How to Get out of a Speeding Ticket (or minimize its damage)
Kerrville, High Point, Houston, Greenville, and Myrtle Beach. What do all these places have in common? They are places where I got pulled over. As a car enthusiast, I have been disregarding speed limits since I even got my driver’s license – for better or for worse. After lots of research (and trial and error), I have been able to get this down to a science. Currently, I have been pulled over for:
82 in a 70 (July 2017)
90 in a 65 (September 2020)
90 in a 60 (February 2022)
Alleged reckless driving, DUI, and defective muffler (November 2022)
90 in a 55 (March 2023)
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to get out of a speeding ticket, or at least minimize the financial impact to you! Let’s start with when you speed past a cop, and they light you up and get behind your vehicle.
Pull over in a safe space
While you may be unfamiliar with the area you are being pulled over in, find a wide right shoulder (at least 1.5 car lengths wide), to pull over. If you can’t do this, slow down to around 10 to 20 mph below the speed limit and take the first exit, being careful to not lose the officer behind you. Find the closest parking lot (even a gas station) and explain when the officer gets to the window that you were concerned about their safety and wanted to find a spot that didn’t put them at risk of injury. They will appreciate this gesture more than you might think. My friend got pulled over during our road trip through Western Tennessee, here is how not to park:
Prepare for the officer to arrive
After your car becomes stationary, immediately put it in park and turn the car completely off. Roll down all your windows and turn on all interior lights to make it easier for the officer to see inside your car (hopefully you aren’t hiding anything). After doing so, take your keys and license and put them on the little hump on the dashboard above your gauge cluster (where the dials are). Put both hands on the top of the steering wheel, and leave them there until the officer instructs you to grab your license or any other materials he may require. Putting your hands in a visible spot keeps the officer at ease, as they may have had firearms pulled on them (via sudden movements) in the past.
Decide a gameplan
You really have two options here:
1. Act like you’ve been here before
2. Cry
If you were speeding anything more than 15 over, don’t cry. That just makes things worse. Also, grown adults, especially men, shouldn’t be doing this. If you are taking the other route, be friendly, respectful, professional, and don’t be argumentative. You should also think of a pretty good story or reason as to why you were speeding. I usually play the “I’m late to see someone” card. Never put them blame on another driver, as the officer can’t go track the other driver down. Always start with something cordial, like, “Good evening, officer, how are you?”
Do not admit guilt
Arguably the most critical part of the encounter, is to not say how fast you thought you were going. Doing so is an immediate admission of guilt and they can pin that speed on you right there. I typically respond with “I don’t know” or “what do you think?” This puts the ball in the officer’s court, and he is required by law to not lie about the speed he clocked you at. Additionally, do not apologize for anything. Stick to your story and try not to divulge from it. Here’s me after a rookie mistake of admitting guilt:
Know your state’s laws and procedures
If you are ever pulled over in another state, their registration requirements may be different from yours. For example, in South Carolina, drivers are required to carry a registration card in their vehicle. In Texas, that is a blue sticker on the bottom of the driver's side of the windshield. If the police officer does not believe you, ask them to run your plate and confirm that it matches your name (looking at you, Furman Police). Additionally, if you have a modified car, know which states have laws regarding modifications and which don’t, and play this to your advantage (looking at you once again, Furman Police). For example, State X cannot prosecute you if you are following your registered state’s emissions laws, additionally if you are breaking your home state’s laws in State X, they cannot enforce another state’s laws in their jurisdiction. *THE ONLY STATE WHERE THIS MAY NOT WORK IS CALIFORNIA, THEY ARE LESS FLEXIBLE.*If you are particularly dissatisfied with your officer’s knowledge of the ticketing procedures, feel free to call the non-emergency line of their police force and file a complaint using their name and badge number found on the ticket. For smaller departments like small towns and schools, the offending officer will almost certainly be reprimanded, as negative experiences like these can lose them tourism dollars in the future.
Tell Your Story
Recently, this worked flawlessly for me in Myrtle Beach. When asked why I was in a hurry, I explained I had a dinner reservation for 7:30 pm (it was 7:28). I elaborated and explained that we had hit traffic in a neighboring suburb, and we were trying make up for lost time to meet our friends. For whatever reason, this worked flawlessly, and he reduced my clocked speed down from 35 over to just 9 over. This was the best outcome possible, considering I could’ve ended that exchange in handcuffs. The photo to the right is of me awaiting my fate after a perfectly rehearsed story.
Plead No Contest
If you were clocked doing more than about 10 over, your chances of getting a warning are slim to none. Now you have signed for your ticket, and you have a court date. You now have two options:
Lawyer up
Pay the ticket
If you have someone else paying your insurance and are willing to deal with them for your hiked insurance premium, plead guilty, pay the fine, and move on. While this is the cheaper option short-term, this decision will haunt you for the next five years. If you pay for your own insurance or like having money in the future, get a lawyer. This will be more expensive in the short term but will save a lot of money in the long term.
Pick a lawyer
Your citation is public information, and local law offices will send advertisements to your mailbox for their services within 3-5 business days (even if you live several states away from the ticketing county). Set these letters to the side for now. My personal recommendation is to use Off The Record, a website that assigns you a vetted lawyer with a history of success in the county of your citation. If they don’t get you a settlement that can remove the points from your license, you get a full refund. In my experience they usually have connections in most states and counties, but if they don’t, start going through that mail, it’s a great place to start. Make a couple phone calls, and look at their Google Reviews, and cross-shop these law firms. When I have had to call around for High Point, NC, I found that the lawyer who was willing to listen to me on the phone and give me fifteen minutes of his time for me to explain my situation, was the one I wanted to go with. He got my violation knocked down to a non-moving “malfunctioning speedometer,” which I happily paid. Additionally, I did not have to attend in person, but that could have been because of the pandemic.
Go to Court
Oftentimes, you will need to show up in person for your court date (your lawyer will let you know ahead of time). Almost always, your court date will be rescheduled, as your initial court date is for days with people without legal representation. Rescheduled dates will always have a room full of lawyers. Failure to show up to your rescheduled will result in a warrant for your arrest, so don’t do this. For me, this has required flying cross-country, but in the end it is worth it. When I had to fly from Greenville to Houston for my 30 over, the judge was shocked with my commitment to show up, let alone in a suit and tie, to represent myself alongside my lawyer. Even with the ticketing officer also appearing in court, they reduced my ticket to 24 over, making me eligible for defensive driving to remove it from my record. You will have to pay the fine when pleading no contest, but it is 100% worth it.
In the meantime
The court should not report your “no contest” until the window for your defensive driving course’s completion has passed. Make sure to complete it in a timely manner, as processing the course’s completion is done by mail and can often take up to a month. Typically, you are given 90 days to do so. If your insurance rates are hiked, obtain a copy of your driving record, and call them and ask about the increase. Additionally, you can only do a defensive driving once per year in each state, so use it wisely.
While you may have done a lot of extra work and paid more than the fine listed on the citation, you should end this process with no additional points on your license. At the end of the day, the local traffic courts across the country don’t want to screw you over, they just want your money. If you play their game, hire a local lawyer, and pay a fine, they are more than happy to give you a deal that works for you and not for your insurance company. For your entertainment, here are the outcomes of all five of my pullovers:
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Alleged Offense: 82 in a 70
Outcome: Defensive Driving
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Alleged Offense: 75 in a 55 & 90 in a 65
Outcome: Malfunctioning Speedometer (non-moving violation)
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Alleged Offense: 90 in a 60
Outcome: Reduced to 84 in a 60, qualified for Defensive Driving
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Alleged Offense: Reckless Driving, DUI, “Defective Muffler”
Outcome: Breathalyzed at 0.00 BAC (sober), no actual evidence of reckless driving, given a warning
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Alleged Offense: 90 in a 55
Outcome: Talked down to 64 in a 55, Defensive Driving TBD
