Traffic Tickets

Our law practice is limited to civil cases involving serious injuries, wrongful death and major insurance claims. We do not routinely handle traffic court matters. The information on this page is provided as a consumer service only, and is subject the disclaimer provisions of this web site.

• Georgia Drivers Manuals - download from Department of Driver Services
• Georgia Uniform Rules of the Road - text of code sections on tickets
• Georgia speed laws summary - National Highway Transportation Safety Board
• How to Beat a Speeding Ticket
• DUI Laws

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Georgia Drivers License Point System:

Violations of Georgia driving law will result in points being assessed to your driving record as shown below:

• Reckless Driving - 4 points
• Unlawful passing school bus - 6 points
• Improper passing on hill or curve - 4 points
• Speeding: 15 mph but less than 19 mph - 2 points;19 mph but less than 24 mph - 3 points;24 mph but less than 34 mph - 4 points; 34 mph or more - 6 points
• Disobedience of any traffic-control device or traffic officer - 3 points
• Possessing an open container of an alcoholic beverage while driving - 2 points
• Failure to adequately secure a load - 2 points
• All other moving violations - 3 points
• Child restraint - 1st offense - 1 point; Child restraint - 2nd and subsequent offense - 2 points
• Aggressive driving (A conviction of aggressive driving by a person under 21 years of age will result in a suspension of the driver's license.) - 6 points
• HOV lane violation - 4th and subsequent offense. - 1 point

Under 21 Years of Age Suspension

The Georgia driver's license of any person under 21 years of age convicted of any of the following offenses shall be SUSPENDED.

• Hit and run or leaving the scene of an accident in violation of Code Section 4-6-270.
• Racing on highways or streets.
• Using a motor vehicle in fleeing or attempting to elude an officer.
• Reckless driving.
• Any offense for which four or more points are assessable under subsection (c) of Code Section 40-5-57.
• Unlawful passing of a school bus.
• Improper passing on a hill or curve.
• Exceeding the speed limit by 24 miles per hour or more.
• Purchasing an alcoholic beverage.
• Driving under the Influence.
• Aggressive Driving, Code Section 40-6-397.
• Misrepresenting age ot identity for purpose of illegally obtaining any alcoholic beverage
• The driver's license of any person under 18 years of age who has accumulated a violation point count of four or more points within any 12 month period will be suspended.

It is the driver's age on the date the report is sent to the Department of Driver Services, not the date of offense, that determines whether the "under 21" suspension of a Georgia license applies.

Reporting traffic offenses to other states:

Georgia will report your speeding ticket back to your home state and it will be posted to your driving record and treated just as if the ticket was issued in your home state. Some states do not enter minor out of state speeding tickets so check with your DMV to be certain what effect the Georgia ticket will have on your license before you just send in your money.

For example a 15mph+ ticket in Georgia will earn a North Carolina driver a 30 day suspension of their drivers license.

In many cases, contesting the ticket may result in a reduction that will not be reported back to your home state saving you big bucks on your auto insurance premiums. It is worth the expense of hiring a Georgia traffic ticket attorney to represent you in court anytime the ticket will result in a significant increase in your auto insurance premium or you drive a company vehicle. Typically any traffic ticket for 20mph over the limit will result in a major increase or if you have another speeding ticket within the last three years.

If a Georgia driver has a serious violation in another state, that state may suspend driving privileges in that state, and if a Georgia violation is reported to another state that issued a license, the issuing state may take whatever license suspension or revocation action its law provides.

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