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Delaware traffic tickets

Points, traffic school, deadlines and what a ticket does to your insurance in Delaware.

Speeding ticket$96–$190.40state schedule
License at risk12 ptsin 24 months
Defensive Driving CourseYesavailable, with limits
Insurance after 1 ticket+35%on $3,624 a year

What will my ticket really cost? Check my points

What kind of ticket did you get?

Which court is on your ticket?

One statewide schedule sets most fines. Pick the court named on your ticket.

Every other Delaware county court

Phone, pay-online link and traffic school steps for 3 more courts. Tap a county to open it.

Kent County302-739-4554Pays online

Justice of the Peace Court 7, Dover. Fines follow the Delaware statewide schedule.

Address
480 Bank Lane, Dover, DE 19904
Phone
302-739-4554
Hours
Open 6:00 a.m. to midnight, 7 days a week
Traffic school
No course dismisses a ticket. A Defensive Driving Course gives a 3-point credit with the DMV. See the state page.

Pay or look up your ticket ↗ courts.delaware.gov ↗

New Castle County302-323-4450Pays online

Justice of the Peace Court 11, New Castle. Fines follow the Delaware statewide schedule.

Address
2 Penns Way, Suite 100A, New Castle, DE 19720
Phone
302-323-4450
Hours
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week
Traffic school
No course dismisses a ticket. A Defensive Driving Course gives a 3-point credit with the DMV. See the state page.

Pay or look up your ticket ↗ courts.delaware.gov ↗

Sussex County302-856-1445Pays online

Justice of the Peace Court 3, Georgetown. Fines follow the Delaware statewide schedule.

Address
23730 Shortly Road, Georgetown, DE 19947
Phone
302-856-1445
Hours
Open 6:00 a.m. to midnight, 7 days a week
Traffic school
No course dismisses a ticket. A Defensive Driving Course gives a 3-point credit with the DMV. See the state page.

Pay or look up your ticket ↗ courts.delaware.gov ↗

What are your options with a Delaware ticket?

Paying is the fastest route, and it usually puts the ticket on your record. Here is every route Delaware offers, and what each one changes.

  1. Pay by voluntary assessment

    If your ticket offers a voluntary assessment, pay the full amount within 30 days online, by phone at 302-739-6911, by mail to the Voluntary Assessment Center, at a kiosk or at a Justice of the Peace criminal court.

    What it does: Paying is a guilty plea. Points go on your record, except a first speeding ticket of 1 to 14 mph over in 3 years.[2][3][12]

    Cost: The minimum fine plus court costs and fees.

  2. Set up a 3-payment plan

    Within 30 days of the ticket, choose Deferred Amount on the court ePayment site or call the Voluntary Assessment Center.

    What it does: You pay a third on the due date, a third at 60 days and the rest by 90 days.[12]

  3. Plead not guilty and go to court

    Sign the not guilty section of the ticket and mail or fax it by the court date. You will get a notice with the date and place.

    What it does: Most traffic offenses are tried as criminal cases. If found not guilty, no points are added. If you lose, the judge sets the fine and court costs are $35.[11][12]

  4. Ask for probation before judgment

    Ask the court at your appearance. The prosecutor must agree.

    What it does: If you finish the probation terms, there is no conviction and no points. Not open to CDL holders or anyone with the same offense before or another probation before judgment in the last 5 years.[12]

What does the Delaware state schedule charge for speeding?

1–5 mph over$96[4][11]
6–15 mph over$105[4][11]
16–19 mph over$144[4][11]
20+ mph over$190.40[4][11]

Every ticket adds fees to the fine: $20 court costs when paid by mail ($35 after a hearing), a 50% Transportation Trust Fund fee, $10 court security, $10 ambulance fund and $15 police fund.[11]

Every fine on the Delaware schedule (12)
TicketState fineWith court costs
Speeding, 1–5 mph overPrinted as: Speeding 1 to 5 mph over the limitEstimate: the minimum fine set by law plus standard court fees.$96[4][11]$96
Speeding, 6–15 mph overPrinted as: Speeding 6 to 15 mph over the limitEstimate: the minimum fine set by law plus standard court fees.$105[4][11]$105
Speeding, 16–19 mph overPrinted as: Speeding 16 to 19 mph over the limitEstimate: the minimum fine set by law plus standard court fees.$144[4][11]$144
Speeding, 20+ mph overPrinted as: Speeding 20 mph or more over the limitEstimate: the minimum fine set by law plus standard court fees.$190.40[4][11]$190.40
Failure to obey a stop signEstimate: the minimum fine set by law plus standard court fees.$103.50[5][11]$103.50
Failure to obey a traffic signalEstimate: the minimum fine set by law plus standard court fees.$103.50[5][11]$103.50
Failure to yield right of wayEstimate: the minimum fine set by law plus standard court fees.$103.50[5][11]$103.50
Following too closelyEstimate: the minimum fine set by law plus standard court fees.$103.50[5][11]$103.50
Using a handheld phone while driving, first offenseEstimate: the minimum fine set by law plus standard court fees.$205[7][11]$205
Not wearing a seat belt (no other violation)Estimate: the minimum fine set by law plus standard court fees.$92.50[8][11]$92.50
Passing a stopped school bus$115 to $230 or 30 to 60 days in jail, or both, for a first offense.$115[9][3]$228
Driving without insurance, first offense$1,500 to $2,000 and a 6-month license suspension.$1,500[10][3]$2,305

With court costs is an estimate. 50% Transportation Trust Fund fee plus $20 court costs, $10 court security, $10 ambulance fund and $15 police fund.[11] Your notice shows the exact total.

How many points is a speeding ticket in Delaware?

All 10 point values
  • Running a stop sign3 pts[2]
  • Other moving violation2 pts[2]
How points work in Delaware

Delaware adds 2 to 6 points for moving violations. Points count at full value for 12 months from the violation and half value for the next 12 months. You get an advisory letter at 8 points, must take a behavior modification course at 12 and face suspensions from 14. A first speeding ticket of 1 to 14 mph over in 3 years adds no points if you pay it by mail.[2]

Commercial driver? Points and disqualifications work differently. How tickets affect a CDL →

When can you lose your license?

  1. 8 ptsin 24 monthsAdvisory letter from the DMV[2]
  2. 12 ptsin 24 monthsComplete a behavior modification course within 90 days, or a 2-month suspension[2]
  3. 14 ptsin 24 monthsMandatory 4-month suspension[2]
  4. 16 ptsin 24 monthsMandatory 6-month suspension[2]
  5. 18 ptsin 24 monthsMandatory 8-month suspension[2]
  6. 20 ptsin 24 monthsMandatory 10-month suspension[2]
  7. 22 ptsin 24 monthsMandatory 12-month suspension[2]
Full wording of each rule
  • 8 points in 24 months: Advisory letter from the DMV
  • 12 points in 24 months: Complete a behavior modification course within 90 days, or a 2-month suspension
  • 14 points in 24 months: Mandatory 4-month suspension
  • 16 points in 24 months: Mandatory 6-month suspension
  • 18 points in 24 months: Mandatory 8-month suspension
  • 20 points in 24 months: Mandatory 10-month suspension
  • 22 points in 24 months: Mandatory 12-month suspension
  • Speeding 25 mph or more over: 1-month suspension, plus 1 month for each 5 mph above 25. At 25 to 29 over you can take the behavior modification course instead.
  • Speeding 50 mph or more over, or 100 mph or faster: 1-year suspension
  • Passing a stopped school bus: 1-month suspension for a first offense, 6 months for a second and 12 months for a third
  • Driving without insurance: 6-month suspension

Getting your license back after a suspension costs $50 in Delaware, before any course or court costs.[14]

Drivers under 21

Not published

Can Defensive Driving Course keep a ticket off your record in Delaware?

It can help. Puts a 3-point credit on your driving record from the day you finish.[2][13]

How often: A 3-hour refresher course can be taken between 2 years 6 months and 5 years after the first course.

Official list of approved schools ↗

Is it worth it for your ticket? Get a yes or no →

Who qualifies, CDL drivers and cost

Puts a 3-point credit on your driving record from the day you finish. It does not remove points you already have. It counts against future violations and is not applied once a suspension or other action has started. Insurers must give a discount for an approved course.[2][13]

Who can use it: Any licensed driver can take a course from a DMV-approved provider. You enroll and pay the provider yourself.[2][13]

Do school and work zones cost more?

School zones

The limit is 20 mph in school zones where signs post the times it applies.[4]

Work zones

Doubled. For a first offense the fine is at least double the normal amount for speeding, stop signs, lane, passing and other listed violations in a marked work zone.[6]

When is your ticket due?

  1. 30daysPay or respondfrom the ticket date[3][12]
    Details

    Pay by mail or online, or ask for a hearing. If you miss it: The court reports you to the DMV. Delaware drivers can't renew their license, and drivers from other states can have their Delaware driving privileges suspended. Paying late also loses the minimum fine.

  2. 15daysLast day to appealfrom conviction[12]
    Details

    Appeal a Justice of the Peace Court conviction to the Court of Common Pleas. If you miss it: Only allowed if the fine is more than $100 or you were sentenced to jail.

  3. Date on noticePlead not guilty on a mail-in ticketset by the court[12]
    Details

    Plead not guilty on a mail-in ticket. If you miss it: Sign the ticket and mail or fax it by the court date printed on it.

What happens if you don't respond

If you don't pay, ask for a hearing within 30 days or show up for trial, the court reports you to the DMV. Delaware drivers can't renew their license until it is resolved, and drivers from other states can have their Delaware privileges suspended and their home state told. Not answering a summons is also its own offense, with a $25 to $50 fine for a first offense.[3]

Work out your exact dates → · Already missed it?

Will an out-of-state ticket follow you home?

Delaware is in both compacts. Convictions from other states go on your Delaware record with the points they would carry in Delaware. Officers can let drivers from other states pay by mail.[1][2][3]

How out-of-state tickets work →

How much will it raise your insurance in Delaware?

One speeding ticket raised a full-coverage premium by about 35% on average in Delaware[1], from a clean-record average of $3,624 a year.[1] If that increase stays for three years, that's about $3,805 on top of the fine.

Averages from ValuePenguin State of Auto Insurance in 2026, not a quote. Insurers differ, and many look back three to five years.

Where are the official pages?

What else do people ask?

How do points work in Delaware?

Delaware adds 2 to 6 points for moving violations. Points count at full value for 12 months from the violation and half value for the next 12 months. You get an advisory letter at 8 points, must take a behavior modification course at 12 and face suspensions from 14. A first speeding ticket of 1 to 14 mph over in 3 years adds no points if you pay it by mail.

How many points before your license is at risk in Delaware?

12 points in 24 months: Complete a behavior modification course within 90 days, or a 2-month suspension.

Can traffic school keep a ticket off my record in Delaware?

Defensive Driving Course: Puts a 3-point credit on your driving record from the day you finish. It does not remove points you already have. It counts against future violations and is not applied once a suspension or other action has started. Insurers must give a discount for an approved course. Limit: A 3-hour refresher course can be taken between 2 years 6 months and 5 years after the first course.

How long do I have to pay or respond to a ticket in Delaware?

30 days from the citation. If you miss it: The court reports you to the DMV. Delaware drivers can't renew their license, and drivers from other states can have their Delaware driving privileges suspended. Paying late also loses the minimum fine.

Will an out-of-state ticket follow me home to Delaware?

Delaware is a member of the Driver License Compact, so convictions in other member states are reported to Delaware. Delaware is in both compacts. Convictions from other states go on your Delaware record with the points they would carry in Delaware. Officers can let drivers from other states pay by mail.

How much does a speeding ticket raise insurance in Delaware?

About 35% on average for full coverage, according to ValuePenguin State of Auto Insurance in 2026. Your insurer's rate can differ a lot from the average.

Sources

Delaware law and DMV sources (16)
  1. AAMVA DLC/NRVC Member Joinder Dates (rev. April 2026), AAMVA.
  2. 2 Del. Admin. Code 2208 Concerning Driver Improvement Problem Driver Program (Formerly Reg. No. 45), Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles.
  3. 21 Del. C. ch. 7 (§ 702 Failure to answer summons, § 703 Jurisdiction, § 709 Payment of motor vehicle fines), Delaware General Assembly (Delaware Code Online).
  4. 21 Del. C. § 4169 Specific speed limits, penalty, Delaware General Assembly (Delaware Code Online).
  5. 21 Del. C. § 4205 Penalties, Delaware General Assembly (Delaware Code Online).
  6. 21 Del. C. § 4105 Persons and vehicles working on highways (work zone fines), Delaware General Assembly (Delaware Code Online).
  7. 21 Del. C. § 4176C Electronic communication devices, penalties, Delaware General Assembly (Delaware Code Online).
  8. 21 Del. C. § 4802 Seat belts, Delaware General Assembly (Delaware Code Online).
  9. 21 Del. C. § 4166 Overtaking and passing school bus, Delaware General Assembly (Delaware Code Online).
  10. 21 Del. C. § 2118 Proof of insurance, Delaware General Assembly (Delaware Code Online).
  11. Explanation of Fines, Costs and Assessments, with sample traffic cases, Delaware Justice of the Peace Court.
  12. Traffic Frequently Asked Questions, Justice of the Peace Court, Delaware Judiciary.
  13. Defensive Driving Frequently Asked Questions, Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles.
  14. DMV Fees (amounts loaded from DMVFees.js), Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles.
  15. Court of Common Pleas Traffic Court, New Castle County, Delaware Judiciary.
  16. Justice of the Peace Court Voluntary Assessment Center, All Counties, Delaware Judiciary.
Insurance sources (4)
  1. State of Auto Insurance in 2026, ValuePenguin (LendingTree).
  2. Car Insurance Rate Increases with a Speeding Ticket in 2026, ValuePenguin (LendingTree).
  3. How Does a DUI Affect Your Auto Insurance Rates in 2026?, ValuePenguin (LendingTree).
  4. How Much Will My Car Insurance Rates Go Up After a Crash in 2026?, ValuePenguin (LendingTree).