First Time Speeding Ticket in Tennessee: What to Expect

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

After a first time speeding ticket in tennessee, expect a Class C misdemeanor case in the court named on your ticket, unless a special penalty such as a work zone applies. You can pay instead of appearing only if the court approves, and paying counts as a conviction that adds 1 to 8 points. After a speeding conviction, a department-approved course finished within 90 days can remove up to 5 of those points, once in four years, and the conviction stays.

Key Facts

It is a court case: a regular speeding ticket is a Class C misdemeanor. See what you are charged with.
Your ticket has the details: it must show the court, date, time and place. See reading your ticket.
Paying is a conviction: and it needs the court’s approval. See what a conviction means.
One ticket is under 12: the top speeding value is 8 points. See where one ticket leaves you.
A 90-day window: a department-approved course within 90 days of the conviction can remove up to 5 points, once in four years; the conviction stays. See point removal.

What Happens After a First Time Speeding Ticket in Tennessee

A first ticket feels new, but the rules are the same ones every driver faces. The TDOSHS Schedule lists points per violation, with no separate first-ticket value.

The path below follows the order things happen. It starts with the paper in your hand and ends with your record. Each step points to the law or TDOSHS page behind it.

Seven steps after a first Tennessee speeding ticket, from reading the citation to asking your insurer

Step 1: Read Your Ticket

Start with the citation itself. By law, every citation must show the time, date and location, plus the court where it will be heard (TCA 55-10-207(c), (i)).

Look for these items:

The court name. This is where your case is filed.
The date. This is when you must appear or settle the ticket.
The charge. It names the law you are accused of breaking.
The speed. If the speed is not shown, the point value is 3.

If you lost the ticket, the Tennessee Courts Clerks List can help you find the clerk. See also how to find a Tennessee traffic ticket.

Step 2: Know What You Are Charged With

Unless a special rule applies, TCA 55-10-301(a) makes your ticket a Class C misdemeanor. That is the lowest misdemeanor class in Tennessee.

The ceiling for that class sits in TCA 40-35-111(e): 30 days behind bars, a $50 fine, or both. Your court then adds costs of its own, and those vary.

Road work raises the stakes. With workers on site, the charge becomes a Class B misdemeanor, and TCA 55-8-152 sets the fine between $250 and $500. For the full cost picture, see what affects the cost.

Step 3: Learn the Three Paths

You will have three ways forward. This guide does not say which to pick.

Pay instead of appearing, if the court approves it (TCA 55-10-207(f)).
Appear in court on the date given. The court decides the case.
Ask the court about a course. A court may require a driver education course (TCA 55-10-301(b)).

Each path is explained in pay, contest or ask about driving school. For your own case, the court clerk, TDOSHS or a Tennessee attorney can help.

Step 4: The Conviction and Your Points

Paying is not the same as making the ticket go away. Under TCA 55-50-102(16), “the payment of a fine or court cost” counts as a conviction.

Once there is a conviction, TDOSHS posts points from its Schedule of Points Values. For a car, speeding points by mph over the limit are:

1 to 5 mph: 1 point
6 to 15 mph: 3 points
16 to 25 mph: 4 points
26 to 35 mph: 5 points
36 to 45 mph: 6 points
46 mph or more: 8 points

Work zone values run higher. For more on the tiers, see speeding ticket points.

Step 5: Where One Ticket Leaves You

One ticket alone is under the adult 12-point level. The highest car speeding value is 8 points.

The TDOSHS points page sets the adult line at 12 or more points in any 12-month period. At that level, TDOSHS sends a notice of proposed suspension and offers a hearing. Other tickets in the same 12 months add to your total.

There is a lower step, too. Under Rule 1340-01-04-.04(1), an adult with 6 to 11 points in a year gets an advisory letter. So a single 8-point ticket, for 46 mph or more over, would fall in that range.

Drivers Under 18

The line is lower for teens. A driver under 18 with 6 or more points in 12 months enters the Driver Improvement Program. A single 36 to 45 mph ticket (6 points) reaches that line.

Teens with an intermediate license face more rules under TCA 55-50-311:

6 or more points after the intermediate license is issued means 90 more days before applying for an unrestricted license.
A second moving violation means a certified driver education course before the unrestricted license.
The court notifies the designated parent or guardian of a conviction.

For more, see minor driver license points.

Step 6: The 90-Day Point Removal Window

A countdown begins on the day you are convicted. TCA 55-8-207 gives you 90 days from that date to finish a department-approved course and have this ticket’s points taken off.

Read the fine print first:

5 points is the ceiling, so a 6- or 8-point ticket keeps some points.
This ticket only. Each course covers a single speeding offense.
Once per four years. A second speeding ticket in that span gets no relief.
Speeding alone. Other violations are not covered.

TDOSHS explains the rule on its Remove Speeding Points page, which describes a 4-hour course. The page is clear that the points leave but the conviction does not. Your provider has 30 days after you finish to send TDOSHS the certificate.

Paying instead of appearing does not close this door. Since July 1, 2026, Public Chapter 993 also says a driver who pays instead of appearing may register for a department-approved course. Department-approved courses must be available online through the TDOSHS website.

Step 7: Ask Your Insurer

Insurance effects depend on your insurer. No Tennessee agency publishes rate changes for a ticket.

If you want to know, ask your insurer how it treats a speeding conviction. For what Tennessee law does say, read how a speeding ticket can affect insurance.

If You Miss the Date

Letting the date slide brings its own trouble. Under TCA 55-10-207(g), the judge may order your arrest or enter a forfeiture judgment, which cannot exceed the fine and costs.

Your license is at risk as well. TCA 55-50-502(a)(1)(H)-(I) allows a TDOSHS suspension for a missed court date or unpaid fines. The court has 6 months from the violation date to report the no-show, and you get 30 days from the written notice to request a hearing on any record error.

Getting the license back then costs more. Under TCA 55-12-129, the reinstatement fee is $65 for each failure-to-satisfy-a-citation suspension, with no more than $400 at one time. For more, see failure to appear for a traffic ticket.

Check Your Record Afterward

Once the case is over, you can order your driving record (MVR), which shows the past 3 or 10 years of your driving history.

The TDOSHS MVR page lists a $5 fee online, in person at a Driver Services Center, or by mail. Online orders are for Tennessee residents, and mail is the only option for a certified copy.

If the Court Orders a Course

For a first ticket, a judge may make a driver education course part of the outcome. TCA 55-10-301(b)(1) lets the court use it on top of other penalties or in place of some of them. Nothing in Tennessee law makes the course a dismissal, so the judge’s order controls.

If you get that order, expect three things:

A list. The court clerk gives you the list of approved entities in the county.
A check. TDOSHS wants you to “confirm that the course will be accepted by the court” before an online sign-up.
A certificate. It goes back to the court that sent you.

The second and third steps are on the Court Ordered Traffic Schools page. The clerk’s list is required by TCA 55-10-301(b)(4). The order also tells you the length, since courts may require a 4-hour or 8-hour course.

Commercial License Holders

A CDL changes the first-ticket picture. Holders of a Class A, B or C license cannot use the court course option for anything but parking, in a work truck or a family car (TCA 55-10-301(c)-(d)). Under 49 CFR 384.226, the state also may not mask their convictions.

A first Tennessee speeding ticket by the numbers, from 8 points at most to the 12-point adult line

What We Found on the Official Pages

Our October 27, 2026 check found a July 20, 2026 update date on the TDOSHS points page. It still sets the adult line at 12 or more points in any 12-month period and the under-18 line at 6.

We found no TDOSHS rule that treats a first speeding ticket differently. The Schedule of Points Values, last updated in August 2025, lists one value for each speed tier.

Common Mistakes After a First Ticket

Watch for these mistakes. Each one is checked against a statute or TDOSHS page:

Sending payment before the court says yes. Approval comes first under TCA 55-10-207(f).
Believing a paid ticket leaves no mark. The law treats it as a conviction.
Forgetting the date on the citation. A no-show can end in a suspension.
Starting the course too late. The window closes 90 days after conviction.
Looking for a first-offender discount. The Schedule lists one value per speed tier.
Buying an online course for a court order before checking. If a court ordered your course, confirm it will accept an online course.

How Requirements Can Vary

Tennessee point values, the Driver Improvement Program and the speeding point-removal rule come from state law and TDOSHS rules (TCA 55-50-505, TCA 55-8-207 and Rule 1340-01-04) and apply statewide. Whether a court orders a course for your ticket, which course it orders, and how your case is handled are up to the court on your ticket or the TDOSHS letter you received. Fines and court costs depend on the court and the charge.

Laws, rules and court practice can change. Check your ticket, any court order or TDOSHS letter, the TDOSHS website and the Tennessee Code before you enroll or pay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a first speeding ticket a crime in Tennessee?

A regular speeding ticket is a Class C misdemeanor under TCA 55-10-301(a). The maximum is 30 days in jail and/or a $50 fine. The court adds its own costs.

Will one speeding ticket suspend my license?

One ticket alone does not reach the adult 12-point level, since the top car value is 8. Under 18, a 6-point ticket starts the Driver Improvement Program. Not appearing or not paying can also lead to a suspension.

Can I just pay my first speeding ticket?

You can pay instead of appearing only if the court approves it. Paying counts as a conviction, and the points go on your record. Check your ticket or ask the clerk.

Can a course remove points from my first ticket?

Yes, if it is done within 90 days of the speeding conviction. It removes up to 5 points, once in a four-year period. The conviction stays.

Can I take the course online?

Since July 1, 2026, department-approved courses must be available online through the TDOSHS website. If a court ordered your course, confirm the court will accept an online course before you register.

Will my insurance go up after a first ticket?

Each insurer decides. No Tennessee agency publishes rate changes for a ticket. Ask your insurer.

Conclusion

A first speeding ticket in Tennessee is a Class C court case that adds 1 to 8 points once there is a conviction, so read the ticket and learn your three paths. A department-approved course within 90 days of the conviction can remove up to 5 points, once in four years, and the conviction stays.

If your court ordered a 4-hour Driver Education Course or you want speeding point removal, check the TDOSHS 4-hour list or confirm the court accepts an online course. Then you can take the Tennessee Driver Education Course online.

Sources

Billy Forte is the owner of Driving Logic, an online driver education course provider serving Tennessee and other U.S. states.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Tennessee course rules, point values, fines and penalties depend on your ticket, court, TDOSHS notice and case facts, and they can change. Use official TDOSHS, Tennessee Code and court sources, and consult a qualified Tennessee attorney for advice about your own case.