What a District of Columbia speeding ticket is

This page quotes sections of the Code of the District of Columbia (D.C. Code), published by the Council of the District of Columbia at code.dccouncil.gov, and sections of Title 18 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR), published at dcregs.dc.gov, with a District Department of Transportation (DDOT) page and a DC Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV) page, listed under Sources below. It covers the District of Columbia (Washington, DC). It does not apply any of this text to any notice. Read any agency, charge, regulation, speed limit, alleged speed, and amount shown on your notice. Confirm what your notice says.

Another page quotes D.C. Code §§ 50-2209.01 and 50-2209.02, on automated traffic enforcement systems (cameras) and the registered owner, with DDOT and DC DMV pages: District of Columbia camera tickets: what D.C. Code §§ 50-2209.01 and 50-2209.02 say about automated traffic enforcement systems and the registered owner.

The D.C. Code sections are quoted as the code.dccouncil.gov section pages showed them on 3 Nov 2026. The 18 DCMR sections are quoted from the “Adopted Rule” text files offered on the dcregs.dc.gov section pages on 3 Nov 2026. The notes that the code.dccouncil.gov pages show after a section’s text, such as history, applicability, and editor’s notes, are not quoted.

What D.C. Code § 50-2201.04 says about speed and reckless driving

D.C. Code § 50-2201.04(a): “No vehicle shall be operated at a greater rate of speed than permitted by the regulations adopted under the authority of this part.”

D.C. Code § 50-2201.04(b): “A person commits the offense of reckless driving if the person drives a motor vehicle on any highway in the District:”

D.C. Code § 50-2201.04(b)(1): “At a speed of 20 miles per hour or more in excess of the speed limit; or”

D.C. Code § 50-2201.04(b)(2): “In any other manner that displays a conscious disregard of the risk of causing property damage or bodily injury to any person.”

D.C. Code § 50-2201.04(c): “A person commits the offense of aggravated reckless driving if the person drives a motor vehicle on any highway in the District:”

D.C. Code § 50-2201.04(c)(1): “At a speed of 30 miles per hour or more above the speed limit; or”

D.C. Code § 50-2201.04(c)(2): “At a speed of 20 miles per hour or more above the speed limit, or in any other manner that displays a conscious disregard of the risk of causing property damage or bodily injury to any person, and”

D.C. Code § 50-2201.04(c)(2)(A): “Causes bodily injury to any other person;”

D.C. Code § 50-2201.04(c)(2)(B): “Collides with another motor vehicle; or”

D.C. Code § 50-2201.04(c)(2)(C): “Causes $1,000 or more in property damage.”

That is the Code’s statement. Section 50-2201.04 has other text, subsections (d) and (e), on penalties upon conviction of reckless driving and aggravated reckless driving, subsection (f), on prior convictions, and subsection (g), on civil actions by the Attorney General, that this page does not cover. This page does not say how that text applies to a particular notice, license, or driving record.

D.C. Code § 50-2302.02: “The provisions of this subchapter shall not apply to the following violations, which shall continue to be prosecuted as criminal offenses:”

D.C. Code § 50-2302.02(10): “Violation of Commissioners’ Order No. 57-1086, dated June 11, 1957 (Highway and Traffic Regulations, § 22(d)) (driving at a speed greater than 30 miles per hour in excess of the legal speed limit);”

That is the Code’s statement. Section 50-2302.02 lists other violations, in its other numbered paragraphs, that this page does not cover. This page does not say how that text applies to a particular notice, license, or driving record.

What 18 DCMR § 2600 says about civil fines for speeding

18 DCMR § 2600.1: “The following civil infractions and their respective fine amounts set forth in this section do not include those major moving violations for which jurisdiction remains in the Superior Court:”

Under the heading “Speeding”, the table in 18 DCMR § 2600.1 lists:

“Up to 10 mph in excess of limit [§ 2200]”: “$50.00”
“More than 10 up to 15 mph in excess of limit [§ 2200]”: “$100.00”
“More than 15 up to 20 mph in excess of limit [§ 2200]”: “$150.00”
“More than 20 up to 25 mph in excess of limit [§ 2200]”: “$200.00”
“More than 25 mph in excess of limit on controlled access roadways [§ 2200]”: “$400.00”
“More than 25 mph in excess of limit on non-controlled access roadways [§ 2200]”: “$500.00”
“Minimum; driving too slowly [§ 2200.10]”: “$50.00”
“Unreasonable [§ 2200.3]”: “$100.00”
“Playground, recreational facility, pool, athletic field, or senior center [§ 2200.9]”: “$100.00”

18 DCMR § 2600.2: “If a civil infraction listed in § 2600.1 occurs within a work zone area, delineated by signs as required by § 4040, an additional fine equal to the fine for the civil infraction shall be issued to the driver.”

18 DCMR § 2600.3: “If a civil infraction for speeding listed in § 2600.1 occurs within a school zone, an additional fine equal to the fine for the civil infraction for speeding shall be issued.”

18 DCMR § 2600 also contains a note headed “TRAFFIC VIOLATION IN NATIONAL CAPITAL PARKS”, which states: “Additional traffic regulations for all District of Columbia areas under the jurisdiction of the U.S. National Park Service are set forth in Part 50 of Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations.”

The note continues: “Penalties for violation of federal traffic regulations in park areas are set forth in 36 C.F.R. § 50.5, and in other specific sections.”

The note continues: “District of Columbia traffic laws and regulations, and the penalties applicable to violations of District laws and regulations set forth in this title and the D.C. Code, are also applicable in park areas located within the District of Columbia. [36 C.F.R. § 50.3].”

The source note at the end of 18 DCMR § 2600 ends: “as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 73 DCR 011212 (August 7, 2026).”

A District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Notice of Final Rulemaking, also offered on the dcregs.dc.gov page for § 2600, states: “This final rulemaking clarifies the intended speed at which each monetary penalty for speeding applies.” It also states: “The Director adopted these rules as final on August 5, 2026, and they shall become effective upon publication of this notice in the District of Columbia Register.”

A DDOT page, “Speeding Laws, Fines and Safety Tips”, states: “DC law provides for doubled fines for moving violations in a work zone or school zone.” It also states: “The fines for traffic violations captured by automated photo enforcement are exactly the same as the fines for violations issued by a police officer.”

Those are the statements of the regulation and of DDOT. 18 DCMR §§ 2600.2 and 2600.3, quoted above, state an additional fine in a work zone and in a school zone, and D.C. Code § 50-2301.05(a)(2), quoted below, states penalties in addition to the civil fine when a notice is not answered in time or a hearing is missed. This page does not add any other amount to these figures and does not total any amount. Section 2600.1 lists other infractions and fines, including speed entries for motor-driven cycles and motorized bicycles, that this page does not cover. This page does not say which entry, or what amount, applies to a particular notice. Read any amount printed on your notice.

What 18 DCMR § 303 says about points

18 DCMR § 303.1: “Points shall be assessed against the driving record of an individual upon receipt of evidence of a traffic conviction, not including automated traffic enforcement systems as defined in Section 303.15, or after an individual has either admitted committing, paid a fine for committing, or has been found by the Director or his designee, to have committed, a traffic offense made pointable by this or any other provision of this Title, except that points may be assessed against a person under eighteen (18) years of age at the discretion of the Director.”

18 DCMR § 303.2: “Points shall be assessed in accordance with the following schedule.”

(d) “Speeding in excess of posted speed limit by 11 -15 miles an hour”: “3 points”
(e) “Speeding in excess of posted speed limit by 16 - 20 miles an hour”: “4 points”
(f) “Speeding in excess of posted speed limit by at least 21 miles an hour or more”: “5 points”
(j) “Reckless driving”: “6 points”
(j-1) “Aggravated reckless driving”: “12 points”

The point schedule in § 303.2 uses the wording “11 -15”, “16 - 20” and “at least 21 miles an hour or more”. The fine table in § 2600.1 uses the wording “More than 10 up to 15 mph”, “More than 15 up to 20 mph”, “More than 20 up to 25 mph” and “More than 25 mph”. This page quotes each as written and does not say how one matches the other.

18 DCMR § 303.3: “The Director or hearing examiner shall, in accordance with § 307.2, order the suspension of a persons license when the number of points accumulated reaches a total of ten (10) points.”

18 DCMR § 303.4: “The Director or hearing examiner may order the suspension of a persons license when the number of points accumulated reached a total of eight (8) or nine (9) points.”

18 DCMR § 303.5: “The Director or hearing examiner shall order the revocation of the person’s license when the number of points accumulated reaches a total of twelve (12) points.”

18 DCMR § 303.7: “No person shall have his or her license revoked or suspended under this section if the ground(s) on which the suspension or revocation is (are) based has (have) been the subject of a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and judgment or verdict was in favor of that person.”

18 DCMR § 303.8: “Points added to a driving record shall be deleted two (2) years after the date of assessment.”

18 DCMR § 303.9: “The Director shall assign one (1) safe driving point annually at the beginning of the calendar year to the driving record of a licensee who was not assessed points during the preceding twelve (12) months, up to a maximum accumulation of five (5) points.”

18 DCMR § 303.10: “Accumulated safe driving points may be used to offset assessed points in the chronological order in which the points were assessed. Safe driving points shall not be used to offset points assessed for a mandatory revocation or suspension.”

18 DCMR § 303.17: “A safe driving point assigned pursuant to § 303.9 shall expire after five (5) years.”

Those are the regulation’s statements. Section 303 has other text, including the other entries in the § 303.2 schedule and §§ 303.11 to 303.13 and 303.16, on cases submitted to military authorities, offenses in other jurisdictions, and changes to the schedule, that this page does not cover. This page does not say how that text applies to a particular notice, license, or driving record.

What D.C. Code §§ 50-2302.05 and 50-2301.05 say about answering a notice of infraction

D.C. Code § 50-2302.05(a): “In answer to a notice of infraction, a person to whom the notice was issued may:”

D.C. Code § 50-2302.05(a)(1): “Admit, by payment of the civil fine, the commission of the infraction;”

D.C. Code § 50-2302.05(a)(1A): “Admit with an explanation; or”

D.C. Code § 50-2302.05(a)(2): “Deny the commission of the infraction.”

D.C. Code § 50-2302.05(c)(1): “A person admitting an infraction shall, at the same time the person submits an answer, pay the civil fine and any additional penalties established pursuant to § 50-2301.05 as may be due for failure to answer within the time required by subsection (d) of this section. Payment of the fine for the infraction shall be deemed a finding of liability.”

D.C. Code § 50-2302.05(c)(2): “A person admitting an infraction with an explanation shall submit payment of the civil fine and any additional penalties established pursuant to § 50-2301.05 with the explanation as to why the fine or penalty should be reduced or points should not be assessed. A hearing examiner may, upon consideration of the explanation, order the reduction of the fine or penalty or waiver of applicable points, or authorize the deletion of the assessed points upon the satisfactory completion of driving school.”

D.C. Code § 50-2302.05(d): “If a person fails to answer a notice of infraction within 30 calendar days of the date the notice was issued, or within a greater period of time as prescribed by the Director by regulation, a penalty equal to the amount of the fine shall be added pursuant to § 50-2301.05(a).”

D.C. Code § 50-2302.05(e): “If a person fails to answer the notice within 60 calendar days after the date the notice was issued, or within a greater period of time as prescribed by the Director by regulation, the commission of the infraction shall be deemed admitted and all points, penalties, and fines shall be assessed.”

D.C. Code § 50-2302.05(f): “Not more than 50 days after the notice is issued, the Director shall send by regular mail addressed to the person’s address on the Department of Motor Vehicle’s records notice of the outstanding notice of infraction and the effective date of the deemed admission. For holders of out-of-state licenses, the address in the Department of Motor Vehicle’s records shall be the address available through the Washington Area Law Enforcement System, or similar interstate database containing license information from state issuing agencies, or the address displayed on the person’s driver’s license as presented at the time notice of infraction was issued.”

D.C. Code § 50-2302.05(i)(1): “Except as provided in paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) of this subsection, a deemed admission pursuant to subsection (e) of this section may be vacated if the Department receives a written application by mail or through the Department's website within 60 calendar days of the date of the deemed admission that sets forth:”

D.C. Code § 50-2302.05(i)(1)(A): “A sufficient defense to the charge; and”

D.C. Code § 50-2302.05(i)(1)(B): “Excusable neglect for failing to answer within the time period provided for in subsection (e) of this section.”

D.C. Code § 50-2302.05(j): “The filing of an application under subsection (i) of this section shall not stay any charges, fines, penalties, or points; provided, that if the infraction underlying the deemed admission is dismissed, any charges, fines, or penalties paid shall be reimbursed and points assessed may be vacated.”

That is the Code’s statement. Section 50-2302.05 has other text, including subsection (b), on contesting a charge, subsection (h), on amnesty programs, and paragraphs (2) to (4) of subsection (i), on deemed admissions for other kinds of violations, including violations detected by an automated traffic enforcement system, that this page does not cover. This page does not say how that text applies to a particular notice, license, or driving record.

D.C. Code § 50-2301.05(a): “The maximum monetary sanctions that may be imposed under this chapter shall be as follows:”

D.C. Code § 50-2301.05(a)(2): “In addition to the civil fine, the following penalties may be imposed:”

D.C. Code § 50-2301.05(a)(2)(A): “In the case of a person receiving a notice of infraction who fails to answer such notice within the time specified by §§ 50-2302.05(d)(1) and 50-2303.05(d)(1), a penalty equal to the amount of the civil fine;”

D.C. Code § 50-2301.05(a)(2)(B): “In the case of a person receiving a notice of infraction who fails to answer such notice by the close of business on the date set for the hearing or who answers but fails without good cause to appear at such hearing, with respect to infractions under subchapter II of this chapter, a penalty equal to twice the amount of the civil fine and, with respect to infractions under subchapter III of this chapter, a penalty equal to the amount of the civil fine plus $5.”

D.C. Code § 50-2301.05(a)(3): “The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to infractions issued by the Department of For Hire Vehicles pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 3 of this title.”

That is the Code’s statement. Section 50-2301.05 has other text, including paragraph (1) of subsection (a), on how the schedule of fines is set and changed, and subsections (b) to (d), on payment by credit card, payment in installments, and an appeal filing fee, that this page does not cover. This page does not say how that text applies to a particular notice, license, or driving record.

The DC Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV) page “Understanding the Ticket Timeline” has a table with the columns “Day 1-30”, “Day 31-60”, “Day 61”, “Day 61-120” and “Day 121”. For the row “Minor Moving Violation Ticket”, marked “(A police officer issued the ticket to you.)”, it lists:

“Day 1-30”: “Pay the fine without penalty or contest.”
“Day 31-60”: “Pay the fine with penalty or contest (penalty is equal to the fine).”
“Day 61”: “Deemed liable.”
“Day 61-120”: “Pay the fine with penalty or file Motion to Vacate.”
“Day 121”: “Assigned to collections.”

That is the DC DMV page’s statement. The page has other rows, for parking tickets and photo tickets, that this page does not cover. This page does not say which day applies to a particular notice.

Paths the notice describes (not which to choose)

Read which officer or agency issued your notice, the charge, the regulation or Code section it names, the date, any amount, and the response instructions printed on it. We do not tell you which path to choose or what step to take.

Violation.com does not collect District of Columbia fines or penalties. If you upload a speeding notice, we summarize what the notice shows. It is not legal advice.

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Sources retrieved 3 Nov 2026:

https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/50-2201.04
https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/50-2302.02
https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/50-2302.05
https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/50-2301.05
https://dcregs.dc.gov/Common/DCMR/SectionList.aspx?SectionNumber=18-2600 (“Adopted Rule” text file and DDOT Notice of Final Rulemaking offered on this page)
https://dcregs.dc.gov/Common/DCMR/SectionList.aspx?SectionNumber=18-303 (“Adopted Rule” text file offered on this page)
https://ddot.dc.gov/page/speeding-laws-fines-and-safety-tips
https://dmv.dc.gov/page/understanding-ticket-timeline

Not legal advice. Not a law firm. Not affiliated with a government agency. Information Only.

Information on this page was last checked against official sources on November 3, 2026.