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Texas traffic tickets

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

Point systemCounts tickets
License at risk4 ticketsin 12 months
Driving safety course (defensive driving)Yescan keep it off your record
Insurance after 1 ticket+20%on $2,964 a year

What will my ticket really cost? Check my points

What kind of ticket did you get?

Which court is on your ticket?

State law sets a range, and the court picks the amount. Pick the court named on your ticket.

Every other Texas county court

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

Denton CountyPays online

Denton County Justice of the Peace Courts. Your notice shows the amount.

Traffic school
How to request it at this court ↗

Pay or look up your ticket ↗ dentoncounty.gov ↗

El Paso County915-273-3200Pays online

El Paso County Justice of the Peace Courts. Your notice shows the amount.

Address
500 E San Antonio, El Paso, TX 79901
Phone
915-273-3200

Pay or look up your ticket ↗ epcountytx.gov ↗

Hidalgo CountyPays online

Hidalgo County Justice of the Peace Courts. Your notice shows the amount.

Pay or look up your ticket ↗ hidalgocounty.us ↗

What are your options with a Texas ticket?

Paying is the fastest route, and it usually puts the ticket on your record. Driving safety course (defensive driving) is the main way to avoid that.

  1. Plead guilty or no contest and pay

    Enter a plea of guilty or no contest by the appearance date on your citation and pay the fine and court costs. If you can't pay all at once, tell the court (see the payment plan option).

    What it does: This is a final conviction that goes on your Texas driving record, where insurers can see it. Texas has no points, but 4 moving-violation convictions in 12 months or 7 in 24 months lead to a suspension.[3][1][6]

  2. Take a driving safety course for dismissal

    Ask the court on or before the appearance date on your citation and plead guilty or no contest. Then finish a 6-hour TDLR-approved course and file the certificate, your driving record and an affidavit within 90 days. You qualify once every 12 months, with a Texas license and proof of insurance. CDL holders, speeds 25 mph or more over the limit and speeds of 95 mph or more are excluded.

    What it does: The charge is dismissed. It does not go on your driving record, and insurers may not raise your rate because of it.[3][16]

    Cost: Court costs, plus a reimbursement fee of up to $10 and the course price. If you ask after the appearance date, the judge may also charge a fine up to the maximum.

  3. Ask for deferred disposition

    Plead guilty or no contest and ask the judge to defer the case. You pay court costs, and the judge sets a probation period of up to 180 days with conditions such as taking a driving safety course. Drivers under 25 with a moving violation must take one. Not available to CDL holders or for work-zone offenses with workers present.

    What it does: If you meet the conditions, the case is dismissed with no final conviction and can't be used against you. If you don't, the judge can impose the fine and it becomes a conviction.[3]

    Cost: Court costs, plus a special expense fee the judge may set up to the maximum fine for the offense

  4. Plead not guilty and go to trial

    Plead not guilty by the appearance date on your citation. The case is tried in the justice or municipal court before a 6-person jury, or before the judge alone if you waive the jury in writing. You can appeal a conviction to the county court by filing an appeal bond within 10 days.

    What it does: A not guilty verdict ends the case with nothing on your record. A guilty verdict is a conviction that goes on your driving record.[3][13]

  5. Ask for a payment plan, community service or a waiver

    Tell the judge you can't pay the full amount at once. The judge must allow payments over time if you can't pay now, and can let you work off the amount with community service or waive part or all of it.

    What it does: It changes how you pay, not the outcome. The conviction still stands.[3]

What does Texas law allow for speeding?

Speeding and other rules-of-the-road offenses with no specific penalty (incl. red light, stop sign, failure to yield, lane change): general penaltyOn your notice[2][20][10]

No DRP surcharges since Sept. 1, 2019.[6][7][8][2][17][9][4][3][12]

Every fine on the Texas schedule (8)
TicketYou pay
Speeding and other rules-of-the-road offenses with no specific penalty (incl. red light, stop sign, failure to yield, lane change): general penaltyOn your notice[2][20][10]
Offense in a construction/maintenance work zone with workers presentMinimum and maximum doubled, i.e.On your notice[2]
Passing a stopped school bus$500 to $1,250 (first offense).On your notice[10][9]
No financial responsibility$175 to $350 first offense (court may go lower if you can't pay).If you fix it: Dismissed. Show a policy valid at the time of the stop.[11]On your notice[11]
Seat belt, driver or passenger 15+$25 to $50.On your notice[10]
Texting/electronic messaging while driving$25 to $99 first offense.On your notice[10]
Expired registration/license plateFine not to exceed $200.If you fix it: Up to $20, if the court dismisses it. Renew within 20 working days or by your first court date.[12]On your notice[12]
Reckless drivingUp to $200, up to 30 days in county jail, or both.On your notice[10]

How many points is each Texas ticket?

No points. DPS counts convictions for moving violations: 4 or more convictions from different incidents in 12 consecutive months, or 7 or more in 24 months, makes you a 'habitual violator' and DPS must suspend your license (Transp.[1][3][6]

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

When can you lose your license?

Full wording of each rule
  • Habitual violator: 4 or more moving-violation convictions (separate incidents) in 12 consecutive months leads to mandatory DPS suspension. 90 days if no hearing is requested.
  • Habitual violator: 7 or more moving-violation convictions (separate incidents) in 24 months leads to mandatory DPS suspension. 90 days if no hearing is requested.

Getting your license back after a suspension costs $100 in Texas, before any course or court costs.[21][22]

Drivers under 21

Texas has no separate under-21 point rule. A driver under 18 convicted of 2 or more moving violations committed within 12 months is subject to DPS suspension. Drivers under 25 must complete a driving safety course as a condition of deferred disposition for a moving violation, and a provisional-license holder must also be re-examined by DPS ($10 fee) (CCP Art. 45A.304). Under-25 drivers can also use driving safety course dismissal for any moving violation in a justice or municipal court.[1][3]

Can driving safety course (defensive driving) keep a ticket off your record in Texas?

Yes. Dismissal. You plead guilty or no contest.[3][16]

How often: Once every 12 months (no course completed in the 12 months before the offense date).

Official list of approved schools ↗

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

Who qualifies, CDL drivers and cost

Dismissal. You plead guilty or no contest. The court enters judgment, defers it, and gives you 90 days to file the course certificate, your DPS driving record (or the court pulls it for a fee) and an affidavit. If you comply, the judgment is removed and the charge dismissed. The dismissed charge may not be part of your driving record or used for any purpose, and an insurer may not cancel or raise your premium because you took the course or had the charge dismissed. You still pay court costs.[3][16]

Who can use it: The court must grant it if you ask on or before the answer date on your citation (in person, by counsel, by certified mail postmarked by that date, or by a court-designated e-mail/portal if the court allows it) together with a guilty/no-contest plea, and: you have a Texas license or permit (or are active-duty military, spouse or dependent). You have not completed a driving safety course in the 12 months before the offense date. You show proof of insurance. The offense is a Transportation Code Subtitle C (rules of the road) offense, a §472.022 warning-sign offense, or §729.001(a)(3), in a justice or municipal court. NOT eligible: speeding 25 mph or more over the limit or 95 mph or more. Passing a stopped school bus. Leaving the scene. A 'serious traffic violation'. A work-zone offense with workers present. CDL holders (or those holding a CDL at the time of the offense). Drivers under 25 may use it for any moving violation. The judge may still allow a course after the answer date before final disposition, but can then charge a fine up to the maximum for the offense. Several eligible charges from the same stop can be dismissed with one course (2025 change, SB 296).[3]

Commercial (CDL) drivers: No[3]

Cost: Court may charge a reimbursement fee of up to $10 per eligible offense to administer the dismissal, plus regular court costs. If the court pulls your DPS driving record itself, it may charge the $10 certified-record fee plus the state portal fee. The course price is set by the provider, not the state.[3][16][1] (CCP Arts. 45A.358(a)(1), 45A.359. TDLR does not set or publish a course price.)

Do school and work zones cost more?

School zones

No statewide doubling. Each court sets its own school-zone fine (many print a higher amount). By statute, a person convicted of a rules-of-the-road offense in a school crossing zone pays an extra $25 child safety fine, assessed only in municipal courts. Using a wireless device in a school crossing zone is a separate offense. Speeding in a school zone is still eligible for driving safety course dismissal unless 25+ mph over.[9][10][19][3]

Work zones

Doubled. In a construction or maintenance work zone with workers present, where the citation states on its face that workers were present, the minimum and maximum fines double. For speeding, doubling applies only if the zone is posted with a speed-limit sign. Excludes ch. 548/552 offenses and seat-belt/child-seat offenses. These tickets are not eligible for driving safety course dismissal or deferred disposition.[2][3] (CCP Arts. 45A.301(1), 45A.353(3).)

When is your ticket due?

  1. Date on noticePay or respondset by the court[13][4]
    Details

    Appear or answer (plead, pay, or request a course) by the date on your citation. If you miss it: Missing it can lead to a warrant, a separate misdemeanor for violating your written promise to appear, and a hold on renewing your license (ch. 706).

  2. 5daysAsk for a new trialfrom conviction[3]
    Details

    Motion for new trial

  3. 10daysLast day to appealfrom conviction[3]
    Details

    Appeal to county court (file appeal bond). If you miss it: If the bond is not filed in time, the case goes back for execution of the sentence.

  4. 15daysAsk for a suspension hearingfrom the notice date[1]
    Details

    Request a hearing on a DPS suspension (e.g., habitual violator). If you miss it: Without a hearing request, the suspension takes effect on the 40th day after notice and lasts 90 days.

  5. 90daysFinish traffic schoolfrom the court date[3]
    Details

    Finish the driving safety course and file certificate, driving record and affidavit. If you miss it: Court sends a show-cause notice. If you don't appear or lack good cause, it finds you guilty and sentences you.

  6. 180daysDeferred disposition periodfrom the court date[3]
    Details

    Deferred disposition (probation) period. If you miss it: If you fail the conditions, after a show-cause hearing the judge may impose the fine, which becomes a final conviction.

  7. Date on noticeAsk for traffic schoolset by the court[3]
    Details

    Request driving safety course dismissal. If you miss it: After the answer date the right is lost. The judge may still allow it but may charge a fine up to the maximum.

  8. Date on noticeFix expired registrationset by the court[12]
    Details

    Renew expired registration to ask for dismissal. If you miss it: The court may dismiss and charge a fee of up to $20.

What happens if you don't respond

If you miss your court date or don't pay as ordered, the court can issue a warrant, and willfully breaking your written promise to appear is its own misdemeanor. Courts that contract with DPS report you to the Failure to Appear/Failure to Pay program (run by vendor OmniBase Services). DPS then denies renewal of your license until every reporting court clears the case, plus a $10 fee per reported citation (also $10 for failure to pay), waived if you are found indigent. It is a renewal denial, not a suspension: your current license stays valid until it expires. Records update 3-5 business days after the court reports. Status: texasfailuretoappear.com or 1-800-686-0570. Counties can also block vehicle registration for FTA or past-due fines. Fine-related scofflaw holds expire after 2 years. Recent changes: HB 4504 recodified the justice/municipal court procedure chapter (CCP ch. 45 to ch. 45A) effective Jan. 1, 2025, and HB 291 (2023) amended the clearance rules. A 2023 bill to repeal the FTA renewal-denial program (SB 1281) was left pending in committee, and ch. 706 remains in force as of 2026-11-14.[13][4][5][12][17][18]

Work out your exact dates → · Already missed it?

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

Out-of-state convictions for moving violations count toward Texas's habitual-violator totals. Drivers without a Texas license generally can't use driving safety course dismissal. Active-duty military and their spouses and dependents are the exception. They may still ask the judge for deferred disposition, which is discretionary.[1][3]

How out-of-state tickets work →

How much will it raise your insurance in Texas?

One speeding ticket raised a full-coverage premium by about 20% on average in Texas[1], from a clean-record average of $2,964 a year.[1] If that increase stays for three years, that's about $1,778 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 Texas?

No points. DPS counts convictions for moving violations: 4 or more convictions from different incidents in 12 consecutive months, or 7 or more in 24 months, makes you a 'habitual violator' and DPS must suspend your license (Transp. Code §521.292(a)(3), (b)). Moving violations from any state or Canadian province count. Seat-belt violations and certain size/weight offenses do not count. Under 18: 2 or more moving-violation convictions within 12 months is grounds for suspension. A ticket dismissed after a driving safety course or deferred disposition is not a conviction and does not count (CCP Arts. 45A.305(b), 45A.357(a)). DPS waived all existing DRP surcharge assessments and DRP suspensions on Sept. 1, 2019.

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

Driving safety course (defensive driving): Dismissal. You plead guilty or no contest. The court enters judgment, defers it, and gives you 90 days to file the course certificate, your DPS driving record (or the court pulls it for a fee) and an affidavit. If you comply, the judgment is removed and the charge dismissed. The dismissed charge may not be part of your driving record or used for any purpose, and an insurer may not cancel or raise your premium because you took the course or had the charge dismissed. You still pay court costs. Limit: Once every 12 months (no course completed in the 12 months before the offense date).

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

Texas is a member of the Driver License Compact, so convictions in other member states are reported to Texas. Out-of-state convictions for moving violations count toward Texas's habitual-violator totals. Drivers without a Texas license generally can't use driving safety course dismissal. Active-duty military and their spouses and dependents are the exception. They may still ask the judge for deferred disposition, which is discretionary.

How much does a speeding ticket raise insurance in Texas?

About 20% 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

Texas law and DMV sources (22)
  1. Tex. Transp. Code ch. 521 (Driver's Licenses), §§521.292-521.298, Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes).
  2. Tex. Transp. Code ch. 542, §§542.304, 542.401, 542.403, 542.4031, 542.404, Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes).
  3. Tex. Code Crim. Proc. ch. 45A (Justice and Municipal Courts), Subch. E (appeal), G (deferred disposition, Arts. 45A.301-45A.307), H (driving safety course dismissal, Arts. 45A.351-45A.359), Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes).
  4. Tex. Transp. Code ch. 706 (Denial of Renewal of License for Failure to Appear), Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes).
  5. Texas DPS: Failure to Appear/Failure to Pay Program, Texas Department of Public Safety.
  6. Texas DPS: Driver Responsibility Program Repealed, Texas Department of Public Safety.
  7. Tex. Local Gov't Code §133.102 (State consolidated court cost), Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes).
  8. Tex. Local Gov't Code §134.103 (Local consolidated fee, nonjailable misdemeanor), Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes).
  9. Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Art. 102.014 (Child safety fund fines), Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes).
  10. Tex. Transp. Code ch. 545, §§545.066, 545.401, 545.413, 545.425, 545.4251, Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes).
  11. Tex. Transp. Code §601.191 (Operating without financial responsibility), Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes).
  12. Tex. Transp. Code ch. 502, §§502.010 (county scofflaw), 502.407 (expired plate), 502.471 (general penalty), Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes).
  13. Tex. Transp. Code ch. 543, §§543.006, 543.009 (notice to appear, promise to appear), Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes).
  14. Tex. Transp. Code ch. 523 (Driver License Compact), Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes).
  15. Tex. Transp. Code ch. 703 (Nonresident Violator Compact of 1977), Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes).
  16. TDLR: Taking a Driving Safety Course, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
  17. OCA Justice Court Convictions Court Cost Chart (revised 07/22/2024), Texas Office of Court Administration.
  18. Texas Legislature Online: SB 1281 (88th Leg., R.S.) bill history, Texas Legislative Council.
  19. Tex. Transp. Code §541.302(13) (definition of school crossing zone), Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes).
  20. Tex. Transp. Code ch. 544 (Traffic signs, signals, and markings), Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes).
  21. Tex. Transp. Code §521.313 (Reinstatement and reissuance, fee), Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes).
  22. Texas DPS Driver License FAQ - Section 7: Reinstatement Fees and Special Licenses, Texas Department of Public Safety.
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).