Unless you’re a NASCAR driver on a sanctioned racetrack, you probably should not be speeding. But alas, many of us have driven over the speed limit at one time or another. If you are reading this and you have never been pulled over for speeding, you are lucky…but you also need to know what to expect if you do get pulled over for speeding in Kentucky. 

The first thing to know is that Kentucky has a ‘point system’ for driving violations. New drivers in Kentucky start with 0 points but accumulate points if they commit a violation. NOTE: Points per violation range between 0-6, depending on the severity of each violation. Most moving violations (like speeding) are 3 points. If a driver accumulates 12 points within a 2-year period (7 points, if under 18), their license may be suspended. Under the Kentucky Point System, points expire 2 years from the conviction date. However, the conviction entry stays on a driver’s record for 5 years from the conviction date.

Having said all that, if a driver is pulled over for speeding, they essentially have 2 options:

1.      Plead Guilty and Pay the Ticket: If a driver chooses this option, they are not contesting the violation and points will be on their license for 2 years. That said, a driver has the option to go to Kentucky State Traffic School in order to potentially reduce the number of points or have the ticket dismissed altogether. Additionally, a driver’s insurance rate may be increased because of the violation.

2.      Plead Not Guilty and Fight the Ticket in Court: If a driver chooses this option and wins, then the driver avoids fines/penalties. But if a driver pleads not guilty and loses, then the driver is responsible for all fines/penalties (see above). In short, consider this: Pleading not guilty involves time, energy, and money because the driver will have to go to court, which may require the services of an attorney. Additionally, a driver is potentially giving up the chance to plead to a lesser penalty as well as the forgoing of traffic school, which may reduce the number of points.

Bottom line: If you do not want a speeding ticket, do not drive over the speed limit!