What if you were breaking the law and didn’t even know it?
Many Florida residents are speeding every day and don’t even know it. This is an easy way to end up with an expensive ticket that completely ruins your day.
However, you can save a lot of money and heartache by learning all about the speed limit in Florida. The trick is to know exactly what the state and its police officers consider “speeding.”
The Basics
If you want to play it completely safe, that’s simple enough. All you have to do is follow the posted speed limits to the letter.
A lot of Florida speeding tickets come from people trying to figure out how to “safely” drive over the speed limit. However, you should be aware that anything over this limit is speeding and may be subject to a warning or a ticket.
On certain stretches of road, you need to be wary of “speed traps.” This is when the speed limit suddenly drops for no reason or, in extreme cases, changes several times in a short space.
Ultimately, it all comes down to keeping your eyes peeled. Speed traps are certainly annoying, but if you notice each change you can adjust your speed accordingly.
The Myth of the “Sweet Spot”
It’s true that police officers could pull over every person that goes even a single mile over the limit. However, this would mean most officers spend all day pulling random people over.
Instead, they must select who they give a ticket to. And this has led to the myth of the “sweet spot.”
Basically, many Florida drivers take it on faith that they are “safe” if they stick to going only 5 miles over the speed limit. However, is there any truth to the “5 over speed limit?”
The answer is “yes and no.” In most cases, you are unlikely to be pulled over by a police officer if you are traveling 5 miles or less over the limit, and if you are pulled over, you’re likely to get a warning.
However, the exact policies can vary from county to county. And it is ultimately left to the officer’s discretion about whether or not to give you a ticket.
Keep in mind that there may be mitigating factors as well. “Slow” speeding through a school zone, for instance, is still speeding. This means you may be subject to extra penalties or fees.
Extremely Under the Limit
We’re about to break down the most common tickets you will find under the Florida speeding laws. First, though: did you know you can get a ticket for driving too slow?
Fortunately, this only happens in very specific areas and scenarios. For example, it can only happen when there are 2 lanes (or more) going the same way.
On such roads, you are required to move over quickly if a faster vehicle is approaching from behind. The spirit of this law is to keep slow drivers out of the “fast lane” and keep them from congesting traffic.
In this specific case, you can be pulled over and ticketed for driving too slowly. Interestingly, this is all relative: you may be traveling fast down a highway or interstate but fail to get out of the way of an even faster vehicle.
6 to 9 Miles Over the Limit
We have discussed driving “too slowly” and driving at 5 miles or less over the limit. But what happens as you speed up?
At 6 to 9 miles over the limit, you are subject to a speeding ticket rather than a warning. Such tickets in Florida typically cost around $130, though prices vary based on county.
More annoying than the ticket, though, are the points. Such a ticket usually adds 3 points to your driving license. You may wish to explore options to reduce or eliminate those points (such as attending a driving school).
Higher Speeds, Higher Fees, Higher Points
From this point, the severity of your ticket and penalty scales up with your speed. The exception is if you drive 30 miles or more over the limit (more on this soon).
At 10-14 miles over the limit, you are likely to be ticketed at least $200. And this speeding ticket can add another 3 points to your license.
At 15-19 miles over the limit, you are going to be ticketed at least $250 and the price may climb as high as $400. Furthermore, this ticket adds 4 points rather than the usual 3.
At 20-29 miles over the limit, you are likely to pay between $270 to $400 for a ticket. And this, too, adds 4 points to your license.
30 Miles or More Over the Limit
At 30 miles or more over the limit, things start getting serious. First of all, your ticket is likely to be a whopping $400 or more.
Second, you cannot simply pay this ticket like you can with others. Instead, you will be forced to appear before the court.
You may be charged with reckless driving. Even if you do not face such a charge, your license may be suspended regardless of points. And this ticket adds 4 points to your license.
50 Miles or More Over the Limit
Driving 50 miles or more over the speed limit is about as extreme as you can get in Florida. The penalties for going this fast are equally as extreme.
First, you’ll likely be hit with a $1,000 penalty, even if this is your first offense. If you have had other tickets for driving this faster, you can pay $2,500 for a second offense and $5,000 for a third offense.
At the second offense level, you lose your license for a year. At the third offense level, you lose it for ten years.
As with the 30 miles or more ticket, this ticket comes with a mandatory court appearance and 4 points on your license. You may be charged with reckless driving.
All of this is compounded if you were ticketed in a school or construction zone. In addition to doubled fines, you may face mandatory traffic school and no points reduction.
Speed Limit in Florida: Drive Safe
Now you know about the speed limit in Florida. But do you know how to fight your parking ticket?
We help keep you out of court and out of traffic school. Why pay your ticket when you can fight it?
Submit your ticket today and show them that you’re willing to fight!