How Much Is a Speeding Ticket in Tennessee? Costs, Points

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

If you want to know how much is a speeding ticket in tennessee, there is no single statewide price: the fine for a regular speeding ticket is capped at $50, and the court adds its own costs. Speeding also adds 1 to 8 points to your record, based on how far over the limit you were. Your main options are to pay if the court allows it, go to court, or ask the court about a driver education course.

Key Facts

The fine cap: a regular speeding ticket is a Class C misdemeanor with a fine of up to $50. See what a ticket costs.
Special zones cost more: a work zone with workers present carries a $250 to $500 fine. See special zones.
Points by speed: TDOSHS adds 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 8 points. See points.
Three paths: pay if the court approves, go to court, or ask about a course. See your options.
Points can come off: a department-approved course within 90 days of one speeding conviction removes up to 5 points, once in four years; the conviction stays. See point removal.
Missing court has a cost: not paying or not appearing can lead to a suspension. See missed dates.

How Much Is a Speeding Ticket in Tennessee?

Tennessee has no single price list for speeding tickets. Instead, the cost comes from state law plus the court that handles your case.

Under TCA 55-10-301(a), a traffic violation with no other penalty set is a Class C misdemeanor. Under TCA 40-35-111(e), a Class C misdemeanor carries up to 30 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $50. So the fine part of a regular speeding ticket cannot go above $50.

The fine is only one part of the bill. Court costs are set by each court, so two tickets for the same speed can cost different amounts.

To learn your total, check the court named on your ticket. The Tennessee Courts Clerks List shows clerk contacts by county and court type.

For more on each piece, read what affects the cost of a speeding ticket.

Special Zones Can Raise the Fine

Some places carry their own penalty under TCA 55-8-152:

Work zones: speeding when workers are present is a Class B misdemeanor with a fine of $250 to $500.
Special residential zones: speeding in a special municipal residential zone is a Class C misdemeanor with a $200 fine.

Where Each Part of the Bill Comes From

Part of the bill	Who sets it	Where to check
Fine for a regular ticket	State law caps it at $50	TCA 40-35-111
Court costs	The court on your ticket	The court clerk
Work zone fine	State law: $250 to $500	TCA 55-8-152
Course fee, if a court requires one	State law: a fee between $50 and $175 may be assessed	TCA 55-10-301(b)(2)

For a court-required course, the law also says “no one shall be refused admittance for inability to pay.”

Points for a Speeding Ticket

Points come from the TDOSHS Schedule of Points Values. For a car, the speeding values are:

1 point for 1 to 5 mph over.
3 points for 6 to 15 mph over, or when the speed is not shown on the ticket.
4 points for 16 to 25 mph over.
5 points for 26 to 35 mph over.
6 points for 36 to 45 mph over.
8 points for 46 mph or more over.

Work zone values are higher: 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8. Commercial vehicles also have their own values. For the full breakdown, see how many points a speeding ticket is.

For adults, 6 to 11 points in a year brings an advisory letter.

Twelve or more in any 12-month period brings a notice of proposed suspension and a chance at a hearing, per the TDOSHS points page. For drivers under 18, action starts at 6 points.

Your Options After a Speeding Ticket

A speeding ticket leaves you three paths. This section explains them; it does not tell you which one to pick.

Settle by paying. TCA 55-10-207(f) allows it only when the court that has the case approves.
Show up in court. The judge hears the case on the date printed on your citation.
Raise the course question. Judges have the power to require driver education under TCA 55-10-301(b).

Settling by payment still leaves a record. Tennessee’s definition of “conviction” in TCA 55-50-102(16) includes paying a fine or court cost, so your speed’s points are posted.

Five stages of a Tennessee speeding ticket, from the citation to the 90-day point removal window

Each path has its own details, covered in pay, contest or ask about driving school. If this is your first ticket, see what to expect after a first ticket.

Removing Speeding Points With a Course

Speeding points follow a statewide rule, TCA 55-8-207.

The trigger is a speeding conviction. Complete a department-approved course in the 90 days after that conviction, and TDOSHS takes off that ticket’s points. Four limits apply:

5 points is the most it can take off.
A single speeding offense is covered by each course.
One use is allowed in any four-year stretch.
Speeding convictions are the only ones it reaches.

On its Remove Speeding Points page, TDOSHS says the conviction itself stays on the record. That page describes a 4-hour course, and providers have 30 days to send TDOSHS the certificate.

Public Chapter 993 took effect July 1, 2026. Drivers who settle a speeding ticket by paying, without a court appearance, may now sign up for a department-approved course as well. Department-approved courses must be available online through the TDOSHS website.

Court-Ordered Driver Education Courses

Under TCA 55-10-301(b)(1), a court can add a driver education course to a sentence or use it in place of part of one. The effect on your case is the judge’s call, and no Tennessee law says a course dismisses a ticket.

A court order sets off a short chain: the clerk hands you the county list of approved entities, you finish the course, and the clerk tells TDOSHS. The order itself says whether you need 4 or 8 hours.

Before you sign up online, TDOSHS asks you to check with the judge first. Its Court Ordered Traffic Schools page says to confirm “that the course will be accepted by the court.” For the full court path, see your ticket options.

The 8-Hour Class Is a Separate Program

The 8-hour TDOSHS Driver Improvement class is not a speeding ticket course. It comes after a notice of proposed suspension for too many points.

It must be done within 90 days, and the 8-hour class does not remove points. For the full process, see the 8-hour class and license suspension guide.

If You Miss the Date or Do Not Pay

A judge can respond with a warrant or a forfeiture judgment capped at the fine and costs, under TCA 55-10-207(g).

A license problem can follow too. TCA 55-50-502(a)(1)(H)-(I) lets TDOSHS suspend drivers who skip court or leave fines unpaid. See the failure to appear guide, or find your ticket and court if you lost it.

Commercial License Holders

Anyone with a Class A, B or C license is shut out of the court course option for every ticket but parking, whatever vehicle they drove (TCA 55-10-301(c)-(d)).

Federal rules point the same way. 49 CFR 384.226 bars states from masking a CDL driver’s conviction. And 49 CFR 383.51 lists going 15 mph or more over as a serious violation, with a 60-day disqualification for a second one in 3 years. For an offense in a personal vehicle, this applies only if the conviction leads to a license suspension, revocation or cancellation.

Insurance and Reckless Driving

Each insurer decides how a ticket affects your rate. No Tennessee agency publishes increase amounts. See how a speeding ticket can affect insurance.

A charge of reckless driving is not a speeding ticket. It is a Class B misdemeanor with 6 points in a car, plus a $50 fine the court must add. See reckless driving penalties and course options.

Tennessee speeding ticket numbers set by law, from the $50 fine cap to the four-year limit on point removal

Tennessee Ticket Guides in This Series

Fines and costs: what changes the total.
First ticket: what to expect, step by step.
Your options: pay, court or a course.
Insurance: who decides rates.
Reckless driving penalties: jail, fines and points.
What reckless driving is: the legal definition.
Reckless driving and speed: the school zone rule.
Felony question: why reckless driving is a misdemeanor and which separate crimes are felonies.
Reckless driving vs speeding: the key differences.
Seat belt tickets: cost, and why no points are added.
Ticket lookup: finding your ticket and court.

What We Found on the Official Pages

We reviewed the TDOSHS pages again on October 27, 2026. The Remove Speeding Points page showed an October 14, 2026 update.

It still names a 4-hour course and the 90-day window. The Schedule of Points Values was last updated in August 2025.

We found no statewide fine schedule on any official page. Fines come from state law, and court costs come from each court.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

These slips all run against a Tennessee statute or TDOSHS page:

Treating payment as a clean slate. State law calls it a conviction.
Letting the 90 days run out. The point-removal clock starts at conviction.
Hoping the ticket disappears. Point removal leaves the conviction in place.
Trying it on a non-speeding ticket. TCA 55-8-207 reaches speeding alone.
Guessing about an online course for a court order. Ask the judge’s clerk before you sign up.

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

How much is a speeding ticket in Tennessee?

There is no statewide price. The fine for a regular speeding ticket can be up to $50, and the court adds its own costs. Work zone speeding with workers present carries a $250 to $500 fine.

How many points is a speeding ticket in Tennessee?

It depends on your speed over the limit. A car gets 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 8 points under the TDOSHS Schedule. A ticket with no speed shown gets 3 points.

Does paying a speeding ticket count as a conviction?

Yes. Tennessee’s legal definition of a conviction includes paying the fine or a court cost. Paying in place of a court date also requires the court’s OK.

Can a course take points off a speeding ticket?

For one speeding conviction, yes. Finish a department-approved course inside 90 days of that conviction, and as many as 5 points come off. You get one use per four years, and the conviction remains.

Can a course dismiss my speeding ticket?

No Tennessee law says a course dismisses a ticket. A judge can add a course to a sentence or swap it for part of one. Only the court can say what it means for your case.

What happens if I ignore a speeding ticket?

A judge can issue a warrant or enter a forfeiture judgment. TDOSHS can then suspend your license for the missed date or unpaid fine.

Does a speeding ticket raise insurance in Tennessee?

Each insurer decides. No Tennessee agency publishes rate increase amounts.

Conclusion

A Tennessee speeding ticket costs a fine of up to $50 plus the costs your court sets, and more in a work zone; it also adds 1 to 8 points. A department-approved course within 90 days of the conviction can remove up to 5 of them, once in four years, and the conviction stays.

If you need a 4-hour Driver Education Course because a court ordered one or you want speeding point removal, check the TDOSHS 4-hour list or confirm with your court that it 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.