California traffic fines are listed as base fines, but what you actually pay is much higher. The state adds a series of penalty assessments, surcharges, and fees on top of the base amount that typically multiply the total by four to six times. A $35 speeding ticket often costs $230 or more when everything is added. Here's what the main violations actually cost and what rules they enforce.

How California traffic fines work

Every traffic fine in California has a "base fine" set in the Vehicle Code. On top of that, the state adds:

• State penalty assessment: $10 for every $10 of base fine
• County penalty assessment: $7 per $10 of base fine
• DNA identification fund: $4 per $10 of base fine
• Court construction penalty: $5 per $10 of base fine
• Emergency Medical Services fund: $2 per $10 of base fine
• Court operations assessment: $40 flat fee
• Criminal conviction assessment: $35 flat fee (for some violations)

The multiplier effect means a $100 base fine becomes roughly $490 or more after assessments. This is why traffic tickets in California feel dramatically more expensive than the listed fine.

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Speeding fines in California

Speeding is the most common moving violation in California. Base fines by speed over the limit:

• 1 to 15 mph over: $35 base fine (typically $230+ total)
• 16 to 25 mph over: $70 base fine (typically $360+ total)
• 26 mph or more over: $100 base fine (typically $490+ total)
• Over 100 mph: $500 base fine minimum, mandatory court appearance, license suspended for 30 days on first offense (total cost often $900+)

Speeding in a construction zone, school zone, or near a senior center doubles the fine. Speeding near a highway worker in a cone zone can result in a $1,000 fine.

Beyond the fine, a speeding ticket adds one point to your driving record (or two points for speeds over 100 mph). Points raise your insurance premiums and accumulate toward license suspension.

Red light violations

Running a red light has a base fine of $100. With assessments, the total is typically $490 to $500. Running a red light at an intersection with a camera (red-light camera ticket) carries the same base fine but is issued by mail: no points are added unless you appear in court and it's adjudicated.

Failing to make a complete stop before turning right on red carries the same $100 base fine. Rolling through a red before a right turn on red is treated the same as running the light.

Cell phone violations

California prohibits handheld cell phone use while driving under Vehicle Code 23123 and 23123.5.

• First offense: $20 base fine (total typically $150 to $200 with assessments)
• Second and subsequent offenses: $50 base fine (total typically $250+)
• Second offense within 36 months: adds one point to your driving record

Drivers under 18 cannot use any phone while driving, even hands-free. A first-offense fine for a teen driver is the same as for adults, but any violation during the provisional license period extends the provisional restrictions.

Seatbelt violations

California has a primary seatbelt law: officers can stop you solely for not wearing one. Fines:

• Driver or front-seat passenger not wearing a seatbelt: $20 base fine (total typically $162+)
• Child under 8 not in an appropriate car seat or booster seat: $100 base fine (total typically $490+)
• Child under 16 not wearing a seatbelt in the back seat: $20 base fine

Every unbelted occupant in a vehicle counts as a separate violation. A car with three unbelted passengers generates three citations.

DUI fines and costs in California

A first-offense DUI in California does not have a simple fine. The costs stack across multiple categories:

• Fine: $390 to $1,000 base fine (total with assessments: $1,800 to $5,000+)
• DUI school: $500 to $1,800 depending on program length
• License reinstatement fee: $125
• Ignition interlock device: $70 to $150 installation + $60 to $90/month for the required period
• Insurance increase: typically $1,000 to $3,000/year extra for 3 to 10 years
• Attorney fees: $1,500 to $10,000 depending on case complexity

Total first-offense DUI costs in California typically run $10,000 to $20,000 when all costs are included. A second DUI within 10 years carries mandatory jail time in addition to substantially higher fines and a longer license suspension.

Driving without insurance

First offense: $100 to $200 base fine (total $450 to $900+ with assessments). Second offense within three years: $200 to $500 base fine (total typically $1,000+). Your vehicle can be impounded. If you cause an accident while uninsured, you're personally liable for all damages the other party suffers.

Failure to yield to pedestrians

Failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, marked or unmarked, carries a $220 base fine (total $490+). This includes crosswalks at intersections where there is no signal. California law requires drivers to yield to pedestrians who have stepped off the curb and are in the process of crossing, regardless of whether a light exists at the intersection.

How points add up in California

The California DMV uses a point system to track driving violations. Points trigger consequences:

• 4 points in 12 months, 6 in 24 months, or 8 in 36 months: license suspended as a negligent operator
• Most moving violations: 1 point
• DUI, reckless driving, hit-and-run, over 100 mph: 2 points
• Commercial drivers have lower thresholds

Points stay on your record for 3 years for most violations, 7 years for a DUI. Insurance companies typically look back 3 to 5 years when calculating your premium.

Traffic school to remove a point

For many 1-point violations (speeding under 25 mph over, failure to stop, unsafe lane change), you can attend a licensed traffic school once every 18 months to mask the point from your insurance record. The point still appears on your DMV driving record, but it's not reported to insurers. Traffic school costs $20 to $45 for an online course. You must request the option at your court appearance or by the due date on your ticket.

For the rules behind these violations: and the knowledge tested on the DMV written exam: our free California DMV practice tests cover speed limits, right-of-way, pedestrian laws, and more.