Let App WinIt fight your ticket.
“Slow! School Zone.” We’ve all seen those signs hanging on backroads and occasionally near main streets. Although you probably know what those signs mean, you might be wondering how exactly the law changes in those zones. Or, more specifically, what you have to do to avoid getting a ticket in a school zone. This article will teach you all that and more.
What Are School Zones?
School zones are often defined in the same (or similar) way, despite the fact that they’re defined individually in each state’s laws. In general, school zones are areas of road where traffic must follow additional rules, such as reduced speed limits, in order to increase the safety of passing children.
School zones are designed to enhance the safety of children and young people by reducing the likelihood of them getting into a car accident, whether as a passenger or pedestrian. For that reason, the driving restrictions imposed by school zones typically only apply during the hours just before school starts and just after it gets out.
It is important to understand that most children are not well-versed in traffic rules, which makes them prone to causing accidents or disrupting the flow of traffic. In other words, you should consider children in school zones to be walking traffic hazards. At any point, they might attempt to cross the road without looking, jump out in front of cars, etc.
Be vigilant, stay alert, and steer clear of any accidents or tickets.
How Much Are Tickets for Speeding in a School Zone?
The penalties for speeding tickets in school zones vary from place to place. In some cases, you can expect to face specific fines set out in the local traffic laws. However, in many cases, you’ll have to pay double whatever the fine would have been had it not taken place in a school zone. The table below contains information on school zone speeding tickets in every state:
| State | Fines |
| Alabama | double fine of regular ticket |
| Alaska | |
| Arizona | The fine for going over 15 miles per hour in a marked school zone (violation code 28-797H) is $267.40 |
| Arkansas | For a first offense, a fine of $25-100 and/or up to 10 days in jail; for a second conviction within 1 year a fine of $50-250 and/or 5-25 days in jail and 6 months driver’s license suspension; for a third conviction within 1 year a fine of $250-1000 and/or 25 days to 6 months in jail |
| California | 1 to 15 mph will result in a fine of up to $280 |
| Colorado | $50 fine and a point on a Colorado driver’s license for driving 5 mph above the speed limit in school zones |
| Connecticut | Connecticut State Law says the fine for speeding in a school zone can be anywhere from $181 to $286 dollars |
| Delaware | |
| Florida | 1 to 15 mph will result in a fine of up to $100 |
| Georgia | The first violation is $75 and $125 for subsequent violations. A $5.00 processing fee is added to each violation |
| Hawaii | $125 |
| Idaho | |
| Illinois | Speeding in a school zone is a petty offense punishable by up to a $1000 fine, a minimum fine of $150 for a first offense, a minimum fine of $300 for a second or subsequent offense, and a $50 surcharge |
| Indiana | Speeding in a school zone when children are present is considered a Class B infraction, punishable by ticketing and fines up to $1,000 |
| Iowa | $100 for speeding violations in school zones. However, a driver who’s caught going more than ten miles per hour over the limit in a school zone faces up to 30 days in jail and/or $65 to $625 in fines. |
| Kansas | For a moving violation in a school zone or construction zone, add $50. Convictions of 25 mph or greater over the posted speed limit are fined at a rate of 10 times the total number of miles per hour over the speed limit. For example, a driver speeding 30 mph over the posted speed limit will be fined $300 |
| Kentucky | |
| Louisiana | up to $175 for first violation |
| Maine | Speeding 10 to 14 mph over limit in school zone: $264Speeding 15 to 19 mph over limit:$185Speeding 15 to 19 mph over limit in school zone: $360 |
| Maryland | $40 |
| Massachusetts | The ticket itself is $50, plus a $50 head-injury surcharge, plus $10 for each mph in excess of 10 mph over the posted limit. There’s also a $5 public safety charge, not to mention possible points on your license and higher insurance rates |
| Michigan | Offense 1-5 Over Total Fines / Costs $142 Points 1Offense 6-10 Over Total Fines / Costs $162 Points 2Offense 11-15 Over Total Fines / Costs $177 Points 3Offense 16-20 Over Total Fines / Costs $197 Points 4 |
| Minnesota | Double the ordinary fine for exceeding a speedlimit unless the ordinary fine is less than $25. Anyordinary speeding violation fine less than $25 willhave an additional $25 added onto it in a schoolzone rather than being doubled |
| Mississippi | |
| Missouri | Fines of up to $226, depending on how fast you were going. A mandatory court appearance if you were going over 25 mph over the limit. An additional $25 fine for speeding in a school zone |
| Montana | How much is a school zone speeding ticket in Montana?Most tickets will range from $40-$200. plus points added |
| Nebraska | Double a regular speeding ticket |
| Nevada | Double a regular speeding ticket |
| New Hampshire | |
| New Jersey | |
| New Mexico | $125 fine for 26-30 mph over the limit. $150 fine for 31-35 mph over the limit. $200 fine for anything over 35 mph over the limit |
| New York | Range from $90 to $1,200 Depending on the speed |
| North Carolina | $250 |
| North Dakota | |
| Ohio | $150 |
| Oklahoma | $256 |
| Oregon | Fine between $172 and $679 |
| Pennsylvania | $35 plus $2 for each mile greater than 5 over the speed limit and 3 points |
| Rhode Island | $50 |
| South Carolina | |
| South Dakota | |
| Tennessee | $200 fine and a mandatory court appearance |
| Texas | 1 to 10 mph over the speed limit $160.15 mph over the speed limit $185.20 mph over the speed limit $210.Passing a stopped school bus up to $1,250 for a first offense |
| Utah | 0-9 – $14010-19 – $ 24020+- $440 |
| Vermont | |
| Virginia | $200 plus $7 per mile over |
| Washington | $237 |
| West Virginia | $100-500 and potential jail time |
| Wisconsin | |
| Wyoming | $100-400 |
