Georgia Traffic Tickets | Off The Record

If you get a traffic ticket, you'll need to decide whether to pay the fine and accept the penalty placed on your driving record or to contest the ticket and plead not guilty. Choosing the first of these options is simpler, although your insurance premium may go up dramatically.

FINES & PENALTIES

Georgia traffic ticket fines vary by violation and by court. Your ticket should have the fine printed on it; if it doesn't, contact your court.

If you're recognized by the county court as a Super Speeder, you'll owe an additional $200 in fines payable to the Department of Driver Services. If you fail to pay the Super Speeder fee, your license will be suspended, and you'll owe not only the $200 violation fee but also a $50 license reinstatement fee.

SUPER SPEEDER LAW

Georgia's 'Super Speeder Law' defines a Super Speeder as a driver convicted of speeding at 75 mph or more on a two-lane road or at 85 mph and above on any road or highway in the State of Georgia.

What is Super Speeder?

In addition to the fines and fees paid to the jurisdiction where the speeding offense took place, a $200 Super Speeder state fee is to be paid by the convicted driver. Failure to pay the Super Speeder fee within 120 days of official notice will result in the suspension of the offender’s license or driving privileges. Payment of a $50 reinstatement fee in addition to the $200 Super Speeder fee will then be required to reinstate their license or driving privileges.

How will I be notified that I owe the Super Speeder fee?

If the DDS receives notification of your conviction for speeding at 75 mph or more on a two-lane road or highway, or at 85 mph and above on any road or highway in the State of Georgia, you will be notified by first class mail of the $200 Super Speeder fee. You will have 120 days from the date of the notice to pay the fee to DDS.

Will my license be suspended?

Failure to pay the Super Speeder fee to DDS within 120 days of the notice date will result in the suspension of your license, permit, or driving privilege in Georgia. If your license, permit, or driving privilege is suspended in Georgia due to non-payment of the Super Speeder fee, you must pay a $50 reinstatement fee in addition to the $200 Super Speeder fee in order to reinstate your license, permit, or driving privilege.

Out of state drivers

Out of state drivers are subject to the same requirements as Georgia drivers. If you do not pay the Super Speeder fee, the DDS will impose a suspension of your non-resident driving privilege in Georgia. The DDS will then report the suspension to your home state’s licensing authority which would then decide to take additional action, if any.

Learn more about the Super Speeder law in Chapter Five of the Georgia Driver's Manual.

DRIVER'S LICENSE SUSPENSION, REVOCATION, AND CANCELLATION

You can lose your license in a number of ways. Georgia will suspend, revoke, or cancel a driver's license for certain traffic offenses, failing to meet requirements, and even accumulating too many driving record points.

Point accumulation

Suspensions related to point accumulation apply to drivers of all ages.

If you are:

Younger than 18 years old, your license is suspended after 4 points within 12 months.
Drivers under 21 years old, your license is suspended for committing any violation worth 4 points.
21 years old or older, your license is suspended for accumulating 15 points in 24 months.

License suspension

A suspension is a temporary loss of your driving privilege that usually involves meeting certain requirements set forth by the DDS or court. Once you meet those requirements, and the suspension period is up, you can apply for license reinstatement.

License revocation

Revocations are also temporary losses of driving privileges; however, revocation periods generally last much longer and require more involved reinstatement requirements. Usually, revocations are reserved for more serious violations than are suspensions.

License cancellation

The DDS can cancel a driver's license if the person is deemed “ineligible" or failed to provide information, or correct information, during the application process. Although cancellations sound permanent, drivers can reapply for their licenses once they correct the problem that led to the cancellation.

RESPONDING TO YOUR TICKET

You can respond to a moving violation ticket in one of the following ways:

Pay the fine (or obtain an extension)There are several ways to pay the fine, including paying online and by mailing payment to the court. If the courtesy notice you receive indicates a "mandatory appearance", you must appear in court.
Contest your ticketYou can contest your ticket by either mailing the courtesy notice back to the court with the trial date box checked, or by fighting it with Off The Record.

Contesting your ticket is the best way to prevent the point penalty on your driving record and the hit to your insurance premiums.

Paying your ticket

Paying a GA traffic ticket is an admission of guilt.

This means:

You are waiving your right to challenge the traffic ticket in court.
Depending on your GA driving record, the Department of Licensing (DOL) may suspend your Georgia driver's license.
The traffic violation may cause an increase in your car insurance rates.

Fighting your ticket

Typically, you don't have to inform the court that you want to plead not guilty and contest your violation. You simply need to appear in court on the hearing date printed on your traffic ticket.

Court Trial

To request an arraignment hearing and obtain a future date for the court trial, check the appropriate box on the payment section of your ticket courtesy notice. Once your request is received, the court will set your case for arraignment and provide you with the notice of the hearing date. You may reserve a court date for arraignment either online, by mail, or in person.

Enlisting the help of an attorney can be an effective way to contest your traffic tickets, as they have the the legal expertise and court relationship to produce the best outome for your case.

HIRING AN ATTORNEY

Fighting your traffic ticket can help you avoid fines, license suspension, and increased insurance premiums. A traffic ticket attorney is a major asset in that fight. Typically, you can expect an attorney to:

Request a court trial
Request discovery for your case
Represent you in court
Negotiate with the prosecutor to have your charges dropped or reduced

PENALTIES FOR COMMERCIAL DRIVERS

All GA CDL holders must inform their employers within 30 days of being convicted of a traffic citation, regardless of the vehicles they were driving at the time of the violation.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) mandates the following commercial driver penalties.

Major Offenses

If convicted of any of the following offenses, you'll lose your CDL for 1 year:

Operating any vehicle with a BAC of 0.08% or higher.
Operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) with a BAC of 0.04%.
Refusing a sobriety test.
Leaving the scene of an accident.
Commission of a felony with the vehicle.
Driving a CMV with a suspended, revoked, or canceled CDL.
Causing a fatality through negligent driving.

Serious Offenses

Speeding 15 MPH over the limit.
Driving recklessly.
Improperly changing lanes.
Driving too closely behind another vehicle.
Driving a CMV without holding a CDL.
Driving a CMV without having your CDL in your possession.
Driving a CMV without the proper CDL endorsement.
Violating a state law of texting while driving.

If you receive a 2nd conviction of any of these violations, you'll lose your driving privileges for 60 days within 3 years. A 3rd conviction takes your privileges away for 120 days.

CDL Disqualifications

CDL drivers convicted of either of the following can lose their CDLs for 180 days to 3 years:

A driver or vehicle out-of-service order while transporting nonhazardous materials.
A driver or vehicle out-of-service order while transporting hazardous materials required to be placarded, or while driving a vehicle designed to transport 16 passengers or more.

Refer to the FMCSA and the Georgia Commercial Driver's Manual for more detailed information.

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