What a Texas speeding ticket is

Texas Transportation Code § 543.004(a) (statutes.capitol.texas.gov, retrieved 28 Oct 2026) states: “An officer shall issue a written notice to appear if:” (1) “the offense charged is:” (A) “speeding;” and (2) “the person makes a written promise to appear in court as provided by Section 543.005.” § 543.010: “The complaint and the summons or notice to appear on a charge of speeding under this subtitle must specify:” (1) “the maximum or minimum speed limit applicable in the district or at the location;” and (2) “the speed at which the defendant is alleged to have driven.” That is the statute’s statement. Read the speed limit, the alleged speed, and any section number printed on your notice. Confirm what your notice says.

Related: Texas parking tickets.

If the paper is a mailed camera notice, see What Texas law says about red-light cameras and city speed cameras. Confirm what your paper says.

The Transportation Code text below is quoted from the Texas Legislature’s statutes site as shown when retrieved on 28 Oct 2026. The site states: “The statutes available on this website are current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025.”

Offense and general penalty (Transportation Code §§ 542.301 and 542.401)

§ 542.301(a): “A person commits an offense if the person performs an act prohibited or fails to perform an act required by this subtitle.” § 542.301(b): “Except as otherwise provided, an offense under this subtitle is a misdemeanor.” § 542.401: “A person convicted of an offense that is a misdemeanor under this subtitle for which another penalty is not provided shall be punished by a fine of not less than $1 or more than $200.” That is the statute’s statement. This page does not state which penalty provision applies to your ticket or what fine is on it. Confirm what your notice says.

Speed limits (Transportation Code §§ 545.351 to 545.356)

§ 545.351(a): “An operator may not drive at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the circumstances then existing.” § 545.352(a): “A speed in excess of the limits established by Subsection (b) or under another provision of this subchapter is prima facie evidence that the speed is not reasonable and prudent and that the speed is unlawful.” § 545.352(b): “Unless a special hazard exists that requires a slower speed for compliance with Section 545.351(b), the following speeds are lawful:” Among its subdivisions, it lists:

(1) “30 miles per hour in an urban district on a street other than an alley and 15 miles per hour in an alley;”
(2) “except as provided by Subdivision (4), 70 miles per hour on a highway numbered by this state or the United States outside an urban district, including a farm-to-market or ranch-to-market road;”
(3) “except as provided by Subdivision (4), 60 miles per hour on a highway that is outside an urban district and not a highway numbered by this state or the United States;”

Subdivisions (4) to (6) set limits for school buses outside an urban district, on a beach, and on a county road next to a public beach if the commissioners court declares one. § 545.352(d)(3): “"Urban district" means the territory adjacent to and including a highway, if the territory is improved with structures that are used for business, industry, or dwelling houses and are located at intervals of less than 100 feet for a distance of at least one-quarter mile on either side of the highway.”

Other sections let named bodies alter these limits. For example, § 545.353(h-2) states that “the commission may establish a speed limit not to exceed 85 miles per hour on a part of the state highway system if:” the conditions listed there are met. § 545.356(a): “The governing body of a municipality, for a highway or part of a highway in the municipality, including a highway of the state highway system, has the same authority to alter by ordinance prima facie speed limits from the results of an engineering and traffic investigation as the Texas Transportation Commission on an officially designated or marked highway of the state highway system.” That is the statute’s statement. Read the speed and the limit printed on your notice.

Construction or maintenance work zones (Transportation Code § 542.404)

§ 542.404(a) applies “if an offense under this subtitle, other than an offense under Chapter 548 or 552 or Section 545.412 or 545.413, is committed in a construction or maintenance work zone when workers are present and any written notice to appear issued for the offense states on its face that workers were present when the offense was committed:”

(1) “the minimum fine applicable to the offense is twice the minimum fine that would be applicable to the offense if it were committed outside a construction or maintenance work zone; and”
(2) “the maximum fine applicable to the offense is twice the maximum fine that would be applicable to the offense if it were committed outside a construction or maintenance work zone.”

§ 542.404(c): “The fine prescribed by Subsection (a) applies to a violation of a prima facie speed limit authorized by Subchapter H, Chapter 545, only if the construction or maintenance work zone is marked by a sign indicating the applicable maximum lawful speed.” That is the statute’s statement. This page does not compute a work zone amount. Confirm what your notice says.

Other state amounts named in the statute (Transportation Code §§ 542.403 and 542.4031)

§ 542.403(a): “In addition to other costs, the court shall order a person convicted of a misdemeanor under this subtitle to pay a fine of $3.” § 542.4031(a) begins: “In addition to the fine prescribed by Section 542.401 or another section of this subtitle, as applicable, a person who enters a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to or is convicted of an offense under this subtitle shall pay $50 as a state traffic fine.” That is the statute’s statement. This page does not list the court costs or other fees on a Texas speeding case, does not apply any of these amounts to another, and does not compute a total. Confirm what your notice says.

The Driver Responsibility Program surcharges (repealed in 2019)

House Bill 2048 (86th Legislature, Regular Session; enrolled text on capitol.texas.gov), SECTION 15: “Chapter 708, Transportation Code, is repealed.” SECTION 17: “This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.” The Texas Department of Public Safety states: “Effective September 1, 2019, the State of Texas has repealed the Driver Responsibility Program – Chapter 708, Transportation Code.” Its repeal FAQ states: “The Department of Public Safety will no longer assess DRP points for moving violations. Any previously assessed points have been removed from your record.” Those are the bill’s and the department’s statements. This page does not state a point value for a Texas speeding conviction.

License suspension for repeated moving violations (Transportation Code § 521.292)

§ 521.292(a): “Except as provided by Section 521.457(h), the department shall suspend the person's license if the department determines that the person:” (3) “is a habitual violator of the traffic laws;” The same list includes (8): “is under 18 years of age and has been convicted of two or more moving violations committed within a 12-month period;” § 521.292(b): “For purposes of Subsection (a)(3), a person is a "habitual violator" if the person has four or more convictions that arise out of different transactions in 12 consecutive months, or seven or more convictions that arise out of different transactions in 24 months, if the convictions are for moving violations of the traffic laws of any state, Canadian province, or political subdivision, other than a violation under:” the sections it then lists. That is the statute’s statement. This page does not state which convictions the department counts as moving violations. We do not tell you how a ticket will affect your license or insurance. Confirm your driving record with the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Paths the notice describes (not which to choose)

Read the court name, the appearance date, and the response instructions printed on your notice. We do not tell you whether to pay, request a hearing, or take any other step.

Violation.com does not collect Texas fines, state traffic fines or court costs. If you upload a speeding notice, we summarize what the notice shows. It is not legal advice.

Upload the notice

Sources retrieved 28 Oct 2026:

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 8, 2026.