Ticket Fines and Penalties in Georgia

GA Traffic Ticket Fines and Costs

Georgia traffic ticket fines vary by violation and by court. Your ticket should have the fine printed on it; if it doesn’t, contact your court.

We can help you find a lost citation, too.

Court Costs and Other Surcharges

Similar to traffic ticket fines, court costs vary by court. Check your ticket for this information or contact your court.

DUI Surcharges

There are two kinds of DUI costs you'll pay.

The first are your DUI fines, which depend on the court. Your judge will tell you how much you owe; still, if you’re convicted of operating a motor vehicle with a BAC of .08% or higher, expect to pay somewhere between the following numbers:

• First Offense: $300-$1,000
• Second Offense: $600-$1,000
• Third Offense: $1,000-$5,000

The second group of fines are your DUI reinstatement fees (i.e., the fees you must pay after license suspension). These are the same throughout the state but are based on driver age and offense number. These reinstatement fees range between $210-$410. Learn more over at Georgia's Driver's License Suspensions and Revocations.

Keep in mind, these fines aren't the end; DUI convictions also carry penalties like probation, imprisonment, community service, and Risk Reduction courses.

Learn more at our GA DUI section.

Super Speeder Fines

If you’re convicted of a Super Speeder violation (75 mph or more on a two-lane road or 85 mph or more on any road or state highway), you must pay the $200 Super Speeder fine.

Understand that the Super Speeder fine is a fine all unto itself; in other words, you must pay it in addition to all other applicable traffic ticket fines and court costs. You have 120 days from the notice date to pay it, and if you don’t pay on time you face license suspension and a $50 reinstatement fee.

Learn more about the Super Speeder law in Chapter Five of the Georgia Driver’s Manual.

Risk Reduction Course Costs

Usually, drivers convicted of DUI-related charges must enroll in a DUI, Alcohol, or Drug Use Risk Reduction Course. This course costs $292, and includes three components:

• Assessment Component: $82
• Intervention Component: $190
• Required Workbook: $20

Refer to our GA DUI section for more information on DUI-related fines and penalties.

Suspension and Revocation Reinstatement Fees

Losing your driving privileges to suspension or revocation due to committing certain traffic violations or accumulating too many points (see below) means you’ll have to pay a reinstatement fee, too. These fees vary, but the DDS will notify you of your exact cost.

Learn more about Reinstatement Payment Options.

When you get a GA traffic ticket, you can either plead guilty or nolo contendere and pay your fine, or you can contest the ticket and fight the charges in court.

Auto insurance Rate Increase

Many drivers experience increased auto insurance rates if they plead guilty to or are found guilty of a traffic violation. Some drivers can use defensive driving courses to get auto insurance discounts; others have better luck comparing insurance rates online to find more affordable policies.

Georgia Traffic Ticket Penalties

Unlike traffic ticket fines and some surcharges, penalties are the same throughout the state.

GA Driver’s License Suspension, Revocation, and Cancellation

You can lose your license in a number of ways. Georgia will suspend, revoke, or cancel a driver’s license for certain traffic offenses, failing to meet requirements, and even accumulating too many driving record points.

License Suspension: A suspension is a temporary loss of your driving privilege that usually involves meeting certain requirements set forth by the DDS or court. Once you meet those requirements, and the suspension period is up, you can apply for license reinstatement.

License Revocation: Revocations are also temporary losses of driving privileges; however, revocation periods generally last much longer and require more involved reinstatement requirements. Usually, revocations are reserved for more serious violations than are suspensions.

License Cancellation: The DDS can cancel a driver’s license if the person is deemed “ineligible” or failed to provide information, or correct information, during the application process. Although cancellations sound permanent, drivers can reapply for their licenses once they correct the problem that led to the cancellation.

Chapter 10 of the Georgia Driver’s Manual outlines in detail all the reasons the DDS can suspend, revoke, or cancel a person’s license; below are a few examples.

• Using a vehicle to cause serious injury.
• Homicide by vehicle.
• Committing any felony with which a vehicle is involved.
• Racing.
• Hit and run.
• Fleeing the scene of an accident.
• Violating the Georgia Controlled Substance Act.

Revocations follow if:

• You get a third conviction of a suspendable offense within five years.
• You refuse to let the DDS reexamine your driving skills upon request.
• There’s evidence you’re incompetent or unfit to drive do to drug or alcohol addiction or mental or physical health problems.

Point Accumulation

Suspensions related to point accumulation apply to drivers of all ages.

If you are:

• Younger than 18, your license is suspended four points within 12 months.
• Younger than 21, your license is suspended for committing any four-point violation.
• 21 or older, your license is suspended for 15 points in 24 months.

Refer to the GA Point System for more information.

Penalties for Drivers Younger than 21

Drivers younger than 21 have two sets of concerns.

First, they must be careful not to drink and drive. If a driver Younger than 21 is caught driving with a BAC of between .02% and .08%, he’ll lose his license for six months; 12 months if the BAC was .08% or higher.

A second conviction brings an 18-month suspension, and during the last six months of that suspension the driver must have a certified ignition interlock system installed in his vehicle in order to regain his driving privileges.

Second, they face license suspension for committing any four-point violation. These include:

• Reckless driving.
• Aggressive driving.
• Hit and run.
• Racing.
• Fleeing or eluding an officer.
• Driving 24 mph or more over the speed limit.

For those violations, the license is suspended for six months for a first conviction and 12 months for a second or subsequent conviction.

Note that those are just traffic offenses. The DDS will suspend a young driver’s license for a variety of other reasons unrelated to traffic tickets. Learn more about drivers younger than 21 in Chapters Six and 10 of the Georgia Driver’s Manual.

Penalties for Georgia Commercial Drivers

All GA CDL holders must inform their employers within 30 days of receiving traffic citations, regardless of the vehicles they were driving at the time of the violation.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) mandates the following commercial driver penalties.

Major Offenses

If convicted of any of the following offenses, you’ll lose your CDL for one year:

• Operating any vehicle with a BAC of .08% or higher.
• Operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) with a BAC of .04%.
• Refusing a sobriety test.
• Leaving the scene of an accident.
• Commission of a felony with the vehicle.
• Driving a CMV with a suspended, revoked, or canceled CDL.
• Causing a fatality through negligent driving.

Serious Offenses

These violations include:

• Speeding 15 mph over the limit.
• Driving recklessly.
• Improperly changing lanes.
• Driving too closely behind another vehicle.
• Driving a CMV without holding a CDL.
• Driving a CMV without having your CDL in your possession.
• Driving a CMV without the proper CDL endorsement.
• Violating a state law of texting while driving.

If you’re convicted a second time of any of these violations, you’ll lose your driving privileges for 60 days. A third conviction takes your privileges away for 120 days.

CDL Disqualifications

CDL drivers convicted of either of the following can lose their CDLs for 180 days to one year:

• A driver or vehicle out-of-service order while transporting nonhazardous materials.
• A driver or vehicle out-of-service order while transporting hazardous materials required to be placarded, or while driving a vehicle designed to transport 16 or more passengers.

Refer to the FMCSA and the Georgia Commercial Driver’s Manual for more detailed information.