Texas Traffic Fines
& Penalty Ranges
9 common Texas violations with typical fine ranges, plus how the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) handles repeat convictions.
🔎Texas Traffic Fines at a Glance
- Typical fines
- $25–$400
- Point system
- No — conviction count
- Traffic school
- Available
- Records kept by
- Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Of the 9 Texas violations below, the lowest typical fine is for seat belt violation ($25–$250) and the highest is for speeding 21+ mph over ($200–$400+).
Speeding fines climb across 3 tiers, from $115–$200 (speeding 1–10 mph over) to $200–$400+ (speeding 21+ mph over).
Ranges only, not legal advice. Your actual Texas fine depends on the county, the court, and your record, and court costs are added on top. For a criminal charge such as DUI or reckless driving, consult a licensed Texas attorney.
📋Common Texas Violations & Typical Fines
Base-fine ranges; Texas court costs are extra.
| Violation | Typical Fine |
|---|---|
Speeding 1–10 MPH over Doubled in active school zones and construction zones. | $115–$200 |
Speeding 11–20 MPH over Doubled in school/work zones; higher with prior offenses. | $145–$250 |
Speeding 21+ MPH over May be charged as reckless driving above 25 MPH over — consult an attorney. | $200–$400+ |
Running a red light | $200–$300 |
Running a stop sign | $200–$300 |
Seat belt violation Higher fine if a child under 17 is unrestrained. | $25–$250 |
Texting while driving (statewide ban) $200–$500 for repeat offenders. Hand-held use also banned in school zones statewide. | $25–$200 |
Driving without insurance (1st offense) $350–$1,000 for repeat offenses; possible vehicle impoundment. | $175–$350 |
Expired vehicle registration | $100–$200 |
Estimate what your Texas ticket will really cost
The fine on the ticket is rarely the total. Pick the violation to add court costs, points, suspension risk and the likely insurance impact in Texas.
Doubled in active school zones and construction zones.
Pick the speeding tier that matches how fast you were going over the limit. Texas typically breaks speeding into different tiers — choose the right one above for the most accurate estimate.
Based on the fine ranges listed on this page. Open the full estimator to compare other states.
🎯How Texas's License Action System Works
Texas no longer uses the Driver Responsibility Program (repealed September 2019), and Texas DPS does not assess a traditional point system on driver records the way most states do. However, multiple moving-violation convictions can still trigger administrative license action — and individual courts may impose additional surcharges as part of any conviction.
No fixed point threshold, but four or more moving-violation convictions within 12 months (or seven within 24 months) may trigger DPS license review and possible suspension under the Habitual Violator rules.
🎓Traffic School & Defensive Driving
Texas allows a state-approved Driving Safety Course (defensive driving) to dismiss most non-CDL moving violations once every 12 months. Court approval required. Course cost is typically $25–$50 plus court administrative fees.
📝Got a Texas Ticket?
- Before paying a moving violation, check whether you qualify for Texas's traffic-school option (see above) — it can keep the conviction off your record.
- Each conviction counts toward Texas's suspension threshold, so a cheap ticket can still matter.
🔗Official Texas Sources
For exact, current penalties, check the official Texas sources:
Sourced from public Texas statutes and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) publications; may not reflect the latest amendments. usdriverguide.com is not affiliated with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), any Texas court, or any law enforcement agency. Full disclaimer.