Posted by duijim in on April 10, 2015
How Many Points Is A Speeding Ticket In Georgia?
The answer depends on how fast you were speeding. Speeding tickets in Georgia are broken into 4 different point levels. The levels are:
- Speeding 15 mph to 18 mph over the posted speed limit: 2 points;
- Speeding 19 mph to 23 mph over the posted speed limit: 3 points;
- Speeding 24 mph to 33 mph over the posted speed limit: 4 points;
- Speeding 34 mph or more over the posted speed limit: 6 points.
These point levels are the same whether you are speeding in a school zone, on a bridge/structure, or in a construction zone.
The point matrix is located in the Georgia Department of Driver Service’s Traffic Court Reference Manual.
Will Pleading Nolo Keep The Points Off?
Yes. If you are over 21 years old and have not pleaded Nolo to that charge in the previous 5 years you will not get points assessed on your license. However, this is a waste of a Nolo plea and will not benefit you in the long run. As a side note, if you are under 21 years old and plea Nolo Georgia DDS will convert your Nolo plea to guilty, and assign points.
Who Cares About Points?
Unless you are under 21 years old, or have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) you shouldn’t care about points. People think having points on their driving history causes their insurance premiums to rise. The truth is insurance companies don’t care how many points you have on your driving history. Insurance companies do care about having driving offenses listed on your driving history.
For instance, if you plead Nolo to a ticket, receive 0 points, and the charge goes on your driving history you can expect your insurance rates to increase. The lack of points does not keep your insurance rates from increasing.
Won’t Getting Too Many Points Suspend My License?
Yes. However, if you’re over 21 years old, and don’t have a CDL, this is very hard to do. You must amass 15 points in a 2 year period to get your license suspended. Since most moving violations in Georgia are 3 point offenses this is difficult to do. Even if you get a points suspension the suspension is a joke. You can reinstate your license the same day as long as you complete defensive driving school, and pay the reinstatement fee of $210.
As soon as you get this done you get your license back. Believe it or not, you can even get your license suspended again for accumulating too many points within a 5 year period, and you can get your license back immediately as long as you go to defensive driving school, and pay the $310 reinstatement fee. In both scenarios, a limited driving permit is available so you can drive for work, school, etc. Below is the Georgia Department of Driver Services position on point suspensions:
Points Suspensions O.C.G.A. §40-5-57 The driver‟s license of any person who has accumulated 15 or more points, as measured by the offense date, in any consecutive 24-month period shall be suspended. Not just the past 24 months, ANY 24-month period. No points shall be assessed as provided in O.C.G.A. §40-5-57 for any violation committed by a non-resident. First Assessment in Five Years Suspension – Yes; 1 year period beginning on the effective date (early return available, see below).
Limited Driving Permit – Yes – $25, , valid for 1 year from date of issuance, renewable. Reinstatement requirements: Licensee may reinstatement immediately, provided that he/she: Submits an original certificate of completion of a DDS approved Defensive Driving Course; Remits a $210.00 reinstatement fee (or $200.00 if reinstatement is applied for by mail). Second Assessment in Five Years Suspension – Yes; 3 year period beginning on the effective date (early return available, see below).
Limited Driving Permit – Yes – $25, valid for 1 year of issuance, renewable. Reinstatement requirements: Licensee may reinstatement immediately, provided that he/she: Submits an original certificate of completion of a DDS approved Defensive Driving Course; Remits a $310.00 reinstatement fee (or $300.00 if reinstatement is applied for by mail). Third Assessment in Five Years Suspension – Yes; 2 year period beginning on the effective date, no early return available. Limited Driving Permit – No.
Reinstatement requirements: Submits an original certificate of completion of a DDS approved advanced Defensive Driving Course; Remits a $410.00 reinstatement fee (or $400.00 if reinstatement is applied for by
The Official Code of Georgia section 40-5-57 may be found here.
How Do Points Affect Under 21 Year Old Drivers And CDL Holders?
Under 21 year old drivers may have their license suspended for accumulating 4 or more points in a 2 year period if the driver is under 18, and for accumulating 4 or more points in a single incident if the driver is between the ages of 18 and 21.
CDL holders will have their CDL suspended if they accumulate 4 or more points in a 2 year period.
How Do I Keep My Insurance Rates Low?
Instead of trying to keep points off your driving history focus on keeping the charges/tickets off your driving history. If you receive a citation go to court, and ask the prosecutor to reduce your charge to a non-reporting violation.
This will keep the charge, and points off your driving history. Since the charge will never go on your driving history, your insurance company will never know you got a ticket, and your rates won’t increase. Unless a charge/ticket goes on your driving history (after you’ve plead to it, or been convicted) there is no way for your insurance company to know you were written a ticket.
Insurance companies cannot tell that an officer wrote you a ticket unless you plea to the ticket/get convicted, and it is a reporting violation. Get your charge reduced to a non-reporting violation, and your insurance company will never know.
One Final Note About Insurance Companies
Large insurance companies such as State Farm, Geico, Progressive, etc. do not always know when a charge goes on your driving history. These companies use a random number generator to randomly check the driving history of policyholders when they renew their policies.
It would be too expensive, and time-consuming, for these large companies to check all of their policyholders every time they renew their policies. These companies only check a number of policyholders. It is possible your insurance rates won’t increase if you get a new charge on your driving history. However, why risk it? Go to court, and ask the prosecutor to reduce your charge to a non-reporting violation.
Book a free consultation with our Atlanta DUI Lawyers today.