Traffic Fine Lookup

How much is a speeding ticket in Massachusetts?

amounts written into the statute · 2 tiers · every row cited · sources retrieved 2026-07-17

at least $150cap only

15 mph over the limit, first offense — the full arithmetic is on this page.

Massachusetts writes speeding fines into state law itself — 1–10 mph over: at least $100 · More than 10 mph over: at least $110. Where mandatory surcharges attach on top, this page itemizes them with their statutes. For 15 mph over the limit, the all-in figure is at least $150. What raises it: marked construction zone; third §16/§17 conviction within 12 months. Points: Massachusetts does not use license points. It uses insurance surcharge points under the Safe Driver Insurance Plan (SDIP), administered by the Merit Rating Board: a speeding violation is classified as a minor traffic law violation worth 2 SDIP points, which raises the premium under an insurer's merit rating plan rather than triggering a point-based license suspension. 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 Massachusetts. This is a reference to what the law and the schedules print; it is not legal advice.

How Massachusetts sets it Massachusetts sets the speeding fine by a statewide statutory formula, not by local schedules: G.L. c.90 §20 makes the fine 'not less than' $50, adds an exact $10 for every mile per hour above 10 mph over the limit, and stacks a flat $50 head-injury surcharge on every speeding fine. Because the statute words the base as a floor rather than a fixed amount, the amounts below are statutory minimums — but they are the same in every city and town.

The fine, tier by tier

Speeding fines in Massachusetts by speed over the limit. “Base fine” is what the statute or schedule names; “what you actually owe” includes the mandatory add-ons where state law fixes them.
Speed over the limit Base fine What you actually owe Citation
1–10 mph over the limit at least $50 cap only at least $100 cap only G.L. c.90 §§17, 20

The statute sets the fine at 'not less than fifty dollars'; the flat $50 surcharge is added to it, so the minimum owed is $100.
More than 10 mph over the limit at least $60 cap only at least $110 cap only G.L. c.90 §20

Formula tier: the fine is the $50 minimum plus an exact $10 for each mph in excess of 10 over — $60 at 11 over, $100 at 15 over, $150 at 20 over — and the $50 surcharge is added on top. The listed minimum is the value at 11 mph over.

The mandatory add-ons

These attach on top of whatever fine the court sets:

Add-on How it is computed Citation
Head Injury Treatment Services Trust Fund surcharge $50 flat on every fine for a §17 speeding violation; the first $50 of each surcharge is deposited into the Head Injury Treatment Services Trust Fund G.L. c.90 §20

Worked example: 15 mph over the limit, first offense

Line Amount Citation
Base fine (statutory minimum) $50 G.L. c.90 §20
Excess-speed addition — $10 × 5 mph above the 10-over threshold $50 G.L. c.90 §20
Head injury surcharge (flat) $50 G.L. c.90 §20
Where it lands at least $150 cap only

The statute builds the number itself: a fine of at least $50, plus exactly $10 for each of the 5 mph beyond 10 over, plus the flat $50 surcharge — $150 as the statewide minimum. Because §20 words the base fine as a floor ('not less than'), a court can assess more after a hearing, but the scheduled citation amount follows this arithmetic everywhere in Massachusetts.

What raises it

License points

Massachusetts does not use license points. It uses insurance surcharge points under the Safe Driver Insurance Plan (SDIP), administered by the Merit Rating Board: a speeding violation is classified as a minor traffic law violation worth 2 SDIP points, which raises the premium under an insurer's merit rating plan rather than triggering a point-based license suspension.

Violation Points
Speeding (civil violation — minor traffic law violation) 2

SDIP points raise auto-insurance premiums for policies rated under the SDIP or an insurer's own merit plan; no points attach to a first minor violation in the preceding 5 years. Separately from insurance, a third §16/§17 conviction within 12 months triggers a 30-day license revocation under G.L. c.90 §20. (Mass.gov, Safe Driver Insurance Plan (SDIP) and Surchargeable incidents pages; G.L. c.90 §20)

When a court appearance is required

No appearance is required for civil speeding: the citation must be answered within 20 days by paying the scheduled assessment or by requesting a noncriminal hearing (a $25 court filing fee applies to hearing requests). An unanswered citation leads to license suspension by operation of law plus late fees. (G.L. c.90C §3)

Local variation — the honest caveat

None in the amount: the fine formula and the $50 surcharge are statewide statute, so the scheduled assessment for a given speed is identical in every municipality. Variation enters only through the hearing process, where a clerk-magistrate or judge decides responsibility case by case and may impose more than the minimum. (G.L. c.90 §20; G.L. c.90C §3)

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.

This is not legal advice This page republishes what Massachusetts'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.