Speeding

Do I need to hire an attorney for a speeding ticket in Ohio?

It is in your best interest to hire an attorney for a speeding ticket in Ohio. If you decide to fight the ticket on your own, you will likely be found guilty. The penalties for speeding tickets go well beyond court fines.
- A speeding conviction can add points to your driving record. This will increase your yearly car insurance expenses.
- Any speeding convictions on your record will make it harder to resolve future speeding tickets.
- If you have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), speeding convictions can affect your ability to drive professionally.
- Generally, speeding convictions do not come with the possibility of any jail time. However, if you have multiple offenses in one year, it can lead to possible jail time.
An experienced attorney can work with the prosecutor and judge to resolve your case without pleading guilty to a speeding violation. Makridis Law Firm has a lot of experience resolving speeding tickets for many different license holders.
In addition, Makridis Law Firm may be able to appear on your behalf in court -- i.e. excuse your appearance in court. We know that it’s often hard to take off work to appear in court. We’ll do everything we can to excuse your appearance entirely.

Can I beat a speeding ticket if I take it to trial in Ohio?

An experienced attorney can help give you a fighting chance if you want to take your speeding ticket to trial.
In general, it’s often fairly easy for a prosecutor to prove a speeding violation. It’s even easier for the prosecutor if you do not hire an attorney.
However, an attorney knows what to look for to win a speeding ticket trial. Speeding laws in Ohio are often more complicated than you might think.
- The prosecutor may have forgotten to prove a particular element of the speeding charge.
- The cop or prosecutor may have charged the wrong code section.
- The police officer may be unavailable and your attorney can object to a continuance.
The one main advantage that people have when defending speeding tickets is that speeding tickets are the least serious charges, as it relates to criminal and traffic offenses. Thus, prosecutors rarely prepare for a speeding ticket trial. Their preparation usually involves reviewing the speeding ticket minutes, or even seconds, before the trial.
- Your attorney will have had plenty of time to identify any issues with the speeding ticket and plan out a defense.

I received a speeding ticket in Ohio and it says I can just pay instead of going to court. What happens if I just pay the speeding ticket without going to court?

If you pay the ticket without going to court, you are entering a guilty plea to the speeding charge. This will result in a conviction of the speeding charge. Additionally, it will almost certainly result in points on your driver’s license.
We do not advise that you just pay the ticket. Instead we can help you resolve the speeding ticket without receiving any points on your record.
Makridis Law Firm has over 40 years of experience in fighting speeding tickets in Ohio. Let us take a look at your case and minimize the penalties.

How many points can I get on my Ohio Driver’s License before the BMV suspends my license?

The BMV will suspend your license after you get 12 points on your driver’s record within a two year period.
- The points will be removed after two years from the initial conviction of your traffic offense.
  - For example, say you are pulled over on March 15, 2021 for speeding. You have a trial and are found guilty on May 20, 2021. In this case, the points you received for this conviction will fall off your driver’s record on May 20, 2023.
You may take a BMV approved remedial driver’s class that will add an additional 2 points to the max. For example, once you take the class, you will have to get 14 points on your license before the BMV will suspend your license.

How many points will I receive on my Ohio driver’s license for speeding?

If you are going 30 mph or more over the speed limit
- 4 points
If the speed limit is 55 mph or higher and you are going 11 mph or more over the limit
- 2 points
If the speed limit is less than 55 mph and you are going 6 mph or more over the limit
- 2 points
If the speed limit is 55 mph or higher and you are going 10 mph or less over the limit
- 0 points
If the speed limit is 55 mph or less and you are going 5 mph or less over the limit
- 0 points

What happens if I get caught speeding in a school zone in Ohio?

Most prosecutors are very strict when it comes to speeding in school zones. Therefore, it may be difficult to resolve your case with a lesser offense.
There is good news though. The laws for defining schools, school zones, and school hours are very specific. An experienced attorney will be able to make it difficult for a prosecutor to prove their case at trial.
Call Makridis Law Firm if you get a ticket for speeding in a school zone in Ohio. We will fight for you and help keep points off of your record.

What happens if I have multiple tickets in one year in Ohio?

If you have two or more speeding convictions in one year in Ohio, your next speeding ticket could come with the possibility of probation or jail time.
- If you receive a speeding ticket and you have 2 speeding convictions in the past year, you can be charged with a 4th degree misdemeanor.
- If you receive a speeding ticket and you have 3 or more speeding convictions in the past year, you can be charged with a 3rd degree misdemeanor.
This is why it’s important to contact an experienced attorney when you receive a speeding ticket in Ohio. You do not want these tickets to rack up and find yourself in this position.

Can I go to jail for speeding in Ohio?

Ordinarily, most speeding tickets are minor misdemeanors in Ohio. This means that the charge comes with no possibility of jail time.
However, there are speeding charges that can come with jail time in Ohio.
- If you receive a speeding ticket and have had two or more speeding convictions in one year, you can be charged with a 3rd or 4th degree misdemeanor.
- If you are going 35 MPH over the speed limit in a business district of a municipal corporation, you can be charged with a 4th degree felony.
- If you are going 50 MPH over the speed limit in a municipal corporation, you can be charged with a 4th degree felony.
- If you are going 35 MPH over the speed limit in a school zone, you can be charged with a 4th degree felony.
You need to contact an experienced attorney if you have been charged with a speeding ticket in Ohio.

What if I don’t know what the speed limit is in Ohio? Can I still be charged with speeding?

Yes. Speeding offenses are known as strict liability offenses in Ohio. This means that it doesn’t matter if you know the speed limit or not. As long as you were voluntarily driving your vehicle over the speed limit, you can be charged with speeding in Ohio.

What happens if there is no speed limit sign? Can I still be charged with speeding in Ohio?

Yes. There are default speed limits when roads are not marked with speed limit signs in Ohio.
Some examples of these are:
- 15 MPH on all alleys within a municipal corporation
- 35 MPH on all state routes or through highways within municipal corporations outside business districts
- 50 MPH on state routes within municipal corporations outside urban districts
- 55 MPH on highways outside municipal corporations
- 60 MPH on two-lane state routes outside a municipal corporation
- 70 MPH on all rural freeways
As you can see, these default speed limits are determined by the definition of certain types of roads. The prosecutor is required to define each of these roads in order to prove their case. Oftentimes, they forget to do this or the type of road is different than what you were driving on.
- An experienced attorney will key in on these mistakes and help you defeat your speeding ticket in Ohio. Makridis Law Firm has over 40 years of experience identifying these mistakes. Let us help you avoid a speeding conviction in Ohio.

CONTACT AN EXPERIENCED CRIMINAL / TRAFFIC LAWYER TODAY

Call Makridis Law Firm at (330) 394-1587 as soon as possible to schedule a free consultation. We will help you navigate any and all tickets you are facing. We will also investigate and review the evidence in your case, explore all defenses, and negotiate a fair resolution on your behalf.