How to Get Out of a Speeding Ticket, According to Lawyers

Never admit guilt

Police officers often start with the same question: Do you know how fast you were going? Think before you respond.

“It’s best not to admit to anything,” says Mandell. “You want to make sure you don’t say anything that could hurt your case later in court.”

He adds that lying about not knowing how fast you were going probably isn’t going to look great either. “My suggestion is to say, ‘I believe I was going the speed limit,'” Mandell says. “That way, you’re not admitting to going over the speed limit, and you’re also not denying it either.”

And if you’re thinking about apologizing, don’t. “It’s best to avoid the whole ‘I’m sorry’ thing altogether,” says Mandell. “Even if you’re not apologizing for speeding, there’s still a possibility that it could be construed as an admission of guilt.”

Make a court date

If you don’t believe you deserved the ticket, contest it. The process for doing that is usually printed on the paper ticket you get from the police officer at the scene. The jurisdiction will set a court date, and both you and the officer will be expected to appear to present your cases. And that’s where you might get lucky.

Police officers have busy schedules and can’t always make themselves available to come to court. “If a police officer doesn’t show up, there’s a good chance your case will get dismissed,” Mandell says. “Some jurisdictions pay police officers overtime to show up in court, so they’re more inclined to do so, but most areas don’t.”

If you received your speeding ticket in another town or state, you still have a constitutional right to contest it—but the process might be different. Some areas allow you to challenge your ticket by mail or online, while others may require you to appear in person or hire a local attorney to appear on your behalf. It’s best to check the laws in the area where you received your ticket.

Change your court date

Odds are good that the date you initially receive for a court appearance is one where the officer is expected to be there for multiple tickets. Which is why Mandell suggests you always postpone your date at least once.

“Talk to the clerk and change it to a different day. Then it’s more likely to conflict with the officer’s schedule,” says Mandell. “If you can, suggest a date that works specifically for you and not just another one that the court gives you because they’ll be looking at the next available date for the officer. The overall plan is to increase the likelihood that the officer is a no-show.”

While some jurisdictions have limits on the number of times you can delay your day in court, Mandell says they’ll usually allow you to “continue” (aka postpone) your hearing at least once.

Collect evidence

To effectively challenge your ticket, you’re going to need evidence. And the best time to collect it is immediately after you receive the ticket.

“It’s always a good idea to write down as many details as you can,” Mandell says. “Take pictures of the area where the police officer was when they clocked you, and where you were pulled over, because that stuff can come into play if you’re going to argue your case later.”

What types of things are of interest? “If the police officer’s view was obstructed in any way, that could help your case,” Mandell says. “If a sign is partially covered by a bush or something like that, that’s an argument to make. So you want to take pictures of those things before you leave the scene.”

Check the ticket for mistakes

“You should always look at your ticket to see if there are any errors, and then point out those errors when you go to court,” says Mandell. While minor errors—say, the officer misspelled your name or your license plate is off by a number or letter—probably won’t get the ticket thrown out by the judge, major mistakes, like the wrong day or location, or the car make being completely wrong, could make a judge decide your way.

“Like everything, it’s not a guarantee, but if it says you were in an SUV and you were in a Prius, it could challenge the credibility of the ticket,” Mandell says. “The more critical it seems, and the more it seems like, ‘Hey, they got the wrong guy or girl,’ the more it could help your case.”

Challenge the technology

Radar guns are required to be regularly tested and calibrated. If the police officer who issued your ticket clocked your speed with a radar gun, it’s worth asking to see when the gun last underwent those tests. “There are local rules as to how you can get those records,” says Mandell. “A lot of people don’t go down this route because it’s a lot of work for a speeding ticket, but if things weren’t done properly, that could be helpful to you.”

If your speeding ticket was the result of a speed camera, there could be technological issues there too. Speed cameras are also supposed to be regularly calibrated, and if that work wasn’t done, it could be a reason to have your ticket dismissed.

“Different jurisdictions have different laws, so the best I can say is to look into local laws to see if there are specific arguments to make,” says Mandell.

Check for traps

Let’s be honest: Some places just seem to love handing out speeding tickets. But even the most revenue-hungry hamlet has to abide by state laws governing how quickly a speed limit can change from, say, 55 to 30 mph.

“In California, for example, the speed limits have to be justified by an engineering survey,” says Mandell. “And if it’s not supported by an engineering survey, then it’s not enforceable.” He says one way to challenge speed traps is to find out the last time the survey was conducted. If it was never done, or it wasn’t done for a number of years, “then you may have an argument that that speed limit is not valid.”

Don’t waste time with excuses

Police officers have a lot of discretion when issuing speeding citations—just like judges do when deciding to uphold or dismiss them. And flimsy excuses to either one will probably not get you out of a speeding ticket. If “I really had to get to a bathroom” or “I was late for a job interview” didn’t work on the cop, it probably won’t work on the judge.

“If you’ve already said the excuse to the cop, and the cop didn’t buy it, you can bring it up to the judge, but the judge is probably going to lean toward the cop,” Mandell says. “So be prepared and don’t make it the crux of your argument. You want to challenge more the observations of the officer and issues with the ticket.”

Make a deal

Even if you can’t get your ticket dismissed, it’s often worth challenging your ticket in court just to present your case to the judge. “You’ll have an opportunity to talk to the judge and see if there’s a way to lower your fine or get some other way of resolving the situation, whether that be traffic school or whatnot,” says Mandell. “Not everything is going to be a slam-dunk win, but you have the opportunity to plead your case, and you might get the benefit of not having to pay as much.”

How to avoid a speeding ticket

Of course, the best way to get out of a speeding ticket is not to get one in the first place. Unless you’re traveling way over the speed limit—which pretty much guarantees you are going home with a ticket—police officers do have a lot of discretion about whether or not to issue a citation.

So go ahead and plead your case to the officer! Just be forewarned, they have heard it all. “Cops get all sorts of excuses every day,” says Mandell. “Still, if there’s an emergency with your kid, or you’re rushing someone to the hospital, it’s worth bringing up.”

And whatever your reason for pushing the speed limit, remember that your behavior during the stop and the things the cop notices about you  can be the difference between a warning and a ticket. “Be polite and ask for a warning,” advises Mandell. If your driving record is otherwise clear and you treat the officer with respect, you may just get lucky. “Remain polite and respectful because it goes a long way.”

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Source:

• Mike Mandell, attorney and creator of the website Law by Mike; interviewed, October 2025