A reckless driving conviction in Texas comes with fines, license suspension, and potential jail time—but penalties could be harsher if you injure or kill someone.

Written by Andrea Barrett

Edited by Jessica Barrett

Updated on Aug 15, 2023

Table of Contents

Reckless driving in Texas means willfully disregarding the safety of others
Penalties for reckless driving include fines and license suspension
You might be able to remove reckless driving from your driving record
Your insurance could increase by 50% or more after reckless driving
FAQs

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If you operate a vehicle with willful or wanton disregard for the safety of other people and/or property in

Texas

, you could be convicted of reckless driving—and the penalties include a fine of up to $200, up to 30 days in jail, and a major violation added to your driving record.

Reckless driving in Texas is operating a motor vehicle with willful or wanton disregard for the safety of other people and/or property.
Reckless driving is usually a Class C or Class B misdemeanor offense, but it could be a felony if you injure or kill someone.
Penalties for a reckless driving conviction may include fines, license suspension, and jail time.
A reckless driving charge remains on your Texas driving record for three years, but you might be able to have it dismissed if you complete a defensive driving course.

Reckless driving in Texas means willfully disregarding the safety of others

In the state of Texas, reckless driving is defined as operating a vehicle with willful or wanton disregard for the safety of other people and/or property.

The following are some of the most common instances where you can be cited for reckless driving in Texas:

Driving significantly above the speed limit

Driving too fast for road conditions

Weaving in and out of traffic

Driving while intoxicated

Street racing

Evading law enforcement

Endangering the life or property of a person while using your vehicle

At the end of the day, it’s at the police officer’s discretion whether your actions equate to reckless driving.

Penalties for reckless driving include fines and license suspension

According to the

Texas Transportation Code

, reckless driving is usually deemed a Class C or B misdemeanor.

The traffic offense can be increased to a Class A misdemeanor if you recklessly engage in behavior that puts another person in danger of serious bodily injury—this conviction comes with a jail sentence of up to one year and/or a fine of up to $4,000.

If you cause a car accident where someone is injured or killed or the violation is for street racing, you might be charged with a felony.

The following are the typical penalties for a reckless driving citation in Texas:

Fines up to $200

Up to 30 days in county jail

Possible driver’s license suspension

Penalties may be harsher if:

The reckless driving incident resulted in injuries or death

The offender already has at least one prior conviction on record

The offender was under the influence of alcohol or drugs

The reckless driving incident involved street racing

The reckless driving incident involved eluding a police officer

If intoxicated, up to 1 year in jail and a $4,000 fine

You might be able to remove reckless driving from your driving record

A Texas reckless driving charge can remain on your record for three years or more from the date of conviction. It can appear on your

Texas driving record

and your criminal record, depending on the specific nature of the reckless driving charge.

Taking a court-approved

defensive driving course

can help you get a reckless driving charge dismissed from your record by proving that you can follow the rules of the road and drive safely without endangering others.

Eligibility for a state-approved defensive driving course is as follows:

You must have not taken a defensive driving course in the last 12 months

You must not have a commercial driver’s license (CDL)

You cannot take a defensive driving course to dismiss a reckless driving charge if you are already taking another course for any of the following violations: speeding more than 25 mph above the speed limit, operating a vehicle without insurance, fleeing the scene of a collision, passing or trying to pass a stopped school bus, committing a construction zone violation

To successfully dismiss a reckless driving charge by completing a defensive driving course, you must:

Get written permission from a court to take the course

The course must be approved by the Texas Department of Public Safety

Submit a copy of your certificate of completion for the defensive driving course along with your driving record to the court

MORE:

How to get car insurance with a bad driving record

Your insurance could increase by 50% or more after reckless driving

A non-moving violation on your Texas driving record might not be a big deal for your car insurance rates, but a reckless driving charge can increase your rates by an average of 53%.

High-risk drivers

are more likely to be involved in claims and require insurance payouts, so insurance companies increase car insurance rates to compensate.

To find the best

Texas car insurance rates

with a reckless driving conviction, use a comparison app like

Jerry

to shop around before settling on a provider. From there on out, be sure to practice

safe driving habits

to avoid adding any other violations to your record.

FAQs

How many points is reckless driving in Texas?

Texas no longer uses the points system but instead counts violations. A reckless driving charge will result in one moving violation on your driving record. Your license will be suspended if you collect 4 moving violations in 12 months or 7 moving violations in 24 months.

Is 20 mph over the limit reckless driving in Texas?

It depends. Texas law doesn’t define specific speeds considered a reckless driving offense, but driving more than 20 mph over the posted speed limit will generally get you a reckless driving charge. Driving 25 mpg over the speed limit is also considered excessive speeding and could land you a felony charge.