How much is a speeding ticket in Maine?
$170state-set
15 mph over the limit, first offense — the full arithmetic is on this page.
Maine runs a statewide schedule, so the number printed is the number you pay anywhere in the state — 1–9 mph over: $114 · 10–14 mph over: $129 · 15–19 mph over: $170. Those totals already include every mandatory assessment and surcharge, and this page itemizes each one with its statute. For 15 mph over the limit, the all-in figure is $170. What raises it: school zone; construction zone; emergency zone; maine turnpike / interstate minimum. 30 mph or more over the maximum speed limit — a criminal charge, outside a fine table's scope, noted here as a fact. Points: Maine assigns demerit points by Secretary of State rule: exceeding the posted speed by less than 15 mph is 4 points, and by at least 15 but less than 30 mph is 6 points ('Imprudent Speed' is also 4). Points expire from the record one year after the conviction. Every row on this page carries its citation — 5 primary sources (statute text, court fine schedules, DMV publications), each with a retrieval date, plus the local-variation caveat that applies in Maine. This is a reference to what the law and the schedules print; it is not legal advice.
How Maine sets it Maine speeding tickets are traffic infractions payable to the Judicial Branch's statewide Violations Bureau, and the Bureau's schedule prints the exact amount due — $114 for 1–9 mph over up to $278 for 25–29 over — with every statutory surcharge already folded in. The civil schedule stops at 29 mph over because 30 mph or more over the limit is criminal speeding, a Class E crime charged in court.
The fine, tier by tier
| Speed over the limit | Base fine | What you actually owe | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–9 mph over the limit | $114 state-set | $114 state-set | 29-A M.R.S. §2073(3); Violations Bureau Schedule of Amounts Due (eff. 2025-09-24) The scheduled amount due IS the whole payment — the booklet states it 'includes all statutory surcharges' (five percentage surcharges plus $10 and $15 flat fees). |
| 10–14 mph over the limit | $129 state-set | $129 state-set | 29-A M.R.S. §2073(3); Violations Bureau Schedule of Amounts Due (eff. 2025-09-24) |
| 15–19 mph over the limit | $170 state-set | $170 state-set | 29-A M.R.S. §2073(3); Violations Bureau Schedule of Amounts Due (eff. 2025-09-24) At 15 mph over, the demerit-point value also rises from 4 to 6. |
| 20–24 mph over the limit | $230 state-set | $230 state-set | 29-A M.R.S. §2073(3); Violations Bureau Schedule of Amounts Due (eff. 2025-09-24) |
| 25–29 mph over the limit | $278 state-set | $278 state-set | 29-A M.R.S. §2073(3); Violations Bureau Schedule of Amounts Due (eff. 2025-09-24) Last civil tier — the schedule ends here because 30+ over is a crime. |
| 30 mph or more over the limit — criminal speeding | set by the local court court-set | set by the local court court-set | 29-A M.R.S. §2074(3) A Class E crime, charged in criminal court and not payable through the Violations Bureau — the sentence is set by the court within Class E limits, so no scheduled dollar figure exists to print. Also a designated conviction for which the license may be suspended up to 30 days. |
- 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
Already inside the totals above — this is the arithmetic that turns the base fine into the payment:
| Add-on | How it is computed | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Government Operations surcharge | 10% of the fine — included in the printed amount due | Violations Bureau schedule preamble (eff. 2025-09-24) |
| Maine Criminal Justice Academy surcharge | 3% of the fine — included in the printed amount due | Violations Bureau schedule preamble (eff. 2025-09-24) |
| County Jail Prisoner Support and Community Correction Fund surcharge | 1% of the fine — included in the printed amount due | Violations Bureau schedule preamble (eff. 2025-09-24) |
| Government Operations Surcharge Fund | 5% of the fine — included in the printed amount due | Violations Bureau schedule preamble (eff. 2025-09-24) |
| Maine State Police Computer Crime surcharge | 1% of the fine — included in the printed amount due | Violations Bureau schedule preamble (eff. 2025-09-24) |
| Civil Legal Services Fund fee | $10 flat — included in the printed amount due | Violations Bureau schedule preamble (eff. 2025-09-24) |
| Court Management System fee | $15 flat — included in the printed amount due | Violations Bureau schedule preamble (eff. 2025-09-24) |
Worked example: 15 mph over the limit, first offense
| Line | Amount | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Amount due — schedule row 'Speeding 15 to 19 mph over lmt' (all statutory surcharges included) | $170 | Violations Bureau Schedule of Amounts Due (eff. 2025-09-24) |
| Total | $170 state-set | lines sum to $170 |
Maine prints one all-in number: the Violations Bureau schedule lists $170 for 15–19 mph over, and the booklet's preamble states that the amount due includes all statutory surcharges (10% + 3% + 1% + 5% + 1% percentage surcharges plus the $10 Civil Legal Services and $15 Court Management System flat fees). The same speed in a school zone or construction zone is scheduled at $315.
What raises it
- School zone. The fine is doubled by statute; the schedule prints $203 (1–9 over), $233 (10–14), $315 (15–19), $435 (20–24), $531 (25–29). (29-A M.R.S. §2074(3-B); Violations Bureau schedule rows for §2074(1)(A))
- Construction zone. Scheduled at the same doubled figures: $203 / $233 / $315 / $435 / $531 by tier. (Violations Bureau schedule rows for §2075(2))
- Emergency zone. Speeding in an emergency zone (stationary emergency vehicle with lights) is scheduled at $325; the statute sets a minimum $250 fine. (29-A M.R.S. §2074(1-A); Violations Bureau schedule)
- Maine Turnpike / Interstate minimum. Exceeding the posted speed by less than 30 mph on the Turnpike or Interstate carries a statutory minimum fine of $50. (29-A M.R.S. §2074(3-A))
License points
Maine assigns demerit points by Secretary of State rule: exceeding the posted speed by less than 15 mph is 4 points, and by at least 15 but less than 30 mph is 6 points ('Imprudent Speed' is also 4). Points expire from the record one year after the conviction.
| Violation | Points |
|---|---|
| Exceeding posted speed by less than 15 mph | 4 |
| Exceeding posted speed by at least 15, less than 30 mph | 6 |
A warning issues at 6 points; an accumulation of 12 demerit points within one year exposes the license to suspension (up to 15 days under the rule). Speeding by 30 mph or more is separately a designated conviction for which the license may be suspended up to 30 days. Completing an approved driver improvement course deducts 3 points (once per 12 months). (29-250 C.M.R. ch. 1; Maine Driver's License Manual (BMV))
When a court appearance is required
No appearance is required for scheduled speeding through 29 mph over: the ticket is answered to the Violations Bureau by paying the amount due or returning a written denial for a court hearing. Criminal speeding (30+ mph over) is a Class E crime charged in court, outside the Bureau's mail-in process. (Violations Bureau schedule booklet; 29-A M.R.S. §2074(3))
Where speed becomes a criminal charge
- 30 mph or more over the maximum speed limit. (29-A M.R.S. §2074(3); 29-250 C.M.R. ch. 1)
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
None in the amounts: the Violations Bureau schedule is statewide and the officer copies the printed amount onto the ticket. An infraction not listed in the booklet is written at a default $146. Municipal traffic-ordinance violations are civil violations handled outside the traffic-infraction schedule. (Violations Bureau Schedule of Amounts Due (eff. 2025-09-24), preamble)
- Schedule edition: valid for traffic infractions occurring on and after September 24, 2025, unless otherwise ordered by the Chief Judge; the Bureau revises the booklet periodically.
- The generic charge of Imprudent Speed (§2074) is scheduled at $134.
- Class E sentencing limits for criminal speeding are set by the criminal code and are not reproduced here.
- Default statutory maximum speeds (§2074(1), as amended 2025): 15 mph in school zones, 25 mph in business or residential districts, 45 mph on other public ways unless otherwise posted.
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.
- Maine Judicial Branch, Violations Bureau — Schedule of Amounts Due (traffic infractions booklet)
retrieved 2026-07-17 · Valid for traffic infractions occurring on and after September 24, 2025 · effective 2025-09-24
https://www.courts.maine.gov/courts/traffic/schedule.pdf - 29-A M.R.S. §2074 — Rates of speed (official text, legislature.maine.gov)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/29-A/title29-Asec2074.html - 29-A M.R.S. §2073 — Authority to regulate speeds (official text, legislature.maine.gov)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/29-A/title29-Asec2073.html - 29-250 C.M.R. ch. 1 — Rules for Administrative Suspension Relating to Demerit Point Accumulation, Convictions and Adjudications (Maine Secretary of State / BMV, official rule text)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://www.maine.gov/sos/sites/maine.gov.sos/files/content/assets/250c001-2.doc - Maine Driver's License Manual (Secretary of State / Bureau of Motor Vehicles)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://www.maine.gov/sos/sites/maine.gov.sos/files/inline-files/motoristhandbook.pdf
This is not legal advice This page republishes what Maine'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.