Georgia’s “Super Speeder” law catches out-of-state drivers and locals completely by surprise with an extra $200 state fee on top of the local jurisdiction fine. Atlanta speeding ticket attorney provides an overview of: drivers frantically searching what to do when they receive this specific notice.
What Constitutes a Super Speeder
The speeds required to trigger the law: 85 MPH or more on any road, or 75 MPH or more on any two-lane road in Georgia.
Under Georgia Code § 40-6-189, a Super Speeder designation is automatically triggered if a driver is convicted of traveling at or above either of the following limits anywhere in the state:
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- 75 MPH or more on any two-lane road.
- 85 MPH or more on any other road or multi-lane highway.
The Costly Consequences of a “Super Speeder” Conviction
It is a common mistake for drivers to think paying their local ticket fine resolves the issue. In Georgia, the Super Speeder designation triggers a multi-step administrative penalty process:
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- The $200 State Fee: In addition to whatever local court fine you pay to the city or county where you were pulled over, the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) will mail an entirely separate bill for $200 directly to your home.
- Strict 120-Day Payment Deadline: You have exactly 120 days from the notice date to pay the state fee. If you miss the deadline, your license or out-of-state driving privileges will be automatically suspended.
- Reinstatement Penalties: If your license is suspended for non-payment, you must pay the original $200 fine plus an additional $50 reinstatement fee to legally drive again.
- No Extra Points, But… The Super Speeder classification itself does not tack extra points onto your record. However, the underlying speeding violation definitely carries points, which will appear on your driving history and likely spike your insurance premiums.
Why You Need an Atlanta Traffic Ticket Lawyer
If you have been cited for these speeds in the metro Atlanta area, simply paying the ticket online counts as a guilty conviction—instantly triggering these penalties. An experienced attorney can look to fight the ticket on your behalf by:
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- Negotiating a Speed Reduction: A lawyer can often negotiate with the prosecutor to reduce your recorded speed on the ticket to 84 MPH or lower (or 74 MPH or lower on two-lane roads), which eliminates the Super Speeder penalty entirely.
- Protecting Your Driving Record: Lowering the speed can drastically reduce or eliminate the points reported to your insurance, saving you money over time.
The Hidden Penalties
What happens if drivers ignore the ticket? It leads to automatic driver’s license suspension and extra reinstatement fees.
If you ignore a traffic ticket in Georgia, the consequences go far beyond a simple late fee. Failing to appear in court or neglecting to pay a fine triggers a swift, automated legal process that can disrupt your ability to drive, work, and maintain a clean record.
Here is what happens if you ignore a traffic ticket or fail to pay your fines on time:
Automatic Driver’s License Suspension
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- The DDS Notification: If you miss your court date or fail to pay a fine, the local traffic court will issue a Failure to Appear (FTA) notice. The Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) will then process this notice and automatically suspend your driver’s license or your privilege to drive within the state.
- Out-of-State Drivers are Not Safe: Georgia participates in the National Driver License Compact. If you hold an out-of-state license and ignore a ticket in Atlanta, Georgia DDS will notify your home state, which will typically suspend your license locally until the Georgia issue is resolved.
Extra Reinstatement Fees and Compounding Costs
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- The FTA Fine: The court itself will tack on heavy late fees and administrative penalties directly to your original ticket amount just for missing your scheduled appearance.
- The Reinstatement Cost: To get your license back after an FTA suspension, you cannot just pay the ticket fine. You must also pay an additional $100 reinstatement fee (or $50 if paid online/in person depending on the specific violation type) directly to the Georgia DDS to legally clear your record.
The Risk of Arrest and Jail Time
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- Bench Warrants: In many Georgia jurisdictions, ignoring a court date prompts the judge to issue a bench warrant for your arrest.
- A Routine Stop Turns Into Jail Time: If you are pulled over in the future with a suspended license and an active bench warrant, the officer will likely arrest you on the spot, impound your car, and take you to jail. You will then face an entirely new criminal charge: Driving with a Suspended License.
Out-of-State Driver Impact
A Georgia Super Speeder ticket transfers back to a driver’s home state license (e.g., Florida, North Carolina).
Many out-of-state drivers make the mistake of thinking a ticket received while traveling through Georgia will not follow them home.
In reality, a Georgia Super Speeder ticket or an ignored traffic violation will almost certainly transfer back to your home state’s licensing agency, causing unexpected suspensions, points, and insurance spikes.
Here is exactly how a Georgia ticket impacts out-of-state drivers:
The Driver License Compact (DLC)
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- The Data Sharing Network: Georgia is a member of the Driver License Compact (DLC), a nationwide agreement where member states share traffic violation data with one another.
- Automatic Reporting: The moment you pay a ticket online or are convicted in a Georgia court, the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) automatically reports that conviction directly to your home state’s DMV or DOT.
Specific Impact on Florida Drivers (DHSMV)
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- Point Transfer: Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) takes out-of-state moving violations very seriously. If you are convicted of an 85 MPH+ Super Speeder violation in Georgia, Florida will typically assess 3 or 4 points directly onto your Florida driver’s license, depending on how far over the speed limit you were traveling.
- The Double Fine: Paying a Georgia ticket triggers the Georgia Super Speeder $200 state fee. If you do not pay that fee to Georgia DDS within 120 days, Georgia will notify Florida, and Florida will automatically suspend your Florida driver’s license until you pay both states.
Specific Impact on North Carolina Drivers (NCDMV)
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- The Mandatory Suspension Trap: North Carolina has some of the strictest speeding laws in the country. Under North Carolina General Statute § 20-16.1, a conviction for speeding over 75 MPH can trigger a mandatory suspension of your North Carolina license.
- The Transfer Penalty: If you pay a Georgia Super Speeder ticket for going 85 MPH or more, North Carolina’s NCDMV will translate that conviction into their local system. This often triggers an automatic 30-day to 6-month license suspension back home in North Carolina, even though a Georgia driver would only face a fine for the exact same offense.
Why Out-of-State Drivers Must Fight the Ticket
You should never just pay a Georgia ticket online if you live out of state. Paying the fine is an automatic admission of guilt, which locks in the out-of-state penalties.
An experienced Atlanta traffic attorney can appear in court on your behalf—meaning you do not have to travel back to Georgia—and negotiate to reduce the speed on your ticket below the Super Speeder thresholds (under 85 MPH on highways or under 75 MPH on two-lane roads). This keeps the violation entirely off your home state’s radar, protecting your license and your insurance premiums.