Every state, including Michigan, has implemented traffic laws in an effort to keep motorists, pedestrians, and property safe. Despite these established rules, 245,243 people were involved in traffic accidents on Michigan’s major highways in 2020. With such startling statistics, law enforcement goes out of their way to patrol the roadways for speeding drivers in an effort to reduce potential accidents. They will not hesitate to pull over someone for speeding, even if it’s only 15 miles over the set speed limit.
A speeding ticket, in most cases, is a civil infraction. That means you won’t face jail time but will have to pay a citation if you plead guilty. However, in certain scenarios a speeding ticket can result in a misdemeanor or even a felony if property was damaged or a person was seriously injured or killed. Plus, even if you’re not criminally charged you will still have points added to your license if you don’t challenge your speeding ticket. Enough points could constitute a license suspension too if you’ve been ticketed for speeding and other traffic violations in the past. For this reason and more, we highly encourage you to hire an experienced Michigan traffic ticket attorney if you’ve been accused of speeding.
Oakland County Speeding Ticket Attorney | Bloomfield Hills, MI
You may be tempted to just pay your ticket and move on. While in some cases this is appropriate, it’s important to note if you pay a ticket, you’re essentially pleading guilty to the crime of speeding. However, you do have the option to challenge the speeding ticket if you don’t believe it was issued fairly. With the help of a skilled Oakland County traffic lawyer, you can challenge your speeding accusations and avoid unnecessary points on your record.
Dallo of Dallo Law, P.C. has helped numerous clients overcome both traffic civil infractions and criminal charges related to traffic violations. He can utilize his years of experience and vast resources to aggressively fight your charges. Call Dallo Law, P.C. today at (248) 283-7000 to set up your first consultation free of charge.
Dallo Law, P.C. is located in Bloomfield Hills but accepts clients in Oakland County and Macomb County such as Birmingham, Sterling Heights, Warren, Clinton Township, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, Fraser, Utica, Novi, Madison Heights, West Bloomfield Township, amongst others.
Information Center:
- Is a Speeding Ticket a Misdemeanor?
- How Much is a Speeding Ticket in Michigan?
- How to Fight a Speeding Ticket in Michigan
- Michigan Speeding Ticket Points
- Speeding in a Work Zone
- Additional Resources
Is a Speeding Ticket a Misdemeanor?
The short answer is no. Speeding is not a criminal charge like a misdemeanor, but instead a civil infraction. Instead of facing criminal consequences, the driver will instead face an administrative penalty for speeding in the form of a fine. The amount of the fine will depend on the how fast the driver was speeding in relation to the speed limit. The driver will also have demerit points added to their master driving record if they plead guilty to speeding.
Although speeding is typically a civil infraction, there are instances where it can result in a misdemeanor charge. A speeding ticket itself will not send you to jail, but if you were speeding to the point you were considered to be in “wanton and willful disregard of other’s safety or property,” then you may also be cited for reckless driving. Reckless driving is a misdemeanor offense that can result in up to 93 days in jail upon conviction.
How Much is a Speeding Ticket in Michigan?
Similar to most states, Michigan bases speeding fines on how fast the driver was operating the vehicle in comparison to the speed limit. The higher the speed violation the higher the fine. If you fail to respond to the ticket by the deadline, then you’ll be considered guilty by default. Failure to pay the fine will result in the suspension of your license.
Listed below are the different fine amounts for speeding in Michigan.
| Miles Over the Speed Limit | Fine Amount |
| 1-5 MPH | $90 |
| 6-10 MPH | $105 |
| 11-15 MPH | $120 |
| 16-25 MPH | $140 |
| Over 26 MPH | $155 |
How to Fight a Speeding Ticket in Michigan
It’s important to remember if you pay the fine, you’ll be considered guilty of speeding. Many don’t consider this a huge risk because the fines are not especially high, but in the long run it’s better you fight any unfair speeding ticket you receive. The reason for this is the points added to your master driving record add up over time. If you receive a speeding ticket in the future, your prior ticket’s points as well as the current citation could result in a suspended license.
Thankfully you have options. You can fight your speeding ticket with the assistance of an experienced and skilled Michigan traffic lawyer. Your attorney can gather evidence to contest your speeding ticket and/or traffic stop. If you’re successful, then you’ll avoid points added to your license and any possible hike in insurance fees. While some may say fighting a ticket isn’t worth it, we beg to differ. The less points you have on your record the better off you’ll be in the future as a Michigan driver.
Michigan Speeding Ticket Points
The state of Michigan assigns demerit points to driving records if the driver has been convicted of certain violations. Accumulating 12 points or more will result in an automatic license suspension. Once that occurs, you’ll be obligated to schedule, prepare, and pare for reexamination before your license is reinstated completely.
Listed below are the various points that will be assigned to your license if you’re cited with speeding.
- Two Points – 10 MPH over the speed limit
- Three Points – 11-15 MPH over the speed limit
- Four Points – Driving 16 MPH or more over the speed limit
Traffic Ticket for Speeding in a Work Zone
In 1997, the state of Michigan legislators made the decision to double the fines for speeding in a construction zone also known as a “work zone.” According to the Public Act 149 of 2002, an increased number of points will be added for speeding in a work zone including:
- 3 Points – For speeding 10 MPH in a work zone
- 4 Points – For speeding 10 MPH but no more than 15 MPH in a work zone
- 5 Points – For speeding more than 15 MPH in work zone
Additional Resources
Work Zone Safety | Michigan Gov – Visit the official website for the Michigan Government to learn more about their laws and penalties related to traffic violations in work zones. Access the site to learn the point amounts, what happens if you have a certain number of points, and possible jail and fines for committing traffic violations in a work zone.
2020 Year End Traffic Crash Statistics | MSP – Visit the official website for the Michigan State Police to learn more about their statistics regarding traffic crashes. Access the site to learn the various crash statistics based on what county it occurred in, what traffic violation occurred, and the number of injuries/fatalities in each accident.
Speeding Defense Lawyer, Oakland County | Michigan Traffic Lawyer
If you or someone you know has been arrested for speeding in Michigan, contact Dallo Law, P.C.. J. Dallo of Dallo Law, P.C. has years of experience assisting clients with both traffic infractions and criminal charges. We understand what it takes to challenge these violations and can extend our services to you. Call today to learn your legal options for free at (248) 283-7000.
You can locate Dallo Law, P.C. in Bloomfield Hills, but we accept clients throughout all parts of Oakland County and Macomb County, Michigan.