How Much Is a Speeding Ticket in Texas? Costs and Options

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

How much is a speeding ticket in Texas depends on your court, because state law sets a general fine range of $1 to $200 and each court adds its own costs. There is no statewide price list by speed. After the fine, your choices are to pay, to contest the ticket, or, if you qualify, to ask for a driving safety course that ends in a dismissal.

Key Facts

Fine range: Texas law sets $1 to $200 for most rules-of-the-road offenses when no other penalty applies. See the cost basics.
Three paths: pay, contest, or request a driving safety course. Deferred disposition is a fourth path the judge controls. See your options.
Course deadline: the request is due on or before the answer date on your citation. See who can use the course.
Record: a conviction is reported to Texas DPS. A charge dismissed through the course may not be part of your driving record. See your record.
No points: Texas ended its point and surcharge program on Sept. 1, 2019. See your record.

How Much Is a Speeding Ticket in Texas?

Speeding falls under the Texas rules of the road. Transportation Code Chapter 542 says breaking one of those rules is a misdemeanor. If no other penalty is set, the fine is “not less than $1 or more than $200.”

That range is the starting point, not the bill. Courts add court costs and fees, and those differ from one court to the next. State law also adds a few fixed charges.

You will not find an official chart that says “10 over costs this much” for the whole state. Each justice or municipal court sets its own amount within the law. The only sure way to learn your number is to ask the court named on your citation.

For a closer look at what moves the fine, read what affects a Texas speeding fine. For every charge that can land on the final bill, see the total cost guide.

Read Your Citation First

The paper the officer hands you is a written notice to appear. Transportation Code Chapter 543 says an officer must issue one for speeding when you sign a written promise to appear. Signing gets you released at the scene.

The notice lists the court and a date. The law sets that date at least 10 days after the stop, unless you ask for an earlier hearing. Breaking a written promise to appear on purpose is its own misdemeanor.

Look for these items on the citation:

The court: a justice court or a municipal court.
The answer date: the date by which you must respond.
The offense: the speed charged and the posted limit.
Notes: any mark that workers were present in a work zone.

The answer date is the key item. It is the deadline for the driving safety course request.

Your Options After a Texas Speeding Ticket

Under Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 45A, you can plead guilty, not guilty, or nolo contendere (no contest). Each option below starts with one of those pleas. This is general information, so talk to the court or a lawyer about your own case.

Pay the Ticket

Paying means a plea of guilty or no contest. The result is a conviction. The court must send a record of it to Texas DPS no later than the seventh day after the conviction.

Contest the Ticket

You plead not guilty and the court sets the case for trial. You can ask for a jury or waive one in writing.

There is no promised result. See contesting a Texas speeding ticket in court.

Ask for a Driving Safety Course

You plead guilty or no contest and ask for the course on or before the answer date. You then have 90 days to finish it and turn in your papers. When you do, the court dismisses the charge.

Ask About Deferred Disposition

A judge may delay the case for up to 180 days and set conditions. If you meet them, the complaint is dismissed. This path is up to the judge, not a right.

The side-by-side comparison of these paths lives in Texas speeding ticket options.

Steps after a Texas speeding ticket, from reading the citation to the court's final result

Who Can Use the Driving Safety Course

The driving safety course, also called defensive driving, is approved by TDLR. It runs at least 360 minutes. TDLR’s Taking a Driving Safety Course page says it can be used for ticket dismissal or insurance discounts.

Chapter 45A says the judge must allow the course when every condition is met:

You hold a Texas license or permit, or you are an active-duty military member, spouse or dependent child.
You did not complete a course in the 12 months before the date of this ticket.
You plead guilty or no contest and ask on or before the answer date.
You show proof of insurance.
The ticket is not for 25 mph or more over the limit, or for 95 mph or more.

Some drivers have no right to the course at all. That includes anyone who holds a CDL, or held one on the ticket date. It also includes work-zone offenses with workers present and “serious traffic violations.”

If you miss the answer date, the court may still allow the course before the case ends. It does not have to. Since Sept. 1, 2025, one course can dismiss every eligible charge from the same stop.

What a Ticket Does to Your Driving Record

A conviction goes to Texas DPS. A dismissal works differently. Chapter 45A says a charge dismissed through the course “may not be part of a person’s driving record or used for any purpose.”

The court still tells DPS that you finished a course and when. Transportation Code Chapter 521 says your record can show the fact of a course, but not the reason.

Texas no longer adds points. DPS says the Driver Responsibility Program was repealed on Sept. 1, 2019.

DPS must still suspend the license of a habitual violator. That means 4 or more moving-violation convictions in 12 months, or 7 or more in 24 months.

Insurance After a Speeding Ticket

The Texas Department of Insurance says plainly that companies “will charge you more if you’ve had accidents or gotten tickets.” Each company sets its own rates. No state rule says how much or for how long.

The law protects a course dismissal. An insurer may not cancel your policy or raise your premium because you took the course or had the charge dismissed. Read how a Texas speeding ticket affects insurance for more.

Special Cases to Know

A few situations change the rules. Each has its own guide.

Work zones: the minimum and maximum fines double when workers are present, and these offenses are excluded from the course right. See school zone and work zone tickets.
CDL holders: federal rules can disqualify a CDL after two serious traffic violations in 3 years. See the CDL speeding ticket guide.
Out-of-state drivers: Texas reports convictions to your home state under the Driver’s License Compact. See Texas tickets for out-of-state drivers.
Offense level: a fine-only offense is a Class C misdemeanor. See whether a speeding ticket is a misdemeanor.

The Numbers in One Place

Every figure below comes from a statute or an agency page. Court costs are left out because they vary.

Item	What the law says
General fine	$1 to $200 if no other penalty applies
Work zone, workers present	Minimum and maximum fines doubled
Course speed limit	Not for 25+ mph over or 95+ mph
Course request	On or before the answer date
Time to finish the course	90 days after the plea
Court course fee	Up to $10 per eligible charge, plus court costs

Summary card of Texas speeding ticket numbers set by law, from the fine range to the 90-day course window

What We Found on the Official Pages

On the Texas Legislature’s compiled statute pages we checked on October 26, 2026, the course rules sat in Chapter 45A, Arts. 45A.351 to 45A.359. Chapter 45A replaced the old Chapter 45 on Jan. 1, 2025, so older web pages that cite the old article numbers are out of date.

The same text showed the change from SB 296. Since Sept. 1, 2025, one completed course can cover each eligible charge from the same criminal transaction. The court may charge its fee of up to $10 for each one.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Each point below comes straight from a Texas rule:

Waiting past the answer date. After that date, the course is up to the court.
Paying when you meant to ask for the course. Paying is a plea that leads to a conviction.
Assuming any speed qualifies. 25 mph or more over the limit, or 95 mph or more, is excluded.
Forgetting the CDL rule. Holding a CDL bars the course right in any vehicle.
Skipping the paperwork. You need the certificate, your driving record and an affidavit within 90 days.
Ignoring the citation. Breaking a written promise to appear on purpose is a separate offense.

Texas Speeding Ticket Guides in This Series

Each guide below goes deep on one topic:

What affects the fine: the $1 to $200 range and the fixed state fines.
Pay, contest or take the course: the options compared.
Insurance: what TDI says about tickets and rates.
Out-of-state drivers: the Compact and the license rule.
Misdemeanor or not: what Class C means.
CDL holders: federal disqualification rules.
School and work zones: doubled work-zone fines.
Total cost: every part of the bill.
Contesting in court: the not guilty plea and trial.

How Requirements Can Vary

The driving safety course rules come from Texas law and TDLR and apply statewide. Each justice or municipal court still sets its own fees, filing steps and contact methods, and the facts of your citation decide which options you have.

Laws, fees and court procedures can change. Check your citation, ask the court that handles your case, and use the TDLR and Texas DPS websites for current rules before you act.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a speeding ticket in Texas?

State law sets a general fine of $1 to $200 when no other penalty applies. Courts add their own costs, so the total depends on the court. Call the court on your citation for your exact amount.

Does a speeding ticket add points to my Texas license?

No. Texas repealed its point and surcharge program on Sept. 1, 2019. Convictions still go on your DPS record, and too many in a short time can lead to a habitual violator suspension.

When do I have to ask for the driving safety course?

On or before the answer date on your citation, along with a plea of guilty or no contest. After that date, the court may still allow it but does not have to.

Can I take the course if I was going 30 mph over?

Not as a right. Texas law excludes speeding 25 mph or more over the limit and 95 mph or more. Ask the court what other options it offers.

Will paying the ticket raise my insurance?

It can. TDI says companies charge more for tickets, and each company decides how much. A charge dismissed through the course cannot be used to raise your premium.

Can I get more than one ticket from the same stop dismissed?

Yes, if each charge would qualify on its own. Since Sept. 1, 2025, one course can dismiss each eligible charge from the same stop. The court may charge up to $10 for each one.

Conclusion

A Texas speeding ticket starts with a fine of $1 to $200, plus costs your court sets. You can pay, contest, or, if you qualify, finish a driving safety course for a dismissal.

Check your answer date first, because it decides whether the course is a right. If the course fits your case, Driving Logic’s online Texas driving safety course is one option to consider.

Sources

Billy Forte is the owner of Driving Logic, a state-approved driver improvement course provider serving Texas and other U.S. states.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Texas traffic and driving safety course rules are set by Texas law, TDLR, Texas DPS and each court, and they can change. Check with the court on your citation and the official TDLR and DPS websites for current requirements, and talk to a Texas lawyer about your specific case.