Speeding Ticket How Many Points in Georgia? Fines, Misdemeanors and Failure to Appear

By: William C. Head, Atlanta Georgia Speeding Ticket Lawyer

Speeding Tickets in GA

A Georgia speeding ticket carries 0 to 6 license points, depending on how far over the posted limit the officer clocked you. No points attach to a conviction for less than 15 mph over the limit. A speeding conviction here is a misdemeanor crime, not a civil infraction like it is in many other states.

Drivers ask two versions of the same question after every stop: speeding ticket how many points will this add to my record, or simply speeding how many points does Georgia assess?

Georgia has some of the strictest policies among all states in the country for speeding tickets in GA. In the city of Atlanta and the greater Atlanta area, there are many speed traps and it is very well-known in the community. Even in small towns outside of the metropolitan area, motorists are stopped while traveling on interstate highways. Especially if you are stopped while driving over 75 mph, you will be given a ticket with a very high fine.

Your Georgia driver's license will not be suspended over just one infraction of the speeding law, but with a multitude of violations, it can be. One speeding ticket in Georgia can have you facing much higher insurance rates as well. An Atlanta criminal defense attorney can defend you in court or negotiate a plea.

This page also covers what happens when a driver misses the court date printed on the citation.

Is a Traffic Violation a Misdemeanor in Georgia?

Traffic law violations are the most common criminal offenses in Georgia. And yes, traffic violations in Georgia are considered crimes. Traffic violations are most likely misdemeanors in the state of Georgia, which carries penalties of a $1,000 fine and up to 12 months of jail time. Traffic violations are handled in a multitude of courts including county probate court, state court, magistrate court, municipal court, and juvenile court for drivers younger than 16 years of age.

You possibly can be arrested for a speeding ticket in Georgia, although it is not likely for an ordinary citation. Some speed-related charges climb well past a routine misdemeanor. Reckless driving, aggressive driving, and fleeing or eluding an officer all carry stiffer penalties. Prosecutors often add those counts to a high-speed stop, and a speeding charge filed alongside them may be treated far more seriously, depending on the officer's charging decision. Speed is not the only exposure at a traffic stop either, since DUI law in Georgia adds much heavier penalties when the officer suspects impairment.

A misdemeanor conviction also creates a permanent criminal record. Unlike a civil ticket in other states, a Georgia traffic conviction can surface on employment and housing background checks years later. Other Atlanta misdemeanor charges leave the same lasting mark.

Because this is a criminal case, the court date on your citation is mandatory. Miss it, and the judge may issue a warrant for your arrest.

Georgia Speeding Ticket Fines

The "Super Speeder Law" in Georgia is defined as a driver convicted of speeding 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. On top of the fine paid to the jurisdiction where the speeding took place, there is an additional $200 Super Speeder state fee that is also to be paid by the driver. Failing to pay that fee within 90 days after the Department of Driver Services mails its notice will result in a suspended license, and a $50 reinstatement fee will be added.

Fines for traffic tickets vary by the different violations and by the court that has summoned you. If you get a speeding ticket, the fine should be printed on the citation. If you simply pay the ticket outright, that is an admission of guilt.

A basic speeding citation in metro Atlanta often runs from roughly $150 to $500. Court surcharges and state add-on fees frequently double the printed amount.

Ignoring the fine does not make it go away. The court can add a failure to appear charge on top of the original ticket and forfeit any bond you posted. Unpaid balances may then move to collections, and the hold on your license stays until the case is resolved.

Super Speeder fees work separately. The Georgia Department of Driver Services bills that $200 fee by mail within 30 days after the conviction is reported, so paying the court does not end the obligation. Drivers who move without updating their address often never see the notice. Beating the underlying Super Speeder charge is the only way to keep the fee from being assessed at all.

How Many Points Is a Speeding Ticket?

The Georgia point system runs from 2 to 6 points for speeding, and 15 points inside any 24-month period triggers a suspension. The State assesses no points for speeding convictions less than 15 miles per hour over the posted speed limit, and none for a conviction of driving too fast for conditions.

Georgia breaks speeding tickets into four point levels:

• 15 to 18 mph over the posted limit: 2 points
• 19 to 23 mph over the posted limit: 3 points
• 24 to 33 mph over the posted limit: 4 points
• 34 mph or more over the posted limit: 6 points

Drivers under 21 face a much lower threshold. A conviction for speeding 24 mph or more over the limit can cost a driver under 21 his or her license outright, so one high-point ticket may end a teen's driving privileges. Drivers under 18 may be suspended after just 4 points in any 12-month period.

Points can come off a record. A DDS-approved defensive driving course cuts the point total by seven points, but a driver may use that reduction only once in any five-year period. The driver must send the course completion certificate to DDS to get the credit.

Out-of-state drivers are not out of reach. Georgia reports convictions to other states through the Driver License Compact, so a ticket here may still add points to a home-state license. Point schedules and reinstatement fees are set by DDS and can change.

What Happens If You Miss Traffic Court in Georgia

The rules on failure to appear in court Georgia drivers face are strict. They start with one fact: a traffic citation is a criminal charge, not a bill. The date printed on the ticket is a command to appear. In Georgia, not showing up to court is a separate offense from the speeding charge itself.

The sequence is predictable. The judge calls the case, the driver is not there, and the court issues a bench warrant. Any cash or surety bond posted at the roadside or at the jail is forfeited. The court then notifies the Georgia Department of Driver Services, which suspends the license for failure to respond to the citation. If the driver was released on bond, a separate bail jumping charge becomes possible.

A driver who fails to appear in court has a failure to appear traffic ticket problem that compounds quickly. The driver now faces the original speeding charge, the FTA count, reinstatement fees, and a real risk of arrest at the next routine stop.

Two situations come up constantly. The first is the out-of-state driver who mails in payment and assumes the matter is closed. Paying a fine by mail is a guilty plea, not a waiver of appearance, unless the court allows mail disposition for that offense. The second is the driver who never received notice because the citation listed an old address.

Outcomes vary by court. Some metro Atlanta municipal courts will recall a warrant after a phone call from counsel. Others require a formal written motion and a new calendar date. The consequences of a failure to appear in court for traffic ticket cases can outlast the ticket itself.

How to Clear a Failure to Appear and Get Your License Back

Clearing an FTA follows a set order, and skipping a step wastes money.

Start with the clerk of the court that issued the citation. Confirm whether a bench warrant is outstanding and ask for a new court date. Then appear, or have counsel appear, and resolve the underlying speeding charge. Once the case is disposed of or the driver is back on the calendar, the court issues a failure to appear release form Georgia DDS accepts to clear the FTA hold. After that, pay the DDS reinstatement fee and confirm the license status has been restored.

The release comes from the court, not from DDS. Drivers often pay the reinstatement fee first, then wonder why the license suspension still shows. Nothing clears until the court transmits the release. Some courts send it electronically. Others hand the driver a paper form to deliver.

Paying the ticket does not reinstate the license on its own. DDS treats the charge and the FTA hold as separate items.

A lawyer can often handle the appearance for you. In many Georgia misdemeanor traffic cases, counsel may appear on the driver's behalf and ask the court to recall the warrant without the client traveling back to the county. No judge is required to recall a warrant or waive an FTA charge, and the result depends on the court and the driver's record.

Speak With an Atlanta Speeding Ticket Lawyer

A speeding ticket, a rising point total, and a missed court date are fixable problems that get harder the longer they sit. William C. Head, PC offers a free consultation to Georgia drivers facing any of the three. You can reach the office by phone at 404-567-5515 or through our contact form.

Our firm has handled Georgia traffic and misdemeanor speeding cases in metro Atlanta municipal, state, and probate courts for decades. Timing matters. A bench warrant stays live until a judge recalls it, and the 90-day Super Speeder payment clock keeps running whether or not you know about it.

A first call is practical. We review your citation, check your current point total, and identify whether the charge may be reduced to a lower-point or no-point offense. Former clients describe that process in our client reviews, and past clients are welcome to submit a law firm client review. Every case is different and results depend on the specific facts. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many speeding points will suspend a Georgia license?

Fifteen points in any 24-month period triggers a suspension for drivers 21 and older. One speeding conviction adds 0 to 6 points, depending on speed.

What happens if you miss your court date for a traffic ticket in Georgia?

The court may issue a bench warrant, forfeit your bond, and notify DDS to suspend your license. A separate failure to appear charge can be added to the original citation.

How do I get a failure to appear release form in Georgia?

Contact the clerk of the issuing court, resolve or reschedule the underlying charge, and ask the court to send the release to DDS. The form comes from the court, not from DDS.

Can a Georgia speeding ticket be dismissed or reduced to a no-point offense?

Sometimes. Depending on the court, your driving record, and the officer's evidence, a charge may be reduced to a lower-point or no-point offense. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Does paying a Georgia speeding ticket by mail count as appearing in court?

Not always. Mailing payment is a guilty plea. Unless the court allows mail disposition for that offense, your duty to appear may remain.