How much is a speeding ticket in Vermont?
$151state-set
15 mph over the limit in a state speed zone, first offense — the full arithmetic is on this page.
Vermont runs a statewide schedule, so the number printed is the number you pay anywhere in the state — 1–10 mph over: $53 – $105 · 11–20 mph over: $123 – $185 · 21–30 mph over: $241 – $323. Those totals already include every mandatory assessment and surcharge, and this page itemizes each one with its statute. For 15 mph over the limit in a state speed zone, the all-in figure is $151. What raises it: work zone or school zone; commercial motor vehicle. Excessive speed — 60 mph or more AND at least 30 mph over a state or local speed zone — a criminal charge, outside a fine table's scope, noted here as a fact. Points: Speeding in a state or local speed zone carries 2 points at 1–10 over, 3 points at 11–20 over, 5 points at 21–30 over, and 8 points at 31+ over. On the interstate and controlled-access zones (§1004) every speeding tier carries 2 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 Vermont. This is a reference to what the law and the schedules print; it is not legal advice.
How Vermont sets it Vermont speeding tickets are civil complaints processed by the statewide Judicial Bureau, and the Bureau publishes a waiver-penalty schedule that computes the exact amount to the dollar: a per-mph waiver rate ($5, $6, $8 or $12 depending on the tier) multiplied by the full number of mph over the limit, plus a 15% restitution surcharge (rounded up) and a flat $47 surcharge. The same rates apply in state speed zones, on the interstates, and in municipal ordinance zones.
The fine, tier by tier
| Speed over the limit | Base fine | What you actually owe | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 mph over the limit | $5 – $50 state-set | $53 – $105 state-set | 23 V.S.A. §§1003, 1004, 1007, 1081(b); Judicial Bureau Waiver Penalty Schedule (Rev. 01/24/25) Waiver $5.00 per mph over. The fine is $5 × (total mph over); the total adds 15% of the fine rounded up plus the $47 surcharge — e.g. 10 over: $50 + $8 + $47 = $105. |
| 11–20 mph over the limit | $66 – $120 state-set | $123 – $185 state-set | 23 V.S.A. §§1003, 1004, 1007, 1081(b); Judicial Bureau Waiver Penalty Schedule (Rev. 01/24/25) Waiver $6.00 per mph over, applied to the FULL mph over — e.g. 15 over: $6 × 15 = $90 fine, $151 total with surcharges. |
| 21–30 mph over the limit | $168 – $240 state-set | $241 – $323 state-set | 23 V.S.A. §§1003, 1004, 1007, 1081(b); Judicial Bureau Waiver Penalty Schedule (Rev. 01/24/25) Waiver $8.00 per mph over — e.g. 25 over: $8 × 25 = $200 fine, $200 + $30 + $47 = $277 total. |
| 31 mph or more over the limit | at least $372 cap only | at least $475 cap only | 23 V.S.A. §§1003, 1004, 1007, 1081(b); Judicial Bureau Waiver Penalty Schedule (Rev. 01/24/25) Waiver $12.00 per mph over, open-ended upward from $12 × 31 = $372 fine ($475 with surcharges); the schedule's maximum penalty column caps the civil penalty at $1,197 ($2,347 in work/school zones). At 60 mph or more AND 30+ over a state or local zone, the separate criminal offense of excessive speed (23 V.S.A. §1097) applies — 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
Already inside the totals above — this is the arithmetic that turns the base fine into the payment:
| Add-on | How it is computed | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Crime Victims' Restitution surcharge | 15% of the fine, rounded upward to the nearest whole dollar; included in the waiver amount | 13 V.S.A. §7282; Waiver Penalty Schedule computation note |
| Surcharge (victims compensation and domestic/sexual violence funds) | $47.00 flat for any offense or violation committed after June 30, 2023 ($33.50 to the Victims Compensation Special Fund, $13.50 to the Domestic and Sexual Violence Special Fund); included in the waiver amount | 13 V.S.A. §7282; Waiver Penalty Schedule computation note |
Worked example: 15 mph over the limit in a state speed zone, first offense
| Line | Amount | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Fine — waiver $6.00 × 15 mph over | $90 | Waiver Penalty Schedule (Rev. 01/24/25), 11–20 MPH tier |
| Restitution surcharge — 15% of $90, rounded up | $14 | 13 V.S.A. §7282 |
| Surcharge (flat) | $47 | 13 V.S.A. §7282 |
| Total | $151 state-set | lines sum to $151 |
The schedule's own instruction — 'Multiply Waiver $ by MPH over limit, then add 15% of fine (rounded up) and $47.00 surcharges' — computes $6 × 15 = $90, plus $14 (15% of $90 rounded up from $13.50), plus $47: $151 owed. The same arithmetic applies statewide; on the interstate the dollar figure is identical but the ticket carries 2 points instead of 3.
What raises it
- Work zone or school zone. The per-mph waiver rate doubles — $10 (1–10 over), $12 (11–20), $16 (21–30), $24 (31+) per mph over — and the maximum penalty rises to $2,347. Example at 15 over: $12 × 15 = $180 fine + $27 + $47 = $254. (Judicial Bureau Waiver Penalty Schedule (Rev. 01/24/25), 'Work or school zone' rows)
- Commercial motor vehicle. Separate rows with higher rates at some tiers (e.g. $9/mph at 16–20 over, $12/mph at 21–30 over) and maximums up to $1,772 ($3,497 in zones). (Judicial Bureau Waiver Penalty Schedule (Rev. 01/24/25), commercial motor vehicle rows)
License points
Speeding in a state or local speed zone carries 2 points at 1–10 over, 3 points at 11–20 over, 5 points at 21–30 over, and 8 points at 31+ over. On the interstate and controlled-access zones (§1004) every speeding tier carries 2 points.
| Violation | Points |
|---|---|
| 1–10 mph over (state/local zones) | 2 |
| 11–20 mph over (state/local zones) | 3 |
| 21–30 mph over (state/local zones) | 5 |
| 31+ mph over (state/local zones) | 8 |
| Any tier on interstate/controlled-access zones (§1004) | 2 |
The Commissioner suspends the license when enough points accumulate within two consecutive years: 10 days at 10 points, 30 days at 15 points, 90 days at 20 points, and 30 more days for each additional 5 points. (23 V.S.A. §2506)
When a court appearance is required
No appearance is required: paying the waiver amount admits the violation and closes the case. A written denial routes the complaint to a Judicial Bureau hearing, where the State or municipality must prove the violation by clear and convincing evidence; after a judgment for the State the fines and surcharges plus an extra court fee are owed and the DMV imposes any applicable points. (Vermont Judiciary, Judicial Bureau civil-violation-complaints page)
Where speed becomes a criminal charge
- Excessive speed — 60 mph or more AND at least 30 mph over a state or local speed zone. (23 V.S.A. §1097)
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
Uniform statewide: the same waiver dollars apply in state speed zones (§1003), interstate and controlled-access zones (§1004), municipal ordinance zones (§1007), and under the 50-mph unposted-road rule (§1081(b)). What varies is points — interstate tickets carry 2 points at every tier while state/local-zone tickets scale to 8 — and the commercial-vehicle rows. (Judicial Bureau Waiver Penalty Schedule (Rev. 01/24/25))
- Amounts are from the Waiver Penalty Schedule revision dated 01/24/25, the newest published on vermontjudiciary.org at collection time; the Bureau revises the schedule periodically.
- The waiver amounts are what is owed when the violation is admitted; after a contested hearing the penalty is set by the hearing officer within the schedule's minimum ($47) and maximum ($1,197; $2,347 work/school zone; higher for some commercial rows).
- The flat charge for 'unreasonable and imprudent speed' under §1081(a)/(d) (driving too fast for conditions, below the limit) is a $220 waiver penalty — separate from the per-mph tiers.
- The state-zone table is marked 'not applicable for 50 mph speed limit' — unposted 50-mph roads are ticketed under §1081(b) with the same per-mph waiver dollars.
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.
- Vermont Judicial Bureau — Waiver Penalty Schedule (Rev. 01/24/25)
retrieved 2026-07-17 · Rev. 01/24/25
https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/sites/default/files/documents/Waiver_Penalty_Schedule_2024_rev1B_Website.pdf - 13 V.S.A. §7282 — Surcharges (Vermont Statutes Online, legislature.vermont.gov)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/13/223/07282 - 23 V.S.A. §2502 — Point assessment (Vermont Statutes Online, legislature.vermont.gov)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/23/025/02502 - 23 V.S.A. §2506 — Procedure (point-total suspensions) (Vermont Statutes Online)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/23/025/02506 - 23 V.S.A. §1097 — Excessive speed (Vermont Statutes Online)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/23/013/01097 - Vermont Judiciary — Judicial Bureau: Civil Violation Complaints (traffic)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://www.vtcourts.gov/judicial-bureau/civil-violation-complaints-traffic-municipal-and-fish-and-wildlife-violations
This is not legal advice This page republishes what Vermont'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.