What To Do If You Have a Utah Speeding Ticket

If you’re issued a speeding ticket in Utah, you can either pay the fine—and face a potential 24% increase in your insurance—or contest the ticket in front of a judge or jury.
Written by Kianna Walpole
Edited by R.E. Fulton
If you get a speeding ticket in the state of
Utah
, you will be required to pay fines between $120 and $470, and can receive up to 75 demerit points against your record depending on your speed. You can either pay your ticket outright, and see an increase of 24% in your
car insurance
rates, or appeal it in front of a judge or jury. 

How to manage your Utah traffic ticket

If you’ve recently received a speeding ticket in the state of Utah, there are certain steps you should take to make sure you’re complying with state regulations, and avoiding further repercussions:
Step 1: Check your ticket. When you get a speeding ticket, the charge, associated fees, and payment deadline will be outlined for you. If you were going over 105 mph on a highway, you may be charged with
reckless driving
, and will be subject to higher charges. 
Step 2: Pay or fight the ticket. Choosing to pay your ticket outright will be considered an admission of guilt, and it will appear on your
Utah driving record
. In addition, any applicable demerit points will be added to your record.  
Step 3: Shop for car insurance before renewal. Drivers in Utah typically experience a 24% increase in their car insurance premiums after just one traffic citation. Shopping for car insurance before renewal can help lower these costs.

How to pay your speeding violation

Pleading guilty and paying the fine assessed is usually the fastest way to deal with a speeding ticket in Utah. 
Drivers can pay their fines online through the
Utah State Courts
website, by mail, or in-person. In any scenario, you will need your court case number or citation number. 
You can also choose to perform community service.
In place of paying some, or all, of your charges for your infraction, you can request to complete community service. Contact the justice court to find out if you’re eligible.  
Make sure to pay your fine before the listed deadline. If you don’t pay the fine on time, you run the risk of your
Utah driver’s license
being suspended. 

How to get a speeding ticket dismissed

If you feel that your speeding ticket was an error, you can also plead not guilty, or contest the ticket, giving you the ability to negotiate the charges issued. The most effective arguments for getting your ticket dismissed include: 
  • Medical emergencies: If you were speeding because you had a medical emergency, you may be able to have your ticket dismissed.
  • Broken speedometer: If your speedometer was broken when you got your speeding ticket, you could get your ticket waived with proof. 
  • You were driving according to conditions: Even if you exceeded the posted speed limit, in some cases, your ticket can be up for dismissal if you can prove you were driving safely for the specific weather and traffic conditions at the time.
If your ticket was issued no more than 21 days ago, you may also be eligible for Deferred Traffic Prosecution, which can help to have your traffic citation dismissed from your record. 
Drivers can apply online through the
MyCase portal
. You will be asked a series of questions in a guided interview and will have to pay the total fine and administration fees. Once approved, you will need to maintain a
clean driving record
for 12 months in order for your ticket to be waived. 
Pleading ignorance is not a strong speeding ticket defense. Both visitors and residents of Utah are required to know Utah traffic laws before driving in the state, and using ignorance as a defense will not help you get out of a traffic violation. 

Calculate your Utah speeding ticket penalties

A speeding ticket in Utah comes with two types of penalties:
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Fines and fees: Drivers can pay up to $960 in fees depending if they’re speeding on a major highway, construction zone, or in a school zone. There is an additional fee of $10-$20 per every mile over 31 mph.
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Demerit points: Along with fees, you can have up to 75 demerit points added to your driving record. These points will stay on your record for 3 years.
There is no uniform fine for speeding. Speeding tickets in Utah are classified as an infraction, unless you are caught breaking one of these laws: 
  • Careless driving: This is considered a class C misdemeanor and you will have 50 points put against your driving record. 
  • Reckless driving
    : You’ll be charged with a class B misdemeanor, and could face up to $1,000 in fines, 80 points against your record, and potential jail time. 
  • Speeding in a school zone: This is classified as a class C misdemeanor and can come with fines of up to $125 for first offenses, and $525 for subsequent offenses.
  • Speed contests or exhibition on highways: Drivers will be charged with a class A misdemeanor and will face
    license suspension
    for up to 60 days for a first offense, and 90 days for a second offense. 
Below is a breakdown of the Utah State Legislature’s fine schedule and the
Utah State Courts
’ points system for speeding tickets, as per Utah Codes 41-6a-601, 209, and 604. 

The Utah speeding ticket fee schedule

Speeding offense
Base fine
Surcharge
Additional fines
Additional penalties
General speeding (no reckless driving charge)
$130-$480
35%
$10 for every mph over 31
Demerit points
Speeding exceeding 100+ mph (reckless driving charge)
$315-$720
35%
$10 for every mph over 31
Up to 90 day in jail with license suspension
Demerit points
Speeding in a construction zone
$260-$960
35%
$20 for every mph over 31
Demerit points
Speeding in a school zone
First offense: $150-$450
Subsequent offense: $150-$790
35%
N/A
License suspension for up to 60 for first offense, 90 days for subsequent
Demerit points
In addition, any moving violation that results in an accident can increase the fine by $30. Any traffic offense that results in personal injury or death requires a mandatory court appearance.

The Utah speeding law point system

Speeding offense
Number of demerit points
Number of years on driving record
1-10 mph over the speed limit
35
3 years
11-20 mph over the speed limit
55
3 years
21+ mph over the speed limit
75
3 years
Reckless driving
80
3 years
Running red light
50
3 years
Running a stop sign
50
3 years
Negligent collision
50
3 years
Other moving violations
40
3 years
Be aware: Drivers under 21 who accrue more than 70 points against their record in a 3-year period may have their driver’s license suspended. This means that even a single speeding ticket of 21+ mph over the limit could result in the revocation of your driving privileges.  

Your insurance will go up after a speeding ticket—but there are ways to lower it

Not only will you face fines and the potential loss of your driving privileges after a speeding ticket, but you will also experience higher insurance rates once renewal comes around. 
Car insurance premiums increase by 24% on average in Utah after a speeding ticket conviction, depending on the severity of the offense. Once you’ve paid your fine, you can take these steps to lower your costs and find affordable rates.

1. Take a look at your renewal date and shop for auto insurance beforehand

After a speeding ticket goes on your driving record, you likely won’t see an increase in your insurance premiums until you’re set to renew. Depending on when that is, you’ll keep paying your current rate as it stands.
Once your renewal notice comes in, check your rate. It’ll generally rise due to the surcharge for your speeding ticket.
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Then, take a look at different rates from other providers in your area using the
Jerry
app. 
Comparison shopping can help you quickly find lower rates as a driver with a speeding ticket, and with Jerry, you can review personalized car insurance quotes from several insurers at once.
Along with comparison shopping, you should also remember to re-shop your policy, even after you’ve found the best rate. As time passes, you’ll become more eligible for lower premiums.
app screenshot
If you purchase car insurance through the Jerry app, you can turn on automatic re-shops to help you stay aware of any savings opportunities.

2. Consider going to traffic school

If you are a first time offender and received a standard speeding ticket, you may be able to enroll in a defensive driving course to have your ticket dismissed or for point reduction
Courses can be completed online or in-person, but must be from a state-approved instructor. When you finish the course, you will be handed a certificate of completion which must be submitted to the court. 
Not all traffic violations qualify for a defensive driving course. If you were charged with reckless driving, you may not be eligible. Contact your court first to determine your eligibility.
Those who successfully finish traffic school may also be eligible to have their driving points reduced and potentially qualify for lower insurance premiums. 

3. Look into car insurance discounts

While a speeding ticket can remove you from the list for any good driver discounts you may hold, you can still qualify for other
car insurance discounts
that can help you save on insurance: 
  • Good student discounts
  • Automatic payment discounts
  • Low-mileage discounts
  • Anti-theft device discounts
  • Early sign-up discounts

When are insurance companies notified of speeding tickets?

Your insurance company won’t know about your speeding ticket until it comes time for your car insurance to renew. During this period, insurers assess things like your driving record and any other changes to your profile that can impact your rate.
Until then, you’ll keep paying the same rates. 

The best car insurance companies after a speeding ticket in Utah

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 insurance company deals with traffic offenses differently. Depending on your existing 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

How much is a 20 over speeding ticket in Utah?

According to the Utah Code, a speeding ticket for going 20 mph will cost you around $210. In addition, you will have 35-75 demerit points put against your driving record.

Is it worth fighting a speeding ticket in Utah?

This depends on whether or not you feel that you were justified for your limit. If you think the law enforcement officer made a judgment error, or you had a medical emergency, it might be worth fighting to avoid the points affecting your record and insurance rates.

Is a speeding ticket a misdemeanor in Utah?

A general speeding ticket is classified as an infraction in Utah. It only becomes a misdemeanor when you commit reckless driving, careless driving, racing, or speed in a school zone. 

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