About the author: Lacie Glover is an insurance editor and writer and a NerdWallet authority on insurance. Speeding ticket fines in PAcan range from around $45-over $100. If you are facing a speeding ticket or traffic offense that could threaten your license, you may choose to contest the ticket and force the police and Pennsylvania prosecutors office to prove that you committed the traffic offense you were charged with beyond a reasonable doubt. When issued , most people simply pay the lower fine; however, if facing the larger ticket or the accumulation of points will cause your license to be suspended, fighting the ticket may be worthwhile. The steps to fighting your Pennsylvania traffic ticket can differ from court to court, though generally, the process consists of the following: Consider hiring a traffic ticket lawyer PRIOR to your court appearance(s). Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 106,613 times. Instead, give a noncommittal answer like, "I'm not really sure.". You need to address the ticket and start fighting it right away. You will need to attend a mandatory departmental hearing. This will involve going to court. If there's anyone who can verify you were not speeding, call them in to testify. A - IL. If you accept a plea bargain and plead guilty, your car insurance rates could go up! Check the ticket to find out whether a state, county or local officer issued it and search online for traffic procedures in that jurisdiction. Say as little as possible. When you plead not guilty, you're exercising your legal right to present your case before a judge, and implying that you: Review our page on choosing when you should fight a traffic charge for guidance. e.preventDefault(); 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. You can also fight it or negotiate in court. You should review the actual vehicle code in the area where you were allegedly speeding to make sure the officer pulled you over for the correct violation. From raising your insurance ratesto staying on your driving recordfor an extended amount of time, getting a PA speeding ticket can cause you more of a headache than just a one-time fine and getting points added to your PA driving record. Clinton M. Sandvick worked as a civil litigator in California for over 7 years. No matter what happens, you must be polite and submissive. Refer to your printed ticket for information about the presiding court handling your case. Select whether or not you want the letter mailed to the traffic ticket issuer on your behalf! Keep in mind, missing ANY of your court dates could result in: If you cannot make it to your assigned court date, usually you can request a continuance in writing or in person at the applicable PA traffic court. You can submit a discovery subpoena to the court to get certain documents that may help your case. Trial before a judge. However, an appeal is not a new trial with new witnesses. He will have a court clerk, who is his assistant. Depending on the judge's verdict, there are a variety of consequences to fighting your traffic ticket in Pennsylvania. Each traffic offense carries 2-5 points. Our partners compensate us. If you ignore it, you may have to pay additional fines and your driver's license can be suspended. After you pass, or serve your suspension, two points will be taken off your record. 3 points. Traffic Violations 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 If he refuses, ask him to note the request. You do not want the officer to think you are being hostile or reaching for a weapon. Exceeding a speed limit by 16 to 25 miles per hour. Other ways an officer can clock your speed are using a timing device such as a stopwatch or VASCAR, or following behind you clocking your speed using their speedometer. An appellate court will only look to see if any legal errors were made and whether these errors affected the final decision in the case. You take a driving course instead of paying the speeding ticket. Before you try to fight a speeding ticket, check with your insurance to see how much your premiums will increase if you fight the ticket and lose since they might go up more than if you were to just plead guilty. If you are considering fighting your speeding ticket, we have listed some strategies that might come handy: Show Up & Get Lucky As weird as it might seem, if you show up in the court as decided and the issuing officer doesn't, you'll automatically win without having to do anything at all. How to beat a Photo Speeding Ticket A notice appears in your mail telling you that you have been caught speeding or running a red light. Your sentence could include any of the following: NOTE: According the federal law, all commercial drivers MUST notify their employer of traffic charges within 30 days of conviction. Her work has been featured by USA Today, U.S. News and World Report and The Associated Press. In some cases, you may be able to look up your traffic ticket online. Make sure you choose a firm who has experience fighting traffic tickets in Pennsylvania. To do so, alert the court within 10 days of receiving the notice that you are pleading not guilty. Our attorneys can be reached at (614) 361-2804. Show Up To Court. If there are any discrepancies in the nature of the violation, you can dispute the ticket within 30 days. Comparing auto insurance rates after speeding tickets. You're only two minutes away from getting your PA speeding ticketdismissed using these steps: It's really that simple! This article has been viewed 106,613 times. 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. You have the right to subpoena witnesses or documents. These methods include Pacing, Aircraft Speed Detection, Manual Distance Timing ( VASCAR ), Laser and/or electronic Distance Timing (ENRADD) and Radar. Want to make smarter insurance decisions for the year ahead? Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Pleading "Guilty with explanation" means you admit to speeding but want to the court to take certain circumstances into consideration, which may result in your insurance premiums staying the same. 1) Admit guilt and pay the fine, 2) Attend a defensive driving class (at your expense) 3) Request a trial be set by mail. How to Get a Judge to Dismiss a Speeding Ticket from Your Phone, Can You Dispute Chicago Speeding Tickets? As a writer, her work was featured in The Associated Press, The Motley Fool and U.S. News & World Report. Call your DMV or licensing agency to see if your state has a similar program. Join 1,972,984 Americans who searched for Car Insurance Rates: In Pennsylvania, you must submit your plea of not guilty to the traffic court handling your case, within 10 days of receiving the traffic citation, if you wish to fight your ticket. Now is not the time to fight your case. 4) Tell them who the actual driver was. You can also get the ticket dismissed by proving a factual error. 2. 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. If you end up going to trial before a judge, you can expect the process to follow this general outline: If you'd like to pursue your case after a guilty verdict and sentencing, you can file an appeal with the PA Court of Common Pleas with the county court where you received your citation. If the prosecution fails to prove the case against you, you will be found not guilty. A search warrant is required without probable cause. Remember, you're not making any arguments during cross-examination. Check the violation and fines, and make certain that your name, address, vehicle information and license number are all correct. Log-in to DoNotPay and find the Speeding Ticket product. All financial products, shopping products and services are presented without warranty. Box 597 Baltimore, MD 21203-0597 Work Phone: By phone This information may be different than what you see when you visit a financial institution, service provider or specific products site. Traffic attorney explains 20 ways to defend yourself if you have a speeding ticket. First, look over your citation. Our office accepts e-mails from parties that visit this website, but the sending of such e-mails does not create an attorney-client relationship and therefore these communications cannot be treated as privileged or confidential. You may think that your only option once you have received a speeding ticket is to pay the fine, watch your insurance rates rise, and accept the addition of points from PennDOT. Look up the method the officer used to clock your speed, note its weaknesses and prepare to present them. But you do have an option you can fight your speeding ticket. Unfortunately, enrolling in a defensive driving course will not reduce points on your Pennsylvania driving record. For every ticket that you pay, a percentage goes to the contracted company and the rest goes to the city. 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. However, that isnt the only cost youll be assessed. Find out how to fight a speeding ticket or other traffic offense, and when you should hire our speeding ticket lawyers to help you. But for a civil complaint such as simple speeding - do not pay! 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. Fighting a speeding ticket is about 3 goals: keeping your driving record clear. However, if you dont pass within 30 days, your license will be suspended until you do. The cost for PA speeding tickets varies according to the speeding scale fineover the posted speed limit. In-person at any local District Court or the. There are three ways to set your court date. A few tears while explaining the circumstances and showing extreme remorse may be all that is needed. The far greater consideration is that your insurance costs will rise. 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. If it is at night, turn on your interior lights Then place your hands on the top of your steering wheel palms up, facing your face. If he asks how fast you were going, you do not have to answer the question. 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. Go back to the scene of the citation. You should only plead "guilty with explanation" if you were speeding due to an emergency. "Pacing" is a method often used by officers to determine whether a driver is speeding. Fighting with the police officer never increases your chances of leniency. Cost more money long term: After a ticket, your car insurance rates can rise by hundreds of dollars per year. We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. Instruction manuals include maintenance schedules you can question the officer about, and they may note radar gun weaknesses, for example. Call 855-868-1675. In other cases, fighting the ticket may be the best option. In most cases, this includes the Pennsylvania traffic ticket fine AND any court costs and surcharges. You can get certain records at the DMV that can help you with your case. CALL NOW: 800-874-8583; Choose Your State. If you plan to fight the ticket, youll have to go to court, where a prosecutor will have to prove you were speeding. As soon as you've entered your plea, begin preparing for trial. Afterward, write down everything about the incident, including the time of day, location and anything that might have affected the circumstances, such as obscured or missing speed limit signs. Turn your car off, and turn the. The best tactic is to comply with the officer's requests, responding without embellishment. Passing this class removes 2 points from your record. Paying a traffic ticket in PA may be done online, by mail, or in person, depending on where you received your citation. Outcomes may include: You pay all or some of the ticket, but it doesnt affect your driving record. If you commit serious traffic violations pa, you will face fines that are heavier penalties. Show respect in your actions and words. OK92033) Property & Casualty Licenses, NerdWallet | 55 Hawthorne St. - 11th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. How a speeding ticket is classified depends on several factors. Incorrect Details on Your Ticket Before you do anything else, take a close look at the citation you were given by the officer. If the officer cant remember you, he or she might fail to recall details in front of a judge. Several hundred dollars are now being demanded from you because the camera captured your car and license plate. 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. Where you have a strong defense, we can present your case to the magistrate or judge and demonstrate that the prosecutor cant prove you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. You usually have to post bail in the amount of the fine, so check with the court to make sure you have the proper amount and proper payment method. Your best chances to win the argument will be if you have physical proof you werent speeding. However, this can only be used once. For example, the fine for speeding is $120-$200, and the fine for careless driving is $400-$2000. Although paying a $50 ticket might not seem that bad, consider the true cost of a speeding ticket. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. 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. 1. You can view a breakdown of Pennsylvania's traffic fines, updated in 2014, on the Traffic Injury Prevention Project website. return false; 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 . If you're searching for an easy way to get out of a speeding ticketin Pennsylvania or any other state, DoNotPay can help. 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. Evidence could include dashcam video or GPS data from a smartphone app, or photographic evidence that a speed limit sign was obscured. 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. However, the best way to avoid losing money over a speeding ticket is to simply plead "not guilty" and fight the ticket in court. 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. Here are the 16 top reasons cited for getting out of a speeding ticket, and their rates of success as determined by CarInsurance.com: I'm bringing home hot food and didn't want it to get cold (11% . Select whether or not you want the letter mailed to the traffic ticket issuer on your behalf! Fighting a Speeding Ticket in Pennsylvania The penalties for a speeding ticket can include fines, points on your record, and a suspended license. For instance, NerdWallets 2020 rate study found that: A 40-year-old driver with good credit and full coverage will pay $355 more per year after one speeding ticket, on average. How to Fight a Speeding Ticket - What to Do in 10 Steps Contents Remain calm and respectful Sign the paper copy of the ticket Check your contact information on your ticket copy Make sure you know how to handle the citation Read the instructions on how to pay your speeding ticket Attend defensive driving school instead of paying the fine Do not say, "I was going 62 in a 55 zone," for example. 1. Ask specifics. If you recently received a speeding ticket in PA, don't just pay the fine without a fight. Call (614) 361-2804. Based on your jurisdiction, your speeding offense may be considered an infraction, misdemeanor or felony. Going to court to contest a speeding ticket or traffic offense may be worthwhile if: Our Pennsylvania traffic attorneys will stand by your side throughout the process of contesting a speeding ticket or traffic violation. Although you have the right to represent yourself in court, you will likely feel much more comfortable with the help of a traffic attorney. Remember, only 50% of people who fight traffic tickets get their tickets dismissed. We can negotiate on your behalf, reducing or even eliminating the fines and points you will be assessed. We are good at it. If your traffic violation still appears erroneously, you could be on the hook for major fines and even license suspension. If the officer clocks you at greater than 11 miles over the speed limit the ticket grows to $500. 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). You can fight your traffic ticket by scheduling a court hearing. A sympathetic officer may be more likely to issue a warning instead of a ticket. Besides helping you win against speeding tickets in PA, DoNotPay can help you solve all your traffic ticket needs and other issues. Credit card payment by telephone by calling 800-390-7151. Credit card payment online by clicking on the "Pay or Contest Violation" button below. When evaluating offers, please review the financial institutions Terms and Conditions. Law Firm Website Design by The Modern Firm, Emergency medical service (EMS) surcharge: $10, Judicial computer program / access to justice account surcharge: $10, General fund surcharges: $30-300 depending on the traffic offense and your driving history, Court Costs: $37 or $45 if you request a hearing, Fourth or higher suspension = 1 year, no matter how many points, You are facing a potential suspension because of points, Your ticket is based off a VASCAR device reading (these devices must be properly calibrated and are often inaccurate), Police committed errors in tracking your vehicle, issuing the citation to the right vehicle, or performing the stop, You believe your officer may not show up to the hearing. There are other possible ways your speeding ticket can shake out. Generally, you must inform the court in person if you plead not guilty. In order to fight the traffic ticket, the driver must appear before a judge. Check the PAePay website to see if the traffic court your ticket was assigned to accepts online payments, as it varies by county. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Thank you for your time.
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