Going 15 mph over the speed limit is not a felony in any U.S. state. Speeding alone, at any speed, isn’t treated as a felony when no crash, injury, intoxication, or other aggravating factor is involved. In most places a 15-over ticket is a civil traffic infraction: you pay a fine, take some points on your license, and move on. One state does classify speeds 15 mph or more above the limit as a misdemeanor, which carries the possibility of a criminal record, but that’s still a long way from a felony.
What a 15-Over Ticket Usually Looks Like
For most drivers in most states, 15 over is a basic infraction. Base fines in this range tend to run between $35 and $100 before court costs and surcharges, though the total you actually owe after fees can be several times the base fine depending on where you were ticketed. You won’t be arrested, you won’t appear in criminal court, and your record won’t show a criminal conviction.
A few twists can make the same ticket hurt more. Several states double fines for any speeding violation in an active school zone or construction zone. And in at least one state, 15 mph or more above the limit is charged as a misdemeanor rather than a civil infraction, meaning the ticket itself can produce a criminal record without anything else going wrong.
When Speeding Becomes a Crime
The first real step up from an infraction is reckless driving, which most states classify as a misdemeanor. Reckless driving generally means operating a vehicle with willful disregard for the safety of people or property. In several states, hitting a specific speed over the limit triggers that charge automatically. The common thresholds run from 20 to 30 mph over the posted limit, and at least one state sets the trigger at any speed above 85 mph regardless of the limit.
At 15 over, you’re below every automatic reckless driving threshold in the country. An officer can still charge reckless driving based on the totality of your behavior, so weaving through traffic, tailgating, or running lights at speed can support the charge even when the speedometer alone wouldn’t. Standing on its own, though, 15 over almost never rises to that level in practice.
Misdemeanor reckless driving penalties vary widely but commonly include fines up to $1,000 to $2,500, up to 90 days or in some states a full year in jail, and license suspension. That’s a serious step beyond a traffic ticket, and still well short of felony consequences.
What It Actually Takes to Reach a Felony
Speeding reaches felony status only when an aggravating circumstance transforms it from dangerous driving into something catastrophic. The paths there look like this:
- Causing a death. If excessive speed leads to a fatal crash, prosecutors can bring vehicular homicide or vehicular manslaughter charges, which are felonies in every state.
- Causing serious bodily injury. Reckless driving that results in serious physical harm to another person is a felony in many states.
- Combining speed with intoxication. Speeding while under the influence of alcohol or drugs can push a DUI into felony territory, especially when injuries result or the driver has prior DUI convictions.
- Street racing. Participating in an unauthorized speed contest that causes injuries can produce felony charges, and some states make repeat street racing convictions a felony even without injuries.
- Repeat reckless driving convictions. A small number of states elevate subsequent reckless driving convictions to felonies.
The common thread is that speed by itself isn’t enough. Every route to a felony involves harm to another person, intoxication, or a pattern of repeat conduct. A one-time 15-over ticket doesn’t fit any of these categories.
A Different Story for Commercial Drivers
If you hold a commercial driver’s license, 15 over carries weight it doesn’t carry for other drivers. Under federal regulations, speeding 15 mph or more above the posted limit is a “serious traffic violation” for CDL holders, and it counts whether you were driving a commercial vehicle at the time or your personal car on your day off.
A second serious traffic violation within three years results in a 60-day disqualification from operating commercial vehicles. A third within that same window extends the disqualification to 120 days. Reckless driving, improper lane changes, and following too closely also count as serious violations, so a 15-over ticket paired with any one of those within three years is enough to trigger disqualification.1eCFR. 49 CFR 383.51 – Disqualification of Drivers
For a trucker or bus driver, losing CDL privileges for 60 or 120 days can mean losing a job. That makes 15 over a career-level ticket for commercial drivers in a way it isn’t for other motorists.
Insurance and Financial Fallout
Even when a speeding offense stays at the infraction or misdemeanor level, the aftermath can be heavier than the ticket itself. Auto insurance premiums commonly jump 20 to 40 percent after a basic speeding conviction, and the increase typically sticks for three to five years. A reckless driving conviction hits much harder, with reported premium increases running from roughly 60 to over 90 percent depending on the insurer, location, and prior record.
A reckless driving or DUI conviction may also require you to file an SR-22, a certificate your insurance company submits to the state proving you carry at least the minimum required liability coverage. The SR-22 requirement typically lasts about three years, and any lapse in coverage during that period can trigger an automatic license suspension. Not every insurer will write a policy for a high-risk driver, so you may end up paying substantially more just to find a company willing to cover you.
License suspension adds its own costs: reinstatement fees, potential towing and impound charges if your car was seized, and the practical burden of arranging transportation for weeks or months.
When to Get a Lawyer
For a standard 15-over ticket, most drivers can handle the process themselves, either paying the fine or attending traffic school to keep points off their record. If the citation is written as reckless driving, or if a crash is involved, the calculus changes.
A defense attorney will often start by challenging the speed measurement itself. Radar and LIDAR devices require regular calibration, and state rules vary on how recent that calibration must be. If calibration records can’t be produced, or the officer wasn’t trained on the device as required, a court may find the speed evidence unreliable enough to dismiss the charge. For a reckless driving charge, the prosecution has to prove that your driving rose to the level of willful disregard for safety, not just that you were going fast, and that’s a meaningful gap to work with.
If a reckless driving charge could become a felony because of injuries or other aggravating factors, getting counsel involved early gives you the best chance of negotiating the charge down or preserving evidence before it disappears.