What a Massachusetts speeding ticket is

The General Laws of Massachusetts (malegislature.gov, retrieved 29 Oct 2026) set speed rules in M.G.L. c. 90, § 17, headed “Speed limits”. This page quotes that section, § 17C on a speed limit that a city or town may set, § 18 on special speed regulations, and § 20 on fines, surcharges, and license revocation, and it quotes chapter 90C on scheduled assessments, citations, and hearings. It does not apply them to any notice. Read any charge, speed limit, alleged speed, section number, and amount shown on your notice. Confirm what your notice says.

If the paper is a mailed school bus camera citation, see Massachusetts school bus camera citations: what M.G.L. c. 90, §§ 14C to 14E and c. 40, § 71 say about school bus violation detection monitoring systems.

The General Laws text below is quoted from malegislature.gov as shown when retrieved on 29 Oct 2026.

What M.G.L. c. 90, § 17 says about speed

M.G.L. c. 90, § 17: “No person operating a motor vehicle on any way shall run it at a rate of speed greater than is reasonable and proper, having regard to traffic and the use of the way and the safety of the public. Unless a way is otherwise posted in accordance with the provisions of section eighteen, it shall be prima facie evidence of a rate of speed greater than is reasonable and proper as aforesaid (1) if a motor vehicle is operated on a divided highway outside a thickly settled or business district at a rate of speed exceeding fifty miles per hour for a distance of a quarter of a mile, or (2) on any other way outside a thickly settled or business district at a rate of speed exceeding forty miles per hour for a distance of a quarter of a mile, or (3) inside a thickly settled or business district at a rate of speed exceeding thirty miles per hour for a distance of one-eighth of a mile, or (4) within a school zone which may be established by a city or town as provided in section two of chapter eighty-five at a rate of speed exceeding twenty miles per hour. Operation of a motor vehicle at a speed in excess of fifteen miles per hour within one-tenth of a mile of a vehicle used in hawking or peddling merchandise and which displays flashing amber lights shall likewise be prima facie evidence of a rate of speed greater than is reasonable and proper. If a speed limit has been duly established upon any way, in accordance with the provisions of said section, operation of a motor vehicle at a rate of speed in excess of such limit shall be prima facie evidence that such speed is greater than is reasonable and proper; but, notwithstanding such establishment of a speed limit, every person operating a motor vehicle shall decrease the speed of the same when a special hazard exists with respect to pedestrians or other traffic, or by reason of weather or highway conditions.”

§ 17 continues: “Any person in violation of this section, while operating a motor vehicle through the parameters of a marked construction zone or construction area, at a speed which exceeds the posted limit, or at a speed that is greater than is reasonable and proper, shall be subject to a fine of 2 times the amount currently in effect for the violation issued. Except on a limited access highway, no person shall operate a school bus at a rate of speed exceeding forty miles per hour, while actually engaged in carrying school children.”

That is the statute’s statement. This page quotes all of § 17. It does not list the speed limits posted on particular ways, it does not quote section 2 of chapter 85, and it does not calculate the construction-zone amount.

What M.G.L. c. 90, § 17C says about a speed limit a city or town may set

M.G.L. c. 90, § 17C(a): “Notwithstanding section 17 or any other general or special law to the contrary, the city council, the transportation commissioner of the city of Boston, the board of selectmen, park commissioners, a traffic commission or traffic director of a city or town that accepts this section in the manner provided in section 4 of chapter 4 may, in the interests of public safety and without further authority, establish a speed limit of 25 miles per hour on any roadway inside a thickly settled or business district in the city or town on any way that is not a state highway.”

§ 17C(b): “Upon establishing a speed limit under this section, the city or town shall notify the department. The operation of a motor vehicle at a speed in excess of a speed limit established under this section shall be a violation of section 17.”

That is the statute’s statement. This page quotes all of § 17C. This page does not say which cities or towns have accepted section 17C, or on which ways a speed limit under it has been set, and it does not quote section 4 of chapter 4.

What M.G.L. c. 90, § 18 says about special speed regulations

M.G.L. c. 90, § 18 begins: “The city council, the transportation commission of the city of Boston, the board of selectmen, park commissioners, a traffic commission or traffic director or the department, on ways within their control, may make, amend or rescind special regulations as to the speed of motor vehicles and may prohibit the use of such vehicles altogether on such ways. In the case of a speed regulation, or an amendment or rescission thereof, no such action shall take effect unless the department shall have certified in writing that such regulation, amendment or rescission is consistent with the public interests.”

§ 18 also states: “No regulation, amendment or rescission under this section shall take effect until there shall have been erected, upon the ways affected thereby and at such points as the department or department of conservation and recreation may designate, signs, conforming to standards adopted by the department, setting forth the speed or other restrictions established by the regulation, and then only during the time such signs are in place.” It adds: “Upon rescission of the speed regulation, or a portion thereof, and removal of the signs, sections 17 and 17C shall govern.”

That is the statute’s statement. § 18 has other sentences and paragraphs that this page does not cover, including a sentence on removing signs not erected under the section and paragraphs on other special regulations, the department of conservation and recreation, petitions, and private ways.

What M.G.L. c. 90, § 20 says about speeding fines and surcharges

M.G.L. c. 90, § 20: “Any person convicted of a violation of the provisions of section seventeen, or of a violation of a special regulation lawfully made under the authority of section eighteen shall be punished by a fine of not less than fifty dollars. Where said conviction is for operating a vehicle at a rate of speed exceeding ten miles per hour over the speed limit for the way upon which the person was operating, an additional fine of ten dollars for each mile per hour in excess of the ten miles per hour shall be assessed.”

§ 20 also states: “There shall be a surcharge of $50 on a fine assessed against a person convicted or found responsible of a violation of section 17 or a violation of a special regulation lawfully made under the authority of section 18. The first $50.00 of each surcharge shall be transferred by the registrar of motor vehicles to the state treasurer for deposit into the Head Injury Treatment Services Trust Fund. The remaining amount shall be transferred by the registrar to the state treasurer for deposit in the General Fund.”

§ 20 ends: “There shall be a surcharge of $5 on a fine assessed against a person convicted of or found responsible for a motor vehicle violation pursuant to this chapter or a violation of a special regulation lawfully made under the authority of this chapter. The surcharge shall be transferred by the registrar of motor vehicles to the state treasurer for deposit into the Public Safety Training Fund established in section 2JJJJ of chapter 29.”

That is the statute’s statement. § 20 has other paragraphs that this page does not cover, including a paragraph on a violation of section seventeen while operating under a permit issued under sections thirty and thirty A of chapter eighty-five. This page does not calculate a fine or surcharge for any speed or any notice. Read any amount shown on your notice.

What M.G.L. c. 90, § 20 says about license revocation and suspension

M.G.L. c. 90, § 20: “Upon a third or subsequent conviction in the same twelve month period of a violation of section sixteen or section seventeen or of a regulation made under section eighteen said violation having occurred in the same year, the registrar shall forthwith revoke the license of the person convicted, and no new license shall be issued to such person for at least thirty days after the date of such revocation, nor thereafter except in the discretion of the registrar; provided, however that a holder of a learner's permit who is convicted of a violation under section 17 or section 17A, or under a special regulation under section 18, shall, in addition to any other penalty, fine, suspension, revocation or requirement that may be imposed for such violation, have his learner's permit suspended for 90 days for a first offense and for 1 year for a subsequent offense and the person shall be required to reapply for his learner's permit before he may be issued a license to operate a motor vehicle pursuant to section 8; and provided further, that a holder of a junior operator's license who is convicted of a violation under section 17 or section 17A, or under a special regulation under section 18 shall, in addition to any other penalty, fine, suspension, revocation or requirement that may be imposed for such violation, have such license suspended for 90 days for a first offense and 1 year for a subsequent offense and the junior operator shall also be required to complete the state courts against road rage program sponsored by the trial court and the department of the state police.”

That is the statute’s statement. This page does not say how that statement applies to a particular citation, license, or insurance policy. That paragraph of § 20 has other sentences, about reinstatement, that this page does not cover, and this page does not cover sections 16, 17A, or 8, which the quoted sentence names.

What M.G.L. c. 90C says about citations, scheduled assessments, and hearings

M.G.L. c. 90C, § 3(A)(1): “If a police officer observes or has brought to the officer's attention the occurrence of a civil motor vehicle infraction, the officer may issue a written warning or may cite the violator for a civil motor vehicle infraction in accordance with this subsection. If the officer issues a citation solely for one or more civil motor vehicle infractions without any associated criminal violations, the officer shall indicate on the citation the scheduled assessment for each civil motor vehicle infraction alleged.”

c. 90C, § 3(A)(2): “The citation shall notify the violator that within twenty days of the date of the citation the violator must, for each civil motor vehicle infraction alleged, either pay the scheduled assessment or contest responsibility for the infraction by requesting a noncriminal hearing before a magistrate of the district court.”

M.G.L. c. 90C, § 1 defines a scheduled assessment as “the amount of the civil assessment for a particular civil motor vehicle infraction, as established jointly by the chief justice of the district court department and the registrar. A scheduled assessment shall not exceed the maximum assessment or fine established by law for each such violation. A schedule of such assessments shall be visibly posted in each office of the registry of motor vehicles and in the clerk-magistrate's office of each district court.”

c. 90C, § 3(A)(4) begins: “A violator may contest responsibility for the infraction by making a signed request for a noncriminal hearing on the citation and mailing such citation, together with a $25 court filing fee, to the registrar at the address indicated on the citation within 20 days of the citation.” The next paragraph reads: “A violator who does not, within twenty days of the date of the citation, request a noncriminal hearing shall not thereafter be given such a hearing, unless the registrar shall determine that the failure to make such a request timely was for good cause that was not within the control of the violator. The registrar's determination of such issue shall be final.”

c. 90C, § 3 also states: “If the hearing is conducted by a magistrate other than a justice, either the violator or the police agency concerned may appeal the decision of the magistrate to a justice, who shall hear the case de novo. Any violator so appealing the decision of a magistrate shall be responsible for paying a fee of $50 prior to the scheduling of the appeal hearing before a justice. There shall be no right of jury trial for civil motor vehicle infractions.”

That is the statute’s statement. Chapter 90C, section 1 has other definitions, and chapter 90C, section 3 has other sentences and paragraphs, including paragraph (A)(3), the rest of paragraph (A)(4), paragraphs (A)(5) and (A)(6), and subsections (B) and (C), that this page does not cover. This page does not quote any schedule of assessments, and it does not say whether a particular speeding citation is a civil motor vehicle infraction.

Paths the notice describes (not which to choose)

Read which police officer or police agency issued your notice, the court named on it, the charge, 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 Massachusetts fines or assessments. If you upload a speeding notice, we summarize what the notice shows. It is not legal advice.

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Sources retrieved 29 Oct 2026:

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Information on this page was last checked against official sources on November 8, 2026.