How much is a speeding ticket in Maryland?
$90state-set
15 mph over the limit, first offense, not contributing to an accident, posted limit under 65 mph, paid without trial — the full arithmetic is on this page.
Maryland runs a statewide schedule, so the number printed is the number you pay anywhere in the state — 1-9 mph over: $80 · 10-19 mph over: $90 · 20-29 mph over: $160. 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 $90. What raises it: highway work zone (§21-802.1); posted school zone with flashing warning lights or double-fine notice (§21-803.1(e)); violation contributed to an accident; posted limit of 65 or 70 mph. Points: Speeding under 10 mph over is an unlisted moving violation at 1 point; 10 or more over is 2 points; exceeding a 65 mph limit by 20+ is 5 points; 30 or more over is 6 points. Contributing to an accident makes any of the lower bands 3 points. Every row on this page carries its citation — 6 primary sources (statute text, court fine schedules, DMV publications), each with a retrieval date, plus the local-variation caveat that applies in Maryland. This is a reference to what the law and the schedules print; it is not legal advice.
How Maryland sets it Maryland is a preset-fine state: the Chief Judge of the District Court adopts one statewide schedule, the officer writes that exact amount on the citation, and paying it resolves the case — $80 for 1-9 mph over up to $530 for 40+ over, with every preset already including a $7.50 Special Funds surcharge. There is no separate stack of court costs on a paid citation. The number changes only if the ticket contributed to an accident, was in a work/school zone or a 65-70 mph zone (higher schedules), or if the driver goes to court, where the fine can reach the $500 statutory ceiling.
The fine, tier by tier
| Speed over the limit | Base fine | What you actually owe | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-9 mph over the limit | $80 state-set | $80 state-set | Md. Transp. §21-801.1; District Court Schedule of Preset Fines (eff. Oct. 1, 2025) Preset amounts are all-in (the $7.50 Special Funds surcharge is already included). If the violation contributed to an accident: $120 and 3 points. |
| 10-19 mph over the limit | $90 state-set | $90 state-set | Md. Transp. §21-801.1; District Court Schedule of Preset Fines (eff. Oct. 1, 2025) Contributing to an accident: $130 and 3 points. Where the posted limit is 65 or 70 mph, this band's preset rises to $160 (2 points). |
| 20-29 mph over the limit | $160 state-set | $160 state-set | Md. Transp. §21-801.1; District Court Schedule of Preset Fines (eff. Oct. 1, 2025) Contributing to an accident: $200 and 3 points. Where the posted limit is 65 or 70 mph, this band's preset rises to $290 and carries 5 points. |
| 30-39 mph over the limit | $290 state-set | $290 state-set | Md. Transp. §21-801.1; District Court Schedule of Preset Fines (eff. Oct. 1, 2025) Carries 6 points at this band. |
| 40+ mph over the limit | $530 state-set | $530 state-set | Md. Transp. §21-801.1; District Court Schedule of Preset Fines (eff. Oct. 1, 2025) Carries 6 points. Still a payable citation on the schedule (a fine amount is preset rather than marked must-appear). |
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Special Funds surcharge | $7.50, already INCLUDED in every preset fine amount in the schedule — not an addition on top | District Court Schedule of Preset Fines (eff. Oct. 1, 2025), cover note |
Worked example: 15 mph over the limit, first offense, not contributing to an accident, posted limit under 65 mph, paid without trial
| Line | Amount | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Preset fine, 10-19 mph over (includes the $7.50 Special Funds surcharge) | $90 | District Court Schedule of Preset Fines (eff. Oct. 1, 2025) |
| Total | $90 state-set | lines sum to $90 |
One number, statewide: the officer enters the schedule's preset $90 on the citation and paying it closes the case — no separate court costs attach to a paid citation, and the $7.50 surcharge is already inside the preset. The same ticket is $130 if it contributed to an accident, $160 if the posted limit was 65 or 70 mph, and at a court hearing the fine is the judge's call up to the $500 statutory maximum.
What raises it
- Highway work zone (§21-802.1). A separate, higher preset schedule: $290 (1-9 over), $300 (10-19), $370 (20-29), $500 (30-39), $740 (40+). (District Court Schedule of Preset Fines (eff. Oct. 1, 2025), §21-802.1 rows)
- Posted school zone with flashing warning lights or double-fine notice (§21-803.1(e)). A separate preset schedule: $120 (1-9 over), $140 (10-19), $270 (20-29), $540 (30-39), $1,000 (40+). The underlying statute lets authorities provide that fines are doubled for speeding in an established school zone. (District Court Schedule of Preset Fines (eff. Oct. 1, 2025), §21-803.1(e) rows; Md. Transp. §21-803.1(a)(1)(ii))
- Violation contributed to an accident. The schedule's second column applies: a higher preset fine (e.g., $130 instead of $90 at 10-19 over) and 3 points instead of 1-2. (District Court Schedule of Preset Fines (eff. Oct. 1, 2025), 'Cont. to Accident' column)
- Posted limit of 65 or 70 mph. Dedicated higher rows: 10-19 over is $160 (2 points); 20-29 over is $290 and 5 points. (District Court Schedule of Preset Fines (eff. Oct. 1, 2025); Md. Transp. §16-402(a)(24))
License points
Speeding under 10 mph over is an unlisted moving violation at 1 point; 10 or more over is 2 points; exceeding a 65 mph limit by 20+ is 5 points; 30 or more over is 6 points. Contributing to an accident makes any of the lower bands 3 points.
| Violation | Points |
|---|---|
| Under 10 mph over (moving violation not listed, not contributing to an accident) | 1 |
| 10+ mph over the posted limit | 2 |
| Exceeding a posted 65 mph limit by 20+ mph | 5 |
| 30+ mph over the posted limit | 6 |
Within any 2-year period the MVA sends a warning letter at 3 points, requires a driver improvement program at 5, suspends the license at 8, and revokes it at 12. (Md. Transp. §16-404(a))
When a court appearance is required
Not required for ordinary speeding: every §21-801.1 band has a preset fine, making it a payable citation the driver may simply pay (offenses the schedule marks 'MA' — must appear — get no preset fine and require trial). A driver who instead elects a waiver hearing or trial must appear, and payable violations are not punishable by jail time. (District Court Schedule of Preset Fines (eff. Oct. 1, 2025), cover instructions; District Court of Maryland traffic self-help page)
Local variation — the honest caveat
The preset schedule is one document statewide — no county or municipal speeding fine schedules. What moves the number is circumstance, not geography: the accident column, work/school zone schedules, 65-70 mph zone rows, and the choice to go to court (where the fine is discretionary up to the $500 Maryland Vehicle Law ceiling, and could exceed a low preset). (District Court Schedule of Preset Fines (eff. Oct. 1, 2025); Md. Transp. §27-101(b))
- Schedule edition: effective October 1, 2025 ('replacing all such schedules issued prior hereto'), retrieved 2026-07-17 from the Maryland Judiciary's court-forms store (DC/CR 090).
- Maryland Vehicle Law violations are technically misdemeanors (Md. Transp. §27-101(a)), but payable citations are resolved by payment and the District Court states payable violations are not punishable by jail; Maryland has no absolute-speed criminal threshold like Virginia's.
- The $500 fine cap of §27-101(b) is the general ceiling 'except as otherwise provided'; specific provisions can exceed it (the 40+ over preset of $530 and the $1,000 school-zone top row rest on such exceptions in the schedule).
- Automated speed-camera citations (civil, owner-liability) are a separate system with their own penalties and are not covered by this table.
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.
- District Court of Maryland — Schedule of Preset Fines (DC/CR 090), effective October 1, 2025
retrieved 2026-07-17 · Effective October 1, 2025
https://www.mdcourts.gov/sites/default/files/court-forms/dccr090.pdf - Md. Code, Transportation §27-101 — General penalties (official statute text, Maryland General Assembly Statute_Web)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Statute_Web/gtr/27-101.pdf - Md. Code, Transportation §16-402 — Point assessments (official statute text, Maryland General Assembly Statute_Web)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Statute_Web/gtr/16-402.pdf - Md. Code, Transportation §16-404 — Actions on point accumulation (official statute text, Maryland General Assembly Statute_Web)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Statute_Web/gtr/16-404.pdf - Md. Code, Transportation §21-803.1 — School zones (official statute text, Maryland General Assembly Statute_Web)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Statute_Web/gtr/21-803.1.pdf - District Court of Maryland — Traffic citations self-help page (payable vs. must-appear) (read live, not saved)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://www.mdcourts.gov/district/selfhelp/traffic
This is not legal advice This page republishes what Maryland'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.