Fight and Beat a Speeding Ticket
You were just caught speeding and now you’ve got a ticket. What do you do?! You’re going to fight it and beat that speeding ticket. Here’s how:
Disclaimer: This is only for educational purposes, and no results are guaranteed. As of this writing, I am not a licensed attorney.
Pull it over
You’ve got to have the proper mindset from the get-go. We’ll first back up and look at how you should behave if you get pulled over for a speeding violation.
Be polite. This is the cardinal rule throughout the entire speeding ticket fight. Be polite, courteous, and professional. If you act like a dirt bag, the police and the courts will treat you like one. Get respect by giving it.
Submit. Once you’ve pulled off the main roadway, show the officer that you’re not hostile. Turn your car off, turn the interior light on, and turn the hazard lights on (if needed). Place your hands on the steering wheel, so the policeman can see them.
Shut up. Anything you say can and will be used against you. That means don’t admit that you’re guilty. You could say something like, “I didn’t realize I was going that fast.” It doesn’t directly admit guilt, but it’s also not arguing with the officer.
Blend in. When it comes trial time, you’re counting on the officer’s lack of memory. The less memorable you are, the better your chances are of getting off scott free. Be nice, but not too nice. Blend in as just another traffic stop.
Get out of the speeding ticket
Go to traffic school. Many states allow you to take a one-day course in driving safety, pay the speeding ticket, and have it cleansed from your record. This keeps your insurance premiums lower and will ultimately decrease the cost of a speeding ticket. But requirements do vary by state.
Other methods… Check into other avenues of forgiveness with your state. Some states will simply dismiss a ticket if you haven’t had any other vehicle-related citations in a certain number of years. Other states will put you on a form of probation and dismiss the ticket, as long as you don’t receive another ticket within a certain number of months.
Research and prepare
Read a book. Actually paying a ticket can cost quite a bit in higher insurance premiums. It’s worth your while to purchase a book and figure out how to fight the citation. “Beat Your Ticket”
Look up the law. If you don’t know what you’re being charged with, look it up. Be sure you know the particular violation, so you understand what you’re fighting. Information is power!
Survey the court. Get the low-down on traffic court before your day. Just go sit in the courtroom for a few minutes a few days before your speeding ticket is scheduled. This will help you be more relaxed when the time comes.
Go to traffic ticket court
Follow the rules. Courts are full of crazy rules and regulations. Be nice to the clerks and they’ll help you understand what to do.
Dress nicely. If you show up to court in rags, you’ll be treated like a bum. Wear a suit, and you’ll get some respect.
Be prepared. By having an arsenal of information and documents, you improve your chances of winning. One guy used Google Maps in court to prove to the judge that the officer was wrong.
Find more resources
This guide isn’t meant to be totally comprehensive. Frankly, no page could be, since jurisdictions vary so much. But here are some other resources to check out:
Web pages
It pays to avoid a speeding ticket – or fight one (MSN Money)
How to beat a speeding ticket (or at least better your chances) (Lifehacker)
Beat your ticket, get your day in court (Oregon Legal Research)
Ten Minute Ticket Fighter (National Motorists Association)
Books
Beat Your Ticket: Go to Court & Win
An Educated Guide To Speeding Tickets-How To Beat Avoid Them
Fight Your Ticket and Win in California
Other books at Amazon
Court information
California traffic court
New York, Ithaca City, traffic court
Florida traffic citation payment
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8 Responses to “Fight and Beat a Speeding Ticket”
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About Andrew Flusche
Lawyer, bicyclist, husband.
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August 16th, 2007
Speeding tickets are very difficult to get out of in Albe/Cville. Also be careful to qualify everything remotely advice-like with “this is merely intended for information purposes”. Be wary of appearing to promise more than can be achieved (a big source of bar complaints). That is just my humble advice, which of course is just intended to be information purposes 🙂
August 16th, 2007
Jennifer – Thanks a ton for your advice. I have usually added a disclaimer to posts like this, which I forgot to do initially on this one. But you’ve reminded me to fix that.
Thanks for your great comments,
Andrew
August 18th, 2007
Great advice, Andrew. The tip about keeping your hands on the steering wheel and turning on your dome light is great. I’ve heard from many police officers that this makes pulling someone over much less nerve racking. Consequently, by being considerate to them, they’ll be considerate to you.
August 19th, 2007
Brett – I’m glad you’ve heard officers back up that advice. It’s good to know that I’m not just spouting nonsense. 🙂
August 21st, 2007
You are right, allways it is the best to stay cool and friendly, but do you really think, that this will change anything ?
August 22nd, 2007
Paul – Who knows? If the officer is having a rough day and you’re the only polite, smiling face, it just might tip the scale and get you off with a warning. Better to try and fail than never try at all, right?
Although, better to not speed. 🙂
May 7th, 2008
We always advise people to stay calm and polite during a traffic stop. Many times this factor alone will result in a motorist not being ticketed in the first place. It is always good to stroke the officers ego as officers rightfully take great pride in the work that they do. Always address with YES SIR, OFFICER, ect. It goes along way. Also, making no threating sudden movements and keeping your hands at 10 and 2 during the traffic stop will result in the officer being less tense and hopefully overlooking or letting you go on minor offenses.
February 10th, 2009
I tried to fight a ticket given to me by a photo enforcement van. I figured I’d lose unless the cop decided not to show. If he did show i figured one less photo van on our streets…maybe…