Most of us got our driver’s licenses as teenagers and probably never took a driver’s education course again. However, through experience on the roads, we all learned that speed restrictions should be taken seriously and that accidents can become deadly when combined with high rates of speed. If you are not careful, speeding violations could cost you your license.
Most speeding violations are unlikely to lead to your license being suspended. However, they may see points assessed against your license. If you accumulate too many points, your license can be suspended. You can avoid points by challenging the citation and hopefully having it dismissed. However, points may come off your license over time.
If you have been cited for speeding and you believe your driver’s license is in jeopardy, contact our Park City traffic violations defense lawyers for help. We can help you fight to keep your license and hopefully avoid points and other penalties. Call Overson & Bugden at (801) 758-2287 for a free case review today.
Penalties for Speeding in Utah
Speeding is not a criminal offense in Utah but is classified as an infraction. A speeding ticket would not come up in a criminal background search conducted by an employer or government agency, but it would be reflected in your driving record. According to the 2021 Uniform Fine Schedule in Utah, speeding violations come with a recommended fine of $130. However, your exact fines might be more depending on your circumstances.
Fines may increase if you were speeding somewhere with reduced speed limits. For example, if you are speeding through a school zone, your penalties and fines may increase to reflect the greater risk of your violation.
Speeding violations also come with points against your license. Once a driver has amassed 200 points against their license, their license can be suspended in Utah. According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, points for speeding are assessed in tiers based on how far over the speed limit you were driving.
If you were speeding by 1 to 10 miles per hour (mph) over the speed limit, you might be assessed 35 points. For a speeding violation of 11 to 20 mph over the limit, you face 55 points on your license. Finally, for speeding violations at least 21 mph over the limit or more, you may see 75 points placed against your license. Contact our Salt Lake City traffic violations defense lawyers for help handling your speeding citations and keeping your license.
Can I Lose My License for Speeding Violations in Utah?
A single speeding violation is unlikely to cost you your license. Unless there were aggravating factors, like you injured someone, were intoxicated while speeding, or something similar, your speeding violation will probably not suspend your license. However, your violation is likely to come with points on your license. If you rack up enough points, your speeding violation might be the final straw that suspends your license.
As mentioned above, if a driver accumulates 200 points against their license in 3 years, the state will suspend their license for at least 3 months and up to 1 year. If the driver is under the age of 21, the point threshold is only 70 points in 3 years.
A single speeding violation may come with 35, 55, or 75 points, depending on how fast you were driving. A single speeding violation worth 75 points for a younger driver could put them over the 70-point limit and suspend their license. A few more violations might be necessary for older drivers before a license suspension is on the table.
Fighting Speeding Charges in Utah
Speeding tickets can be tricky to deal with. On the one hand, these violations are not considered criminal offenses, and some drivers would rather just pay the fine and deal with the points than spend the time and effort fighting the ticket. Other drivers, however, have to fight their ticket because it could cost them their license if they get too many points.
If you want to fight speeding charges, an effective method is to challenge the speed measuring devices used by the police. Law enforcement cannot write tickets with guesses or estimations of speed. Speed is often measured with radar guns and devices, and these measurements are trusted to be accurate. However, we can demand to know when the radar device was last tested or calibrated. We can also request to know how it has been maintained. If we believe the radar device should not be trusted, we can challenge your ticket.
If we can successfully challenge the radar gun, there is often no other evidence that can be used to support your speeding ticket. Many tickets are dropped or dismissed without speed measurements from radar devices. Talk to our Utah criminal defense attorneys for help fighting your speeding ticket.
How Do I Remove Points for Speeding from My License in Utah?
While points are easily accumulated, they are also very easily removed. Drivers do not need to take any steps to begin the process of removing points from their licenses. Instead, the process happens automatically. If you keep a clean driving record for 1 year, half your points will be removed. If you can manage a second year of clean driving, the remaining points will be removed. Clean driving means avoiding any traffic violations and staying clear of traffic tickets.
If you are close to the 70- or 200-point limits before your license is suspended, staying free of traffic violations will eventually remove all your points. If you, unfortunately, receive additional traffic tickets, our Murray criminal defense lawyers can help you fight your tickets and hopefully keep your license.
Call Our Utah Traffic Violations Defense Attorneys for Help
If you were cited for speeding in Utah, a single ticket is unlikely to suspend your driver’s license. However, if you accumulate enough points, a speeding ticket could very well cost you your license. Call Overson & Bugden at (801) 758-2287 and ask about a free case evaluation.
