How much is a speeding ticket in Washington?
$168state-set
15 mph over the limit, first offense, speed limit over 40 mph (e.g., 75 in a 60 zone), no enhancement zones — the full arithmetic is on this page.
Washington runs a statewide schedule, so the number printed is the number you pay anywhere in the state — 1–5 mph over: $117 – $138 · 6–10 mph over: $138 – $148 · 11–15 mph over: $168 – $179. 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 $168. What raises it: school or playground speed zone; roadway construction zone. Points: Washington does not use a demerit-point system. The Department of Licensing counts moving-violation 'occasions' instead: a conviction on 3 separate occasions in 12 months, or 4 in 24 months, brings a 60-day suspension, followed by a 1-year probation in which each new qualifying ticket adds a 30-day suspension. 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 Washington. This is a reference to what the law and the schedules print; it is not legal advice.
How Washington sets it Washington's Supreme Court fixes the base penalty for every speeding bracket statewide in court rule IRLJ 6.2 — local courts may not change the schedule by rule. What a driver actually pays is that base plus statutory assessments: a 70% public safety and education assessment, an additional 35% (half of the first assessment), $25 in flat per-infraction fees, and a $24 additional penalty. The amount depends on both mph over AND the speed limit: the same 15-over ticket has a $58 base on a road posted above 40 mph but $63 where the limit is 40 or less.
The fine, tier by tier
| Speed over the limit | Base fine | What you actually owe | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–5 mph over the limit | $33 – $43 state-set | $117 – $138 state-set | IRLJ 6.2(d); RCW 46.61.400 Base $33 where the limit is over 40 mph (total $117); $43 where the limit is 40 mph or less (total $138). Totals are the rule's own arithmetic: base + 70% + 35% assessments + $49 in flat fees, rounded up to an even dollar under IRLJ 6.2(a). |
| 6–10 mph over the limit | $43 – $48 state-set | $138 – $148 state-set | IRLJ 6.2(d); RCW 46.61.400 Base $43 where the limit is over 40 mph (total $138); $48 where the limit is 40 mph or less (total $148). |
| 11–15 mph over the limit | $58 – $63 state-set | $168 – $179 state-set | IRLJ 6.2(d); RCW 46.61.400 Base $58 where the limit is over 40 mph (total $168); $63 where the limit is 40 mph or less (total $179). |
| 16–20 mph over the limit | $73 – $83 state-set | $199 – $220 state-set | IRLJ 6.2(d); RCW 46.61.400 Base $73 where the limit is over 40 mph (total $199); $83 where the limit is 40 mph or less (total $220). |
| 21–25 mph over the limit | $88 – $108 state-set | $230 – $271 state-set | IRLJ 6.2(d); RCW 46.61.400 Base $88 where the limit is over 40 mph (total $230); $108 where the limit is 40 mph or less (total $271). |
| 26–30 mph over the limit | $108 – $133 state-set | $271 – $322 state-set | IRLJ 6.2(d); RCW 46.61.400 Base $108 where the limit is over 40 mph (total $271); $133 where the limit is 40 mph or less (total $322). |
| 31–35 mph over the limit | $133 – $158 state-set | $322 – $373 state-set | IRLJ 6.2(d); RCW 46.61.400 Base $133 where the limit is over 40 mph (total $322); $158 where the limit is 40 mph or less (total $373). |
| 36–40 mph over the limit | $158 – $188 state-set | $373 – $435 state-set | IRLJ 6.2(d); RCW 46.61.400 Base $158 where the limit is over 40 mph (total $373); $188 where the limit is 40 mph or less — that table's top bracket is 'over 35' (total $435). |
| 41 mph and more over the limit | $188 state-set | $435 state-set | IRLJ 6.2(d); RCW 46.61.400 Both schedule tables top out at a $188 base ('over 40 mph over' where the limit is above 40; 'over 35 mph over' where it is 40 or less), so the total is $435 in either zone. |
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Public safety and education assessment (PSEA) | 70% of the base penalty; may not be suspended or waived | RCW 3.62.090(1) |
| Additional public safety and education assessment | 50% of the PSEA (i.e., 35% of the base penalty); may not be suspended or waived | RCW 3.62.090(2) |
| Emergency medical services and trauma care fee | $5 per infraction — 'Under no circumstances shall this fee be reduced or waived' | RCW 46.63.110(7)(a) |
| State general fund fee | $10 per infraction — 'Under no circumstances shall this fee be reduced or waived' | RCW 46.63.110(7)(b) |
| Traumatic brain injury fee | $10 per infraction — 'Under no circumstances shall this fee be reduced or waived' (raised from $5 by 2025 c 364, effective July 27, 2025) | RCW 46.63.110(7)(c) |
| Additional penalty (legislative assessment) | $24 per infraction; the court may not reduce, waive, or suspend it unless it finds the offender indigent. Not assessed on construction-zone (RCW 46.61.527) or emergency-zone (RCW 46.61.212) infractions. | RCW 46.63.110(8)(a) |
Worked example: 15 mph over the limit, first offense, speed limit over 40 mph (e.g., 75 in a 60 zone), no enhancement zones
| Line | Amount | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Base penalty (IRLJ 6.2 schedule, 11–15 over, limit over 40 mph) | $58 | IRLJ 6.2(d) |
| PSEA 70% ($40.60) + additional PSEA 35% ($20.30) + $0.10 round-up so the total is an even dollar per IRLJ 6.2(a) | $61 | RCW 3.62.090(1)-(2); IRLJ 6.2(a) |
| Emergency medical services and trauma care fee (flat) | $5 | RCW 46.63.110(7)(a) |
| State general fund fee (flat) | $10 | RCW 46.63.110(7)(b) |
| Traumatic brain injury fee (flat) | $10 | RCW 46.63.110(7)(c) |
| Additional penalty (flat) | $24 | RCW 46.63.110(8)(a) |
| Total | $168 state-set | lines sum to $168 |
The advertised $58 'penalty' becomes $168 owed: the two percentage assessments add 105% of the base, three flat fees add $25, the additional penalty adds $24, and IRLJ 6.2(a) rounds the total up to the next even dollar. In a zone posted 40 mph or less, the same 15-over stop starts from a $63 base and totals $179. These totals are computed from the rule's own components — Washington does not publish a single statewide all-in table.
What raises it
- School or playground speed zone. The penalty is twice the penalty assessed under RCW 46.63.110 and 'may not be waived, reduced, or suspended.' School/playground zones carry a 20 mph limit, so the 40-or-less schedule column applies before doubling. (RCW 46.61.440(3))
- Roadway construction zone. The penalty is twice the penalty assessed under RCW 46.63.110 and 'may not be waived, reduced, or suspended.' The $24 additional penalty under RCW 46.63.110(8) is not assessed on these infractions. Endangering roadway workers in a construction zone is a separate gross misdemeanor with a mandatory 60-day license suspension. (RCW 46.61.527(3)-(5))
License points
Washington does not use a demerit-point system. The Department of Licensing counts moving-violation 'occasions' instead: a conviction on 3 separate occasions in 12 months, or 4 in 24 months, brings a 60-day suspension, followed by a 1-year probation in which each new qualifying ticket adds a 30-day suspension.
60-day suspension at 3 moving-violation occasions in 12 months or 4 in 24 months; during the 1-year probation that follows, each qualifying ticket brings a 30-day suspension. (Washington DOL, Accumulation of traffic tickets (dol.wa.gov))
Local variation — the honest caveat
Less variation than almost any state: IRLJ 6.2(a) says the scheduled penalty 'may not be changed by local court rule.' A court may still impose a LESSER penalty in an individual case, and the penalty for infractions not listed in the schedule ($48 default) can be altered by local rule. (IRLJ 6.2(a)-(b))
- Tier totals are computed from the cited components (base × 2.05 + $49, rounded up to an even dollar per IRLJ 6.2(a)); Washington's courts do not publish a consolidated statewide total table, so the state's own arithmetic is reproduced here instead.
- The traumatic brain injury fee rose from $5 to $10 effective July 27, 2025 (2025 c 364), which raised every speeding total by $5; totals shown reflect current law.
- The $24 additional penalty is waivable only on a finding of indigency, and is not assessed at all for construction-zone (RCW 46.61.527) or emergency-zone (RCW 46.61.212) infractions — a construction-zone total is therefore not simply double an ordinary total.
- No absolute-speed criminal threshold appears in the statutes read for this build: speeding itself is processed as a civil traffic infraction at any speed. Conduct-based crimes (e.g., reckless endangerment of roadway workers, RCW 46.61.527(4)) are separate charges.
- IRLJ 6.2 was last amended effective July 27, 2025 (amendment history printed in the rule PDF); the Supreme Court adjusts the schedule periodically per RCW 46.63.110(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.
- IRLJ 6.2 — Monetary Penalty Schedule for Infractions (Washington Court Rules, Infraction Rules for Courts of Limited Jurisdiction)
retrieved 2026-07-17 · effective 2025-07-27
https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/IRLJ/CLJ_IRLJ_06_02_00.pdf - RCW 46.63.110 — Monetary penalties (traffic infractions)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=46.63.110 - RCW 3.62.090 — Public safety and education assessment — Amount
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=3.62.090 - RCW 46.61.400 — Basic rule and maximum limits
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=46.61.400 - RCW 46.61.440 — Maximum speed limit when passing school or playground crosswalks — Penalty
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=46.61.440 - RCW 46.61.527 — Roadway construction zones
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=46.61.527 - Washington State Department of Licensing — Accumulation of traffic tickets (moving violations for traffic infractions)
retrieved 2026-07-17
https://dol.wa.gov/driver-licenses-and-permits/suspended-driver-license/types-driver-license-suspensions/accumulation-traffic-tickets-moving-violations-traffic-infractions
This is not legal advice This page republishes what Washington'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.