments, as it varies by county. Someone at the DMV should be able to help you print your driving record for a small fee. How a speeding ticket is classified depends on several factors. This will give you more time to build your case. You could go to the County Clerk's office and request a trial date. There are three ways to set your court date. If you plan to testify in your own defense, you might want to practice your testimony until you feel comfortable telling your story. If you choose to plead guilty to a speeding ticket in Pennsylvania, there are several ways to pay the fine within the deadline stated on your ticket. Even if you think the ticket is unjustified, speeding violations are hard to beat. 1) Admit guilt and pay the fine, 2) Attend a defensive driving class (at your expense) 3) Request a trial be set by mail. Lacie is a NerdWallet authority on insurance products and loves data, analytics and solving SEO mysteries. Besides paying the initial fee, after a ticket, your car insurance rates can rise by hundreds of dollars per year. When you receive a traffic citation for speeding, the amount of the fine will be printed right on the ticket. A trial gives you an opportunity to fight the traffic ticket in front of a judge or jury, and most people prefer to hire a traffic ticket . You can receive points for more than one offense at the same traffic stop. This article was co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD. We know how to fight a speeding ticket with efficacy and diligence. Pay PA Speeding Tickets Online 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. You can get certain records at the DMV that can help you with your case. The speed limit in Pennsylvania school zones is 15 miles per hour. If a plea bargain can't be agreed upon, the PA traffic court will assign you a date to return for trial before a judge. A typical plea agreement would be to reduce a 5 speeding ticket to 4 points; from 4 points down to 2 points, and so on. Provide us with some details on why you believe the citation issued is a mistake. Delay the hearing. You should also get some information on the patrol car regarding any recent repairs or damages to the car. Your citation should include the address to remit your PA speeding ticket payment via mail. We have helped over 300,000 people with their problems. How Much Will a Speeding Ticket Raise My Insurance Premium? Lacie Glover is an insurance editor and writer and a NerdWallet authority on insurance. You have the right to remain silent. If your traffic violation still appears erroneously, you could be on the hook for major fines and even license suspension. Winning the case will result in a refund of the collateral you have paid and protect your driving record. When paying online, enter all required information and use your credit or debit card to pay the fine and additional charges, such as transaction fees. You will need to attend a mandatory departmental hearing. As per the instructions, I am writing to plead 'not guilty' to this charge. Depending on the practices of the presiding court, you may be able to submit your plea and schedule a trial date via various methods. This information may be different than what you see when you visit a financial institution, service provider or specific products site. Here are five key ways: 1. The penalties that you face may include the cancellation of your driver's license. If served, set a hearing, pleading "Not responsible." Disprove the plaintiff (private company) in court; win. Assigning Editor | Auto insurance, home insurance, other insurance. It is now time to prepare your case. [2] It has to be significant, however. However to beat a radar speeding ticket, you must understand how the radar works. This article has been viewed 106,613 times. Radio Detection And Ranging or radar as it is popularly known works by emitting radio waves. In addition to the speeding fine, drivers also must pay a surcharge based on the mph over the Maximum Speed Limits outlined in the table below. 13. If you've lost your ticket, contact the county court for information. It is merely an acknowledgment that you received the citation and understand you're receiving a speeding ticket. 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 Go back to the scene of the citation. It is possible to beat a radar speeding ticket. If you are under 18 and get more than six points on your license or your Pennsylvania speeding ticket is 26 mph+ over, your PA drivers license will be suspended for 90 days and you'll be required to pass a written test and pay a reinstatement fee to PennDOT. Her work has been featured by USA Today, U.S. News and World Report and The Associated Press. Sometimes, just showing up means you win. If you are found guilty, you will also have to pay the penalties and fines. $50 for speeding by 5-9 and $75 for speeding by 10-19). Evidence could include dashcam video or GPS data from a smartphone app, or photographic evidence that a speed limit sign was obscured. Motorists can be cited for exceeding the speed limit by only one mph. So how do we make money? Typically in mitigation, you admit to the offense and present information that would lead a judge to grant you leniency. Subscribe to our News and Updates to stay in the loop and on the road! How to Contest NYC Speeding Camera Tickets and Win. Youll pay the speeding ticket and any court fees. Clinton M. Sandvick worked as a civil litigator in California for over 7 years. % of people told us that this article helped them. If you're trying to prove his radar system was faulty, ask if he was aware at the time of the citation his radar device was 3 weeks overdue for basic maintenance. Exceeding a speed limit by at least 26 miles per hour. 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. You can also fight it or negotiate in court. This video describes 20 speeding tickets defenses and how to beat a speed. Outcomes may include: You pay all or some of the ticket, but it doesnt affect your driving record. Motorists must enter a 'not-guilty' plea within ten days of being issued to fight a Pennsylvania traffic ticket. NerdWallet writer Philip Reed contributed to this report. How to beat a speeding ticket. And we truly care about our clients. Gather information to help successfully dispute the speeding ticket. 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 you are clocked at 11 miles over the speed limit, the fine is $35 plus $2 for each mile greater than 5 over the speed limit. The True Cost of a Speeding Ticket The actual cost of the ticket should not be your primary concern. But for a civil complaint such as simple speeding - do not pay! Comparing auto insurance rates after speeding tickets. If your driving record is otherwise spotless and the ticket is for 11 or less miles over the speed limit, the least expensive option is to enter a plea of No Contest or Guilty and pay the fine. Want to make smarter insurance decisions for the year ahead? You can call in witnesses, including any passengers in the car when the ticket was issued. How Long Does a Speeding Ticket Stay on Your Record? How Long Do You Have to Pay a Speeding Ticket? 5 Ways to Effectively Fight Traffic Tickets Five strategies for fighting a traffic ticket. How long the suspension lasts depends on whether your license has been suspended before: At Berman Law, our traffic defense lawyers are able to help you review your driving history and consider the possibility that the moving violation or traffic offense will result in a license suspension. Look out for your traffic ticket issuer's response to discover whether you won! wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Check with your insurance provider for more information. 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. At the hearing, the examiner will decide whether to implement a 30 day suspension based on the facts in your case. There are also certain traffic offenses that carry their own consequences, such as passing a school bus with red lights flashing (which has an automatic 60-day license suspension). That's it! Fighting a speeding ticket is about 3 goals: keeping your driving record clear. I checked my speedometer." Cost money upfront: Youll pay the speeding ticket and any court fees. He will have a court clerk, who is his assistant. 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. Providing evidence, testimony and if appropriate, witnesses, The opportunity to be represented by an attorney, Testimony by the officer who issued the ticket, Cross-examination of the officer by your attorney, Losing the opportunity to plead outright to lower charges, Listens to testimony from the officer citing you as well as your own testimony (Here is where your attorney can be helpful and speak on your behalf). But you do have an option you can fight your speeding ticket. How to Get a Judge to Dismiss a Speeding Ticket from Your Phone, Can You Dispute Chicago Speeding Tickets? }); 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. 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. Remember, only 50% of people who fight traffic tickets get their tickets dismissed. Paying a traffic ticket in PA may be done online, by mail, or in person, depending on where you received your citation. 4 ways to beat a speeding ticket. Check the PAePay website to see if the traffic court your ticket was assigned to accepts online payments, as it varies by county. Lacie Glover spent more than five years covering health care costs and all types of insurance as a NerdWallet writer before becoming an assistant assigning editor in 2019 and later an assigning editor on the insurance team. The vast majority of speeding tickets are resolved via plea agreement. Disputing a speeding ticket on your own requires a lot of time to gather information to increase your chances of winning in court, taking time off work to attend the court hearing, and the hassle of arguing your innocence on the matter. Traffic Citations, Speeding Ticket Attorney Plantation - Melanie E. Horowitz, PATraffic Citations, Speeding Ticket Attorney Plantation - Melanie E. Horowitz, PA Description. Make witness arrangements. If the Pennsylvania judge decides you're not guilty of the traffic violations, congrats! The radar will release a radio wave at one frequency. 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. You'll receive an appeal letter that contains state vehicle codes to boost your case. Your license will automatically be suspended. If caught speedingwhile driving through Pennsylvania, you can expect to pay a hefty fine. However, if you want to give some answer do not admit guilt here. You should only plead "guilty with explanation" if you were speeding due to an emergency. You could mail a copy of the citation to the courthouse, along with a request for a trial date. You can call in witnesses, including any passengers in the car when the ticket was issued. Be prepared to use this as your defense if the officer is not present on your court date. 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. This is different from most states, which use tiered penalties (e.g. Show Up To Court. Your best chances to win the argument will be if you have physical proof you werent speeding. You may also be required to pass an on-road drivers exam. Immediately put on your hazard lights to show you are respectful of the safety of other drivers on the road. Legal Help for Moving Violations, Parking and Traffic Tickets - Speeding Tickets: 1/2 mile from my house I was clocked (Robic stopwatch) doing 49.1 MPH in a 35 zone (3.37 sec over Speeding Ticket Information (Stopwatch) - Pennsylvania CALL NOW: 800-874-8583; Choose Your State. Speeding in a highway work zone: $100 to $2000 and/or a maximum of 12 months jail time There may be additional fees depending on the judge. 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. 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? Take note of your precise location and try to get an approximate sense of where the alleged violation took place. If, for example, you're trying to prove the officer pulled over the wrong car ask if he remembers that there were two other blue Honda Civics on the highway that morning. If foot traffic within the school zone is non-existent and there are no physical prompts signaling me to stop, is it really justifiable for an office to charge me with such an outrageous penalty? If you have any passenger's, take note of their names and make sure they stay silent during the exchange. If you anger or otherwise frustrate the officer, he will probably remember you and be more likely to have specific memories and notations that can help the prosecution during trial. Hawaii Some jurisdictions use similar technology for other traffic violations, such as illegal rail crossings or toll violations. In-person at any local District Court or the. How Many Points Is a Speeding Ticket In Florida? No bawling is necessary. Submit a request for certain public records. Looking for Fight Traffic Ticket in another state? Pennsylvania's speeding ticket point system, however, works similarly to most other states. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. YesNo. If you are caught speeding there, you will receive a fine and three points are added to your driving record. If there's anyone who can verify you were not speeding, call them in to testify. On the other side, note your possible comments and questions to raise during cross-examination. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); jQuery(document).on(click, .wpcf7-submit, function(e){ Prepare to achieve this goal. Get free quotes from the nation's biggest auto insurance providers. Overall, your strategy to beat a photo radar ticket looks like this: Avoid being served, do not respond for four months. The court handling the ticket should be included on the ticket. Besides helping you win against speeding tickets in PA, DoNotPay can help you solve all your traffic ticket needs and other issues. 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