speeding tickets incur two to five demerit points on your driving record and cost a base fine of $20 for first offenses. You can voluntarily pay the fine upfront—and face a potential 29%

car insurance

rate hike—or fight the traffic violation in court.

How to deal with your ticket in Delaware

Check your ticket: If you are caught speeding in Delaware, a police officer will give you a speeding ticket with a voluntary assessment that allows you to pay fines without needing a court appearance.

In severe cases, like excessive speeding or

reckless driving

for speeding while

driving under the influence (DUI)

, you may be handed a “notice to appear”, which will mandate a court appearance.

Choose between paying or fighting the ticket: If you choose to pay your ticket, you will be admitting guilt and accepting any additional surcharges, demerit points on your Delaware driving record, and a higher insurance rate.

Comparison shop for car insurance before your next renewal: Once your fine is paid, your insurance company won’t find out about your speeding ticket until your policy is due for renewal. When your renewal date comes up, you’ll notice a rate increase of approximately 29%. Typically,

comparison shopping

can help you find a lower rate.

Learn more:

Car insurance renewal—are you ready for your new rate?

How to pay your Delaware speeding ticket

You have 30 days from the date that you received your speeding ticket to pay the fine. You can pay online, by phone, by mail, at a kiosk, or in person:1

Online: Use the State of Delaware’s online ePayment portal to make a payment using your case number or ticket number, your last name, and a credit card or electronic check.

By phone: Call 302-739-6911 to make a payment using a credit card or a debit card with the Visa or Mastercard logo.

By mail: Use a credit card, check, or money order made payable to “State of Delaware” and mail it with a copy of your ticket to State of Delaware - Voluntary Assessment Center, P.O. Box 7039, Dover, DE 19903. Be sure to check the front of your ticket to verify the mailing address for your payment.

At a kiosk: Use cash, credit card, or debit card to pay your fine at an

Office of State Court Collections Enforcement

location. You must have your ticket number or case number, and your last name.

In person: Head to your nearest

Justice of the Peace Criminal Court

to make a payment in person.

Keep in mind: You need a voluntary assessment ticket in order to pay your fine. If you received a notice to appear instead, you will need to appeal in court instead of voluntarily paying the fine.

You may be eligible to pay your fine via a payment plan. Visit courtpay.delaware.gov and select the “deferred amount” option to check if your ticket qualifies for a payment plan.

How to get your speeding ticket dismissed in Delaware

You have the option to respond to your Delaware speeding ticket and plead not guilty within 30 days of receiving the ticket. Once you plead not guilty, you’ll receive a notice with the location, date, and time of your court appearance in the Justice of the Peace Court or Court of Common Pleas.

With an experienced traffic ticket attorney and a decent case, fighting a ticket in court is a good option for those looking to avoid the implications on their record. Here are some examples of common effective defenses used to dismiss a speeding ticket:

Defective radar or police officer error: In Delaware, law enforcement uses radar, LiDAR, and VASCAR technology to gauge speed. If you can prove that the technology used to measure your speed was improperly used or malfunctioned, your ticket could be dismissed.

Defective speedometer: If you were speeding due to a broken speedometer in your vehicle, the court may grant a dismissal for your ticket.

Medical emergencies: The court may dismiss your ticket if you were speeding due to a medical emergency.

A case can also be dismissed if the original officer cannot make the court date—usually set a few months after receiving the ticket.

You cannot argue that you were unaware of Delaware’s traffic laws to dismiss a speeding ticket. New drivers, new residents of Delaware, and out-of-state drivers are expected to abide by Delaware’s speeding rules at all times.

Learn more:

How to get a clean driving record (and save on insurance)

Delaware’s Probation Before Judgement Program

Delaware’s Probation Before Judgement (PBJ) program gives first time offenders the chance to avoid a conviction and instead face a period of probation. You will need to enter a plea of guilty or nolo contendere in order to be

eligible for the PBJ program

, but the violation will not end up on your driving record.

Delaware speeding ticket penalties

In Delaware, you’ll face fines, fees, and demerit points for a speeding violation.

Delaware fines and fees for speeding tickets

Delaware will charge you a fine of $20 for your first offense and $25 for subsequent offenses. For first offenses, fees of $1 to $3 are applied to the baseline fine based on how fast you were speeding over the limit.2

Speeding violation	First offense fine	Second offense fine
Five to 15 miles per hour over the limit	$20 plus $1 for each mile per hour over the limit	$25 plus $2 for each mile per hour over the limit
15 to 20 miles per hour over the limit	$20 plus $2 for each mile per hour over the limit	$25 plus $3 for each mile per hour over the limit
20 or more miles per hour over the limit	$20 plus $3 for each mile per hour over the limit	$25 plus $4 for each mile per hour over the limit

In addition to fees, Delaware also applies surcharges to your ticket—which will typically raise your total by $100 to $200. The conditions for surcharges are as follows:

Delaware Court costs: $20 for voluntarily paying the fine, $35 for taking the case to court

Victim Compensation Fund: 18% of base fine or $10

DELJIS Fund: $1

Videophone Fund: $1

Court Security Fund: $10

Transportation Trust Fund: Half of the base fine

Fund to Combat Violent Crime: $15

Ambulance Fund: $10

Seat belt assessment: 40% of base fine if ticketed while not wearing a seatbelt ($20 limit)

Severe violations will result in maximum fines—and suspensions. Here are the suspensions associated with severe violations:

25 mph over the limit: One-month suspension

30 mph or more: One-month suspension, an additional month for each 5 mph above the limit

50 mph or more: One-year suspension

Driving 100 mph on the highway: One-year suspension

Those ticketed for speeding 25 mph over the limit can take an optional defensive driving course in place of a month-long suspension.

Delaware’s DMV point system for speeding tickets

In Delaware, a speeding violation will add two to five points to your Delaware driving record, depending on how fast you were driving.

Speeding violation	Demerit points
Speeding less than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit	2
Speeding 10 to 14 miles per hour over the speed limit	4
Speeding 15 miles per hour or more over the speed limit	5

Improve your driving habits

Delaware’s speeding laws are strictly enforced to prevent drivers from commiting the civil offense of speeding, but maintaining speed can be tricky.

If you just received your first Delaware speeding ticket and you want to avoid a second offense, a telematics tool like Jerry’s DriveShield can help you track your speed and practice safe driving habits.

Did you know? Drivers who use the Jerry app to track their driving earn an average safe driving discount of 12% from their auto insurance provider.

A speeding ticket can increase your insurance at renewal

Your insurance rate will go up after a speeding ticket, so once you’ve paid your fine, it’s best to prepare to find a lower rate.

Step 1: Confirm your renewal date. Your speeding ticket will impact your car insurance rate when your policy is due to renew. When your renewal date comes around, your insurer will check your updated

motor vehicle report (MVR)

for any new moving violations. When they see your recent speeding ticket on your MVR, you will be charged a surcharge on your premium.

Step 2: Review your renewal rate: When your renewal date is close, your insurance company will send you a notice with your updated premium details. You can accept the higher rate from your current provider, or you can request car insurance quotes from other insurers to potentially secure a lower premium.

Step 3: Compare car insurance rates: Shopping around and comparing rates from at least three to five providers can help you uncover a better rate with your new speeding ticket on your driving record.

Delaware car insurance rates increase by approximately 29% upon renewal after a speeding ticket. With this said, insurance providers each

calculate rates differently

, so you may be able to find a cheaper rate from a different insurer after your speeding violation. The

Jerry

app is a great tool for comparing rates from different providers to help you find lower insurance premiums based on your current record.

Jerry also offers a practical reshop feature that automatically provides you with new quotes when your policy is due for renewal.

Additionally, you can receive notifications if lower potential rates are locally available.

Best insurance companies after a speeding ticket in Delaware

To give you an idea of how much your car insurance may increase after a speeding ticket in Delaware, here’s a rundown of the average rate hikes from popular insurance companies after a speeding ticket:

Insurance company	Average rate increase after a speeding ticket
Allstate	15%
USAA	17%
American Family	22%
Nationwide	26%
State Farm	26%
Farmers	31%
Auto-Owners	36%
Travelers	37%
GEICO	38%
Progressive	43%

Keep in mind: Each insurance provider handles traffic offenses differently. Your existing driving record, the number of years you’ve been with your current provider, and your speeding ticket plea can all affect your insurance rates depending on your carrier.

Where'd we get these numbers?
Jerry’s editorial team researched the average rate increase after a speeding ticket for these 10 insurance companies using expert sources from Forbes, NerdWallet, ValuePenguin, WalletHub, Liberty Mutual, The Zebra, and CarInsurance.com. Our data shows the average of the data shared by these sources.

FAQs

Will I lose my license if I don’t fight a speeding ticket?

The state of Delaware will likely revoke your license if you don’t pay a speeding ticket within 30 days. Worse, failure to pay on time can result in an arrest warrant depending on your county.

Should I fight or pay my speeding ticket?

Deciding whether to pay or fight a speeding ticket is purely situational. Once you pay a speeding ticket, permanent points are added to your driver’s license. If you think you have a fair chance of revoking a ticket, you should consider fighting the charge—but only if you’re comfortable with the legal (and financial) implications of a guilty verdict.

How much is a speeding ticket in Delaware?

A speeding ticket in Delaware starts at $20 for a first offense, with $1 to $3 added for every mile per hour over the speed limit depending on your speed. Refer to the “Delaware speeding ticket” section of this article for more information.

How do I pay a speeding ticket online in Delaware?

You can make an ePayment to the Court of Common Pleas by visiting

https://pubsrv.deljis.delaware.gov/ePayment/

What happens if you don’t pay a traffic ticket in Delaware?

If you fail to pay a Delaware traffic ticket, you will face a license suspension and, likely, an arrest warrant.

How long do speeding tickets stay on your record in Delaware?

A speeding ticket will remain on your Delaware driving record for two years.

How do I look up a traffic ticket in Delaware?

To access information about your traffic ticket in Delaware, you can call the Voluntary Assessment Center at 302-739-6911. If you received your ticket in a municipality, you will need to contact the correct Alderman’s court. You can find the phone number for the appropriate court on the

Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) website

SOURCES

https://courts.delaware.gov/help/traffic/

https://delcode.delaware.gov/title21/c041/sc08/index.html