TICKET fees are about to face a major hike for certain drivers starting next month.
A US state is raising its prices for traffic fines, some fees more than doubling for certain tickets.
The changes are expected to go into effect on August 1 — with the speed limit on interstates going up, too.
North Dakota updated its ordinances in May, the citations following a tiered system that adds on money by mile per hour over the speed limit.
The minimum a fine will cost is $20 on interstates, or $5 for every mile per hour over the limit — whichever costs more.
More money will be added as well, depending on how much faster drivers are going.
An extra $20 will also be added to those going 16 miles per hour or higher over the limit.
A silver lining to the increasing fees, however, is that speed limits are going up on interstate highways to 80 miles per hour.
“This bill finds a fair compromise by matching North Dakota’s interstate speed limit with two of our neighboring states, South Dakota and Montana, while also raising fines to deter speeding,” Governor Kelly Armstrong stated.
Other roads in the state will also be going up, too, albeit a smaller fee.
Instead of $5 for highways, $3 per mile over the speed limit will be added to other roads, according to Inforum.
Minnesota, one of North Dakota’s neighboring states, has more of an iron fist when it comes to speeding drivers.
Although the cost of citations can differ from county to county, they generally exceed $100, including court fees, for driving 10 miles per hour over the speed limit, as reported by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
Fines will double if you’re going 20 miles per hour over – costing hundreds for drivers who break the law.
“We’ve all experienced similar situations while on the road: being late for an event, stressed about a work project, or frustrated with the apparently unaware driver in front of us,” the agency noted.
“Take a breath and don’t take out life’s frustrations on the road through speeding and aggressive driving.”
Prices for new fines
Starting Aug. 1, North Dakota speeding fines will cost:
- minimum of $20 on interstates, or $5 every mph over the speed limit — whichever is higher
- Extra $20 for those going 16 mph or over the speed limit
- Other roads will be $3 every one mph over the speed limit
- New price for speeding in a construction zone is $150
Minnesota still has a speed limit of 70 miles per hour on interstates.
One North Dakotan police chief said that the speeding ticket prices now are “a little more than a slap on the wrist,” and praised the new fines.
“I think we still need to have some more increase in our fines down the road,” Fargo Police Chief Dave Zibolski told InForum in May.
“We’ll take the little bit of the win on this one.”
Fees for speeding in a construction zone are more than doubling, too.
The citation will cost $150, up from the current $80, the North Dakota Monitor reported.
One North Dakota town is raising its parking fees, too.
Jamestown, North Dakota is going to start issuing all parking fees at $20, up from the typical $10 ticket, according to the Jamestown Sun.
