For more than a decade, drivers in Georgia have been subject to a special type of fee if a police officer catches them going extra fast. The statute behind this potentially expensive change is called the Super Speeder law.
Even if you have never gotten fined under the Super Speeder law before, you might know how it works. The law adds an additional $200 fee on top of your speeding ticket if you are convicted (or plead guilty) to driving 85 mph or above on most roads or highways or 75 mph or above on a two-lane road.
If you pay the ticket or go to court over it and lose, the city or county that fined you will notify the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS). DDS will then mail you a notice that you owe the $200 Super Speeder fee, and you have 120 days to pay.
Will I lose my driver’s license?
Getting fined as a Super Speeder does not automatically trigger a driver’s license suspension. If the underlying ticket does not suspend your license, and you pay the Super Speeder fine within 120 days, you can keep your license. But if you don’t pay in time, the DDS will suspend your license. Then you will have to pay $50 to get it reinstated on top of the original fine.
Fighting an expensive ticket is often worth it
In addition to the cost of fines, a speeding ticket on your record can have lasting consequences. You can accumulate points on your license, which can affect insurance rates; or your license can be suspended entirely, costing you some independence.
You don’t have to pay a ticket just because a deputy or state trooper issues one to you. You have the right to contest your ticket. With the assistance of experienced traffic ticket defense counsel, it is often possible to get the charges reduced or dismissed.