Guide to Speeding Tickets in Pennsylvania
Getting a speeding ticket in Pennsylvania is an unfortunate fact of life for hundreds of drivers every day. If you have received a speeding ticket in PA, you may need to know what you will be expected to pay and how to pay your ticket. If you believe your speeding ticket in Pennsylvania was given to you in error, you may want to learn how to fight the ticket in court. This guide will explain your legal options for dealing with a speeding ticket in PA, as well as typical costs for these tickets.
Costs of a Speeding Ticket in Pennsylvania
The state of Pennsylvania bases the amount of your speeding fine on how fast you were going and what the speed limit was in the area where you were caught speeding. A speeding ticket in PA will cost $42.50 for going 5 miles per hour or less over the limit in a 65 mph zone, and $35 for going 5 miles per hour or less over the limit in any other speed zone. For every mile per hour that you exceed the limit beyond 5 miles per hour, your speeding ticket in Pennsylvania will be assessed an additional $2 fine.
While this may make a speeding ticket in PA sound relatively affordable, there are also several administrative fees and surcharges that add to the price. There will be a $28 processing fee, a $10 contribution to the Emergency Medical Services Fund, and additional surcharges for court computer systems and a fund to compensate traffic accident victims.
Paying a Speeding Ticket in Pennsylvania
In some cases, you may be able to pay your speeding ticket in PA online. For instance, if you were ticketed in Philadelphia, you can pay your speeding ticket in Pennsylvania at this website. Generally, your speeding ticket in PA should include any methods of payment on the back, and you can usually telephone the court handling your ticket if you have any questions about paying.
If you do not pay your speeding ticket in Pennsylvania, your speeding fine may be increased. Continuing to neglect a speeding ticket in PA can result in you being taken to collections, which can hurt your chances of getting credit for a home or car loan.
Fighting a Speeding Ticket in Pennsylvania
In addition to options for paying your speeding ticket in PA, your ticket will also include information on how to contest the ticket in court. If you believe that you received the ticket in error, you may want to fight it. Usually, in order to win a case about a speeding ticket in Pennsylvania, you will need to hire a lawyer who has experience in defending people from speeding tickets.
Your lawyer may be able to show that the police officer who arrested you had miscalibrated instruments or otherwise did not properly assess your speed. In other situations, a lawyer may be able to show that the ticket was improper and did not contain required information, or contained incorrect data.
