How much is a speeding ticket in Minnesota?
$135state-set
15 mph over the limit, first offense, no special zone — the full arithmetic is on this page.
Minnesota runs a statewide schedule, so the number printed is the number you pay anywhere in the state — 1–10 mph over: $115 · 11–14 mph over: $125 · 15–19 mph over: $135. 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 $135. What raises it: work zone; school zone; 20+ mph over the limit; driving in excess of 100 mph. Endangerment (officers directed to note it above 30 mph over) — a criminal charge, outside a fine table's scope, noted here as a fact. Points: Minnesota does not assign demerit points. Driver and Vehicle Services acts on the NUMBER of convictions: the habitual-violator rule starts suspensions at four moving-violation convictions in 12 months (or five in 24). Softer still, a conviction for 10 mph or less over in a 55 mph zone — or 5 or less over in a 60 zone — is not even recorded on a non-commercial driver's record. Every row on this page carries its citation — 7 primary sources (statute text, court fine schedules, DMV publications), each with a retrieval date, plus the local-variation caveat that applies in Minnesota. This is a reference to what the law and the schedules print; it is not legal advice.
How Minnesota sets it Minnesota's Judicial Council publishes a Statewide Payables List each year: one uniform fine per mph-over band, payable in lieu of a court appearance anywhere in the state. The list's own arithmetic builds the total — fine + the $75 statewide surcharge, plus a second surcharge equal to the fine once you are 20 or more over. A 15-over ticket is $135 everywhere in Minnesota; a 21-over ticket is $215.
The fine, tier by tier
| Speed over the limit | Base fine | What you actually owe | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 mph over the limit | $40 state-set | $115 state-set | Minn. Stat. §169.14; 2026 Statewide Payables List; Minn. Stat. §357.021, subd. 6 |
| 11–14 mph over | $50 state-set | $125 state-set | Minn. Stat. §169.14; 2026 Statewide Payables List; Minn. Stat. §357.021, subd. 6 |
| 15–19 mph over | $60 state-set | $135 state-set | Minn. Stat. §169.14; 2026 Statewide Payables List; Minn. Stat. §357.021, subd. 6 |
| 20–25 mph over | $70 state-set | $215 state-set | Minn. Stat. §§169.14, subd. 2(d); 2026 Statewide Payables List; §357.021, subd. 6 The total includes a second 'speeding surcharge' equal to the fine ($70), required by statute for exceeding the limit by 20 mph or more. |
| 26–30 mph over | $100 state-set | $275 state-set | Minn. Stat. §§169.14, subd. 2(d); 2026 Statewide Payables List; §357.021, subd. 6 Includes the fine-matching speeding surcharge ($100) for 20+ mph over. |
| 31 mph and more over | $150 state-set | $375 state-set | Minn. Stat. §§169.14, subd. 2(d); 2026 Statewide Payables List; §357.021, subd. 6 The payables list prints this row 'unless endangered checked': for speeds in excess of 30 over, the officer is directed to note endangerment, and a citation with the endangerment box checked is not payable — it goes to court as a misdemeanor-level charge (see criminal thresholds). Includes the $150 speeding surcharge. |
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal/traffic surcharge | $75 flat on every conviction, including petty misdemeanors (assessed once per case) | Minn. Stat. §357.021, subd. 6 |
| Speeding surcharge (20+ mph over) | An additional surcharge equal to the amount of the fine (not less than $25) when the limit is exceeded by 20 mph or more — this is what makes the 20-and-over rows roughly double | Minn. Stat. §169.14, subd. 2(d) |
Worked example: 15 mph over the limit, first offense, no special zone
| Line | Amount | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Uniform fine (15–19 over) | $60 | 2026 Statewide Payables List, §169.14 speed rows |
| Criminal/traffic surcharge (flat, statewide) | $75 | Minn. Stat. §357.021, subd. 6 |
| Total | $135 state-set | lines sum to $135 |
The payables list prints $135 as the total: the Judicial Council's uniform $60 fine for 15–19 over plus the $75 surcharge that attaches to every traffic conviction (the list's law-library column shows $0.00 on the speeding rows). Paying it resolves the petty misdemeanor without a court appearance and counts as a guilty plea. The fine-matching second surcharge only starts at 20 mph over.
What raises it
- Work zone. The fine is $300 regardless of speed band, making the payable total $375 with the standard surcharge. (Minn. Stat. §169.14, subd. 5d; 2026 Statewide Payables List)
- School zone. An additional surcharge equal to the amount of the fine (minimum $25) is assessed on top of the fine for violating a school-zone speed limit; the payables list leaves school-zone amounts fact-dependent rather than printing a single number. (Minn. Stat. §169.14, subd. 5a; 2026 Statewide Payables List)
- 20+ mph over the limit. A second surcharge equal to the fine attaches (the doubling visible in the 20-and-over rows). (Minn. Stat. §169.14, subd. 2(d))
- Driving in excess of 100 mph. License revocation for six months upon conviction — a mandatory license action on top of the fine and surcharges. (Minn. Stat. §171.17, subd. 1(a)(11))
License points
Minnesota does not assign demerit points. Driver and Vehicle Services acts on the NUMBER of convictions: the habitual-violator rule starts suspensions at four moving-violation convictions in 12 months (or five in 24). Softer still, a conviction for 10 mph or less over in a 55 mph zone — or 5 or less over in a 60 zone — is not even recorded on a non-commercial driver's record.
Suspension lengths under Minn. R. 7409.2200, subp. 1: four traffic offenses within 12 months (or five within 24) = 30 days, with a prior warning letter; five in 12 (or six in 24) = 90 days; seven in 24 = 180 days; eight or more in 24 = one year. (Minn. R. 7409.2200; Minn. Stat. §171.12, subd. 6)
When a court appearance is required
A speeding citation stops being payable when the endangerment box is checked (officers are directed to note endangerment for speeds in excess of 30 over) or when the offense is charged by complaint rather than citation — endangerment elevates the violation to a misdemeanor under Minn. Stat. §169.89, subd. 1(1). Otherwise speeding is a payable petty misdemeanor: paying the listed amount in lieu of an appearance constitutes a guilty plea. (2026 Statewide Payables List, policies and speed-row note; Minn. Stat. §169.89)
Where speed becomes a criminal charge
- Endangerment (officers directed to note it above 30 mph over). Criminal charge — outside a fine table's scope. (Minn. Stat. §169.89, subd. 1(1); 2026 Statewide Payables List note)
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 payable amounts are uniform statewide and processed through a centralized Court Payment Center; the 2026 list prints a $0.00 law-library fee on the speeding rows. The known edges are small: Ramsey County (Second Judicial District) is statutorily authorized to add a $1 surcharge if its county board approves, and county law-library fees under Minn. Stat. ch. 134A exist as a category (assessed once per case where applicable). (Minn. Stat. §357.021, subd. 6; 2026 Statewide Payables List, policies)
- Amounts are the 2026 Statewide Payables List, approved by the Judicial Council and effective 1/1/2026; the list is re-approved annually. The 2025 list carried identical speeding amounts.
- The listed row amounts are the payable amounts, not the ceiling after a court hearing — the petty-misdemeanor maximum fine is $300 (Minn. Stat. §169.89, subd. 2).
- For non-commercial drivers, convictions of 10 or less over in a 55 mph zone or 5 or less over in a 60 zone are not kept on the driving record (Minn. Stat. §171.12, subd. 6); CDL holders and commercial-vehicle violations are excluded from that shield.
- The 'safe road zone' offense (169.14, subd. 5i(b)) exists on the list with fact-dependent amounts and is not tabulated here.
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.
- Minnesota Judicial Branch — 2026 Statewide Payables List, Traffic/Criminal (effective 1/1/2026)
retrieved 2026-07-17 · 2026 · effective 2026-01-01
https://mncourts.gov/_media/migration/scao_library/statewide-payables/2026-Traffic-Criminal-Payables-List-Payables-List-FINAL.pdf - Minn. Stat. §169.14 — Speed limits, zones; radar (official text, revisor.mn.gov)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.14 - Minn. Stat. §357.021, subd. 6 — Surcharges on criminal and traffic offenders (official text, revisor.mn.gov)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/357.021 - Minn. Stat. §171.17 — Revocation (official text, revisor.mn.gov)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/171.17 - Minn. Stat. §169.89 — Petty misdemeanors (official text, revisor.mn.gov)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.89 - Minn. R. 7409.2200 — Habitual violator; suspension (official text, revisor.mn.gov)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/7409.2200/ - Minn. Stat. §171.12, subd. 6 — Certain convictions not recorded (official text, revisor.mn.gov)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/171.12
This is not legal advice This page republishes what Minnesota'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.