Can You Appeal a Speeding Ticket?
5 Answers
If you have objections to the determined speeding penalty, you can file an appeal; or submit an administrative reconsideration application to the higher-level traffic authority. Appeal Method: First, confirm that your traffic violation should indeed not be penalized or exempted from punishment according to the law. Currently, traffic violations that can be revoked under traffic laws include: vehicles being cloned with fake license plates, duplicate entry of violation information, errors in traffic police's information entry, violations caused by traffic signal malfunctions, violations due to yielding to emergency vehicles, and lane-crossing behaviors caused by accidents. If the applicant's violation falls into these categories, an appeal can be filed. Before appealing, you must first go to the traffic police station to handle the violation, pay the fine, receive penalty points, and obtain the "Penalty Decision Letter" issued by the traffic police station. The fine paid here will be refunded if the appeal is successful and the violation is revoked. Obtain a "Administrative Reconsideration Application Form" from the relevant department at the traffic police station. Then, take the completed "Administrative Reconsideration Application Form," "Penalty Decision Letter," ID card, driver's license, and vehicle registration certificate to the local public security authority for processing. It is best to bring both the originals and copies of all documents, submitting whichever is required. If appealing on behalf of someone else, you need to present the agent's ID card and the applicant's "Power of Attorney for Agency" to the local public security authority for processing the appeal. After completing the procedures, wait for about a week. Within a week, the public security authority will announce the adjudication result. The appeal outcome may either revoke the violation or uphold the original decision.
Last time I got caught speeding, I appealed the ticket, and actually there are many situations where you can contest it. First, make sure the speed measuring device has a valid periodic inspection certificate—some old radars have significant errors. Pay special attention to whether the speed displayed in the ticket photo is clear and if the license plate is captured clearly. If there were special circumstances, like rushing a sick family member to the hospital, remember to prepare complete medical records and your driving route as evidence. The appeal process is simple: bring your materials to the traffic police station window and fill out an application form—they’ll give you a case number to track progress. But note that if you were speeding over 20%, like going 65 in a 50 zone, it’s best to just pay the fine—safety comes first.
I believe the key to contesting a speeding ticket lies in the completeness of the evidence chain. Last year, I successfully appealed because my navigation showed a 60 km/h speed limit, while the actual section had just been changed to 40 km/h without new signage. In such cases, immediately take photos with your phone showing the absence or unclear visibility of speed limit signs on-site. Simultaneously, compare historical data from your car's GPS with the ticket records—any speed discrepancy exceeding 5 km/h gives you a chance. Remember, never overwrite that segment of your dashcam footage; keeping the audio is also advisable as it can prove objective reasons for not noticing the speed limit. Additionally, momentary speeding caused by sudden deceleration of the car in front during following can also be contested, though it's more challenging and requires a professional lawyer to analyze the data.
Sharing my experience as a ride-hailing driver, appeals mainly focus on three points: whether the equipment is calibrated, whether evidence collection is standardized, and whether the information is consistent. Last month, a colleague successfully appealed when the traffic police found the speed gun's maintenance record had expired three days prior, rendering it invalid. The new regulation now requires a warning sign 500 meters before any speed measurement point, otherwise the enforcement is void. If caught by mobile speed cameras, pay special attention to whether the enforcement vehicle is parked in compliance with regulations. If the ticket states a white Toyota but you drive a black Honda, such basic information errors can directly overturn the case. However, don’t waste time if you were intentionally speeding—traffic police departments are much stricter with appeals now than in the past.
As a veteran driving instructor, I often remind students not to rush into accepting a speeding ticket. First, check the violation photos on the Traffic Management 12123 app and zoom in to see if the recorded time matches your memory. Once, a student was ticketed for speeding while clearly resting at a service area, and it turned out to be a system time error. If you're caught speeding on rainy or snowy days, the slippery road surface reflections can affect radar accuracy, which is a recognized valid reason for appeal. If you exceed the speed limit while yielding to an ambulance or fire truck, remember to request intersection surveillance footage as evidence. However, for beginners, it's safest to install a radar detector to get real-time alerts about speed limit changes on the road.
