How much is a speeding ticket in Colorado?
$171state-set
15 mph over the limit, first offense, no enhancement zones (penalty assessment notice) — the full arithmetic is on this page.
Colorado writes speeding fines into state law itself — 1–4 mph over the limit (class A traffic infraction): $56 · 5–9 mph over the limit (class A traffic infraction): $100 · 10–19 mph over the limit (class A traffic infraction): $171. Where mandatory surcharges attach on top, this page itemizes them with their statutes. For 15 mph over the limit, the all-in figure is $171. What raises it: maintenance, repair, or construction zone; school zone; wildlife crossing zone; commercial vehicle in a steep downhill grade zone. 25 mph or more over the limit; 25 mph or more over the limit in a maintenance, repair, or construction zone — a criminal charge, outside a fine table's scope, noted here as a fact. Points: Speeding points scale with mph over: 0 points (1–4 over), 1 point (5–9), 4 points (10–19), 6 points (20–39), 12 points (40+). Adults face suspension at 12 points in 12 months or 18 in 24 months. Every row on this page carries its citation — 3 primary sources (statute text, court fine schedules, DMV publications), each with a retrieval date, plus the local-variation caveat that applies in Colorado. This is a reference to what the law and the schedules print; it is not legal advice.
How Colorado sets it Colorado prices speeding directly in statute: C.R.S. 42-4-1701's penalty schedule sets an exact fine AND an exact per-bracket surcharge for each mph-over bracket — $30+$6 for 1–4 over up to $200+$32 for 20–24 over — plus a flat $20 statewide surcharge added to every bracket (C.R.S. 42-4-1701(4)(e)), payable by penalty assessment notice without going to court. The line that changes everything is 25 mph over: from there speeding stops being a civil infraction and becomes a class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense with a $150–$300 fine range and possible jail. In construction zones, school zones, and wildlife crossing zones the penalty and per-bracket surcharge double.
The fine, tier by tier
| Speed over the limit | Base fine | What you actually owe | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 mph over the limit (class A traffic infraction) | $30 state-set | $56 state-set | C.R.S. 42-4-1101(12)(a); 42-4-1701(4)(a)(I)(L); 42-4-1701(4)(e) $30 penalty + $6 statutory surcharge + $20 flat Colorado brain injury trust fund surcharge (C.R.S. 42-4-1701(4)(e), added to every speeding bracket) = $56. Zero license points at this bracket (C.R.S. 42-2-127(5)(f)(I)). |
| 5–9 mph over the limit (class A traffic infraction) | $70 state-set | $100 state-set | C.R.S. 42-4-1101(12)(a); 42-4-1701(4)(a)(I)(L); 42-4-1701(4)(e) $70 penalty + $10 statutory surcharge + $20 flat Colorado brain injury trust fund surcharge = $100. |
| 10–19 mph over the limit (class A traffic infraction) | $135 state-set | $171 state-set | C.R.S. 42-4-1101(12)(a); 42-4-1701(4)(a)(I)(L); 42-4-1701(4)(e) $135 penalty + $16 statutory surcharge + $20 flat Colorado brain injury trust fund surcharge = $171. |
| 20–24 mph over the limit (class A traffic infraction) | $200 state-set | $252 state-set | C.R.S. 42-4-1101(12)(a); 42-4-1701(4)(a)(I)(L); 42-4-1701(4)(e) $200 penalty + $32 statutory surcharge + $20 flat Colorado brain injury trust fund surcharge = $252. In a designated construction zone the statute fixes this bracket's PENALTY specifically at a flat $540 (not simply double the usual $200) — see aggravators and caveats for how the surcharge components apply on top of that figure. |
| 25 mph and more over the limit — class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense | set by the local court court-set | set by the local court court-set | C.R.S. 42-4-1101(12)(b); 42-4-1701(3)(a)(II)(A) A criminal charge, outside a fine table's scope: 25+ over is a class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense — statutory sentencing range $150–$300 fine and/or 10–90 days imprisonment, set by the court. In a designated maintenance, repair, or construction zone it rises to a class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense ($300–$1,000 and/or 10 days–1 year). See criminal thresholds. |
- state-set state law or a statewide schedule fixes this number.
- cap only the statute sets a ceiling; the court picks the amount within it.
- court-set no statewide number exists — the local court’s schedule decides.
The mandatory add-ons
These attach on top of whatever fine the court sets:
| Add-on | How it is computed | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Victims-and-witnesses assistance and victims-compensation surcharge | Bracket-specific amount printed beside each fine in the statutory schedule: $6 (1–4 over), $10 (5–9), $16 (10–19), $32 (20–24) — levied under C.R.S. 24-4.1-119(1)(f) and 24-4.2-104(1)(b)(I); doubled along with the penalty in construction, school, and wildlife crossing zones | C.R.S. 42-4-1701(4)(a)(I) and (4)(a)(I)(L) |
| Colorado brain injury trust fund surcharge | $20 flat, added to the penalty and bracket surcharge for every speeding violation priced under the 42-4-1701(4)(a)(I)(L) schedule, regardless of bracket ($22 instead of $20 if the citation is processed by a county rather than the state Department of Revenue — $2 of that is retained locally, $20 forwarded to the state fund) | C.R.S. 42-4-1701(4)(e) |
Worked example: 15 mph over the limit, first offense, no enhancement zones (penalty assessment notice)
| Line | Amount | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Penalty — 10 to 19 mph over (class A traffic infraction) | $135 | C.R.S. 42-4-1701(4)(a)(I)(L) |
| Statutory surcharge for the bracket | $16 | C.R.S. 42-4-1701(4)(a)(I); 24-4.1-119(1)(f); 24-4.2-104(1)(b)(I) |
| Colorado brain injury trust fund surcharge (flat, every speeding bracket) | $20 | C.R.S. 42-4-1701(4)(e)(I) |
| Total | $171 state-set | lines sum to $171 |
The statute prints three numbers for this bracket: a $135 penalty, a $16 bracket surcharge, and a flat $20 brain injury trust fund surcharge that attaches to every speeding bracket, so a 15-over penalty assessment notice totals $171, payable within 20 days without a court appearance. The same stop in a construction, school, or wildlife crossing zone doubles the penalty and bracket surcharge but not the flat $20 fee: $270 + $32 + $20 = $322. This ticket also carries 4 license points.
What raises it
- Maintenance, repair, or construction zone. Speeding penalties and the per-bracket surcharge are doubled; the flat $20 brain injury trust fund surcharge is not doubled (e.g., 10–19 over in a zone: $270 + $32 + $20 = $322 total). Exception: for 20–24 over, the statute fixes the penalty at a flat $540 rather than doubling the usual $200 to $400; the statute's text only calls out 'the penalty' for that override, so the $32 bracket surcharge and $20 flat fee are not stated to be exempted from their normal rules, but no single combined total for that specific bracket in a zone is spelled out in the statute. Speeding 25+ over in a construction zone is a class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense instead of class 2. (C.R.S. 42-4-1701(4)(c)(I), (III); 42-4-1101(12)(b); 42-4-614)
- School zone. The penalty and surcharge for any moving violation under the schedule are doubled in a school zone. (C.R.S. 42-4-1701(4)(d); 42-4-615)
- Wildlife crossing zone. The penalty and surcharge for any moving violation under the schedule are doubled in a designated wildlife crossing zone. (C.R.S. 42-4-1701(4)(d.5); 42-4-616)
- Commercial vehicle in a steep downhill grade zone. The speeding penalty and surcharge are doubled for a commercial motor vehicle driver in a designated steep downhill grade zone. (C.R.S. 42-4-1701(4)(d.7); 42-4-617)
License points
Speeding points scale with mph over: 0 points (1–4 over), 1 point (5–9), 4 points (10–19), 6 points (20–39), 12 points (40+). Adults face suspension at 12 points in 12 months or 18 in 24 months.
| Violation | Points |
|---|---|
| 1–4 mph over | 0 |
| 5–9 mph over | 1 |
| 10–19 mph over | 4 |
| 20–39 mph over | 6 |
| 40+ mph over | 12 |
The department may suspend at 12 points in 12 consecutive months or 18 points in 24 months (adult drivers); stricter thresholds apply to minors (e.g., more than 5 points in 12 months under age 18) and a looser one to professional chauffeurs (16 in one year). (C.R.S. 42-2-127(1)(a))
When a court appearance is required
Not required through 24 mph over: officers issue a penalty assessment notice for traffic infractions, payable within 20 days (in person or by postmark) to the department of revenue. Speeding 25 mph or more over is a class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense handled as a criminal traffic case in court. (C.R.S. 42-4-1701(5)(a); 42-4-1101(12)(b))
Where speed becomes a criminal charge
- 25 mph or more over the limit. (C.R.S. 42-4-1101(12)(b); 42-4-1701(3)(a)(II)(A))
- 25 mph or more over the limit in a maintenance, repair, or construction zone. (C.R.S. 42-4-1101(12)(b); 42-4-1701(3)(a)(II)(A))
Criminal penalties are a courtroom matter and outside a fine table's scope — this page records the threshold as a fact and stops there.
Local variation — the honest caveat
The statutory schedule governs state-law tickets uniformly, but cities and towns may adopt their own absolute speed limits by ordinance, and municipal-ordinance tickets are penalized under municipal codes in municipal courts — so an in-town ticket written under a city ordinance can carry different amounts than the state schedule shown here. (C.R.S. 42-4-1101(7))
- Colorado's maximum lawful speed anywhere is 75 mph (C.R.S. 42-4-1101(8)(b)); the mph-over brackets apply to exceeding either the reasonable-and-prudent speed or that 75 mph cap.
- If no penalty is specified in the schedule for a class A or B infraction, the default is a $15 penalty and $4 surcharge (C.R.S. 42-4-1701(4)(a)(I)); the speeding brackets shown are all specified.
- C.R.S. 42-4-1701(4)(e) adds a flat $20 statewide surcharge (Colorado brain injury trust fund) to every speeding penalty assessment under the (4)(a)(I)(L) schedule, on top of the per-bracket penalty and surcharge — $22 instead of $20 if the citation is processed by a county rather than the state Department of Revenue. This flat fee is not stated to double in construction/school/wildlife zones the way the per-bracket penalty and surcharge are.
- The 20-day penalty-assessment payment window includes a 20-day late-acceptance period at the department of revenue (C.R.S. 42-4-1701(5)(a)); amounts unpaid move to court process.
- Fines collected under the doubling provisions are partly earmarked (construction-zone doubles fund the highway construction workers' safety account; wildlife-zone doubles fund crossing-zone safety).
- Sourced from the official 2024 Colorado Revised Statutes publication (leg.colorado.gov 'Uncertified Printout' PDF, the Office of Legislative Legal Services text).
Sources
Every figure above was compiled from these sources, with a verbatim quote of the sentence carrying each number stored in the dataset so any row can be re-checked against its origin.
- C.R.S. 42-4-1101 — Speed limits (2024 Colorado Revised Statutes, Title 42, official PDF)
retrieved 2026-07-17 · 2024 CRS
https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-42.pdf - C.R.S. 42-4-1701 — Traffic offenses and infractions classified — penalties — penalty and surcharge schedule (2024 CRS, official PDF)
retrieved 2026-07-17 · 2024 CRS
https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-42.pdf - C.R.S. 42-2-127 — Authority to suspend license — points (2024 CRS, official PDF)
retrieved 2026-07-17 · 2024 CRS
https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-42.pdf
This is not legal advice This page republishes what Colorado's statutes, court fine schedules, and driver-licensing publications print, for reference. Amounts change on legislative cycles, and the court named on a citation is the authority on what is owed in that court. Nothing here is advice about any citation or case.