What To Do After a District of Columbia Speeding Ticket

A speeding ticket can raise your insurance rates by an average of 29.4% in the District of Columbia. Shopping for new rates should be your first step after paying your fine.
Written by Brad Marley
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
A speeding ticket in the state of District of Columbia carries fines between $50 and $500, along with 3 to 5 demerit points on your D.C. driving record. You can pay the fine—and take on a potential 29.4%
car insurance
increase—or fight it in court. 

2 steps to deal with a speeding ticket in the District of Columbia

If you prepay your ticket, you’re essentially pleading guilty to speeding and whatever applicable demerit points will be deducted from your D.C. driving record. 
Your auto insurance company will only find out about your speeding ticket when your policy is up for renewal—but your rates will go up by an average of 29.4% when your policy renews.

How to pay your D.C. traffic ticket

If you were indeed driving above the speed limit, ticket payment before your court date is one of the simplest ways to deal with a speeding ticket. If DC DMV doesn’t receive your payment within 30 days from the ticket’s issue date, a penalty equal to the fine will be assessed.  
You can pay the fine in one of five ways:
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Online: The easiest way to pay for your ticket is by using the
D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) website portal
. Make sure to have your citation number ready.
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With the mobile app: Use the
DC DMV Mobile App
to pay for minor moving violations and speeding tickets.
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By phone: Call (866) 893-5023 to pay tickets by phone.
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By mail: If you prefer paying by mail, do not send cash. Mail a check or money order, payable to the D.C. Treasurer. Write the ticket number in the memo line and send it to the following address:
Mail your payment to:
Adjudication Services
PO Box 2014
Washington, DC 20013
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In-person: Visit the 
Adjudication Service Center
and have your ticket handy. The D.C. government accepts cash, check, money order, and credit card as payment. Make sure to also bring a valid driver license, DMV-issued ID, passport, or military ID.
Here’s the address:
Adjudication Services
955 L'Enfant Plaza, SW
Promenade Level – Suite P100
Washington, DC 20024
Important note: Once the ticket is paid, you can no longer contest it or admit guilt with an explanation. A paid fine is the end of the matter, even if you believe you’re not guilty.

How to get a speeding ticket dismissed

If you feel you received your speeding ticket by mistake, you can decide to appear in court to dispute the ticket. The most effective arguments for getting a speeding ticket dismissed include:
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Defective radar or officer error: If you can prove that your ticket was issued due to malfunctioning traffic cameras or improper use of a radar, it could be dismissed.
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Defective speedometer: If you didn’t know that you were speeding because your vehicle’s speedometer was broken, you may be able to get your ticket dismissed.
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Medical emergencies: If you were speeding due to a medical emergency, the court may grant you a dismissal. 
Your speeding ticket is more likely to get dismissed if you’ve maintained a
clean driving record
with no previous traffic violations or moving violations.
Ignorance is NOT an effective defense
Not knowing D.C. traffic laws is not a good speeding ticket defense. Since the authorities will only look at what you give them, be sure to include everything they need to overturn the ticket, such as pictures, car documents, witness testimony, and police reports.

Calculate your D.C. speeding ticket penalties

When you get a speeding ticket in Washington, D.C., you’ll face two main types of penalties:
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Fines & fees: the District of Columbia will fine you anywhere between $50 and $500 for driving over the speed limit, with fines reaching the high end of the range if you exceed the speed limit in a work or school zone.
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Demerit points: Depending on how much over the speed limit you were going, you’ll have three to five points deducted from your driving record. These demerits stay on your record for two years.
If you accumulate more than 10 demerit points in a 24-month period, you’ll get your driver’s license suspended and lose your driving privileges for 90 days. Meanwhile, if you accrue 12 points in a 24-month period, you’ll face a DC license revocation for at least six months. 1

The District of Columbia speeding ticket fines and court costs

In the District of Columbia, the fines vary depending on how fast you were driving. The breakdown of fines is pretty straightforward:
  • $50 if 10 mph or less over the legal limit
  • $100 if 11-15 mph over the legal limit
  • $150 if 16-20 mph over the legal limit
  • $200 if 21-25 mph over the legal limit
  • $400 or $500 if over 25 mph over the legal limit, depending on if there is also a citation for reckless driving2
Keep in mind: If you pay the fine and any court fees within 30 days of getting the ticket, you’ll avoid any extra costs. After 30 days, the fines automatically double. After 120 days, any unpaid ticket will be sent to collections. At this point, you will have no legal way to contest the ticket.

The the District of Columbia speeding ticket point system

Speeding offense
# of demerit points
# of years on driving record
11 - 15 mph over posted limit
3
2 years
16 - 20 mph over posted limit
4
2 years
21+ miles over posted limit
5
2 years3

Your insurance will go up after a speeding ticket—here’s how to lower it

Speeding tickets carry long-term costs beyond your initial fines and processing fees. Car insurance is the most important: in the District of Columbia, motorists can expect to see their auto insurance premiums go up by an average of 29.4% after a single speeding ticket. 
Once you’ve paid your fine, it’s time to take action to keep your insurance rates affordable. Here’s how. 

1. Check your renewal date and comparison shop

Your car insurance premium won’t increase until your policy renewal, so the first thing you should do is check your policy details for your next renewal date. If it’s months away, that’s good news: you’ll keep paying your current rate for the time being! 
When you receive a renewal notice from your insurance company, take note of your renewal rate. It should include a surcharge for your speeding ticket, which your insurer will have noted from your most recent
motor vehicle report (MVR)
app screenshot
With your renewal rate in hand, compare car insurance quotes from other providers to see if any of them offer a lower rate for drivers with speeding tickets.
To do this quickly, you can use the
Jerry
app and review personalized offers from multiple insurers at once.
Don’t forget to reshop often once you have the best rate. As your D.C. driving record changes following a speeding ticket, you should gradually become eligible for lower rates. If you purchase car insurance through the Jerry app, you’ll be able to keep up to date with those rate decreases by turning on automatic reshops—so your insurance premium always reflects the best version of your driving record. 

2. Take a defensive driving course

The District of Columbia allows drivers to enroll in a
D.C. DMV-approved online defensive driving course
to have points removed from your driving record. 

3. Take advantage of discounts

In addition to adding surcharges to your policy, a speeding ticket can break your clean driving streak and remove any good driver discounts you may have had on your policy. But there are other
car insurance discounts
that could help you save, including:
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Telematics discounts (i.e. tracking your driving)
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Good student discounts
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Paid-in-full discounts
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Responsible payer discounts
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Low-mileage discounts

When are insurance companies notified of speeding tickets?

Your insurance company won’t learn about your speeding ticket
until your policy is up for renewal
. That’s when insurers review your motor vehicle report for any new traffic infractions. 
If your renewal date is a week away, expect your rate to increase then; if it’s in six months, you can keep paying your current rate until after your policy renews.

The best car insurance companies after a speeding ticket in the District of Columbia

Here’s how major insurance companies tend to handle rate renewals 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%
Remember: Every auto insurance provider deals with traffic offenses differently. Depending on your existing driving record, the number of years you’ve been with your insurer, and whether or not you plead guilty to your speeding ticket, your insurance premium could go up by less—or more—than this table shows.
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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.
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FAQs

Do you have to pay D.C. speeding tickets?

Yes, if you receive a speeding ticket in Washington, D.C., you’re required to pay the fine unless you successfully contest it in court.

How much is a speeding ticket in Washington, D.C.?

The cost of a speeding ticket in Washington, D.C. varies depending on the speed at which you were caught exceeding the posted limit. Speeding ticket fines can range from approximately $50 to several hundred dollars.

How do I fight a DC photo enforcement ticket?

If you receive a camera ticket in D.C., you can contest it by following the instructions provided on the ticket or by appearing in court to challenge the violation. Consult the information on the ticket or contact the D.C. DMV for guidance on contesting the ticket.

What is the DC speeding ticket fine?

The specific fine for a D.C. speeding ticket depends on how much you exceeded the limit. Fines can vary between $50 and $500. 

What are the consequences of speeding in DC?

Consequences for speeding in the District of Columbia can include fines, demerit points on your driving record, increased insurance premiums, and the risk of a suspended driver's license if you accumulate too many points in a 24-month period. Additionally, excessive speeding or reckless driving may result in more severe penalties, including possible jail time. 

Should I pay my ticket right away and contest it later?

You cannot contest your ticket once it is paid. If you are thinking about contesting or admitting with an explanation, do not pay the ticket.

What if I fight the ticket and lose?

If you’re found liable, you’ll need to pay the original fine and any late fees and court costs.
SOURCES
1.
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://dmv.dc.gov/page/point-system-chart&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1701294981459614&usg=AOvVaw0oE9IBuOsOD8Mg2drEhD90
2.
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://mpdc.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/mpdc/publication/attachments/2020_Collateral_List_for_Moving_Violations_and_Parking_Violations.pdf&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1701294981458196&usg=AOvVaw1LEltBmVs5p8c_gyqIKwmN

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