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reckless-driving-speed-thresholds-by-state

citation string	classification string	derived_fields list	id string	relative_threshold string	source string	source_quote string	state string	url string	verified_fields list	absolute_threshold string	higher_tier string
A.R.S. § 28-701.02 — Excessive speeds; classification	class 3 misdemeanor	[ "state" ]	arizona	Exceed the posted speed limit by more than twenty miles per hour in other locations	https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/00701-02.htm	A. A person shall not: 1. Exceed thirty-five miles per hour approaching a school crossing. 2. Exceed the posted speed limit in a business or residential district by more than twenty miles per hour, or if no speed limit is posted, exceed forty-five miles per hour. 3. Exceed the posted speed limit by more than twenty mil...	Arizona	https://referencesource.org/reckless-driving-speed-thresholds-by-state/arizona/	[ "citation", "classification", "relative_threshold" ]	null	null
C.R.S. § 42-4-1101(12)(b) — Speed limits	class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense	[ "state" ]	colorado	twenty-five or more miles per hour in excess of the reasonable and prudent speed or in excess of the maximum lawful speed limit of seventy-five miles per hour	https://codes.findlaw.com/co/title-42-vehicles-and-traffic/co-rev-st-sect-42-4-1101.html	(b) A violation of driving twenty-five or more miles per hour in excess of the reasonable and prudent speed or in excess of the maximum lawful speed limit of seventy-five miles per hour is a class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense;	Colorado	https://referencesource.org/reckless-driving-speed-thresholds-by-state/colorado/	[ "citation", "classification", "relative_threshold" ]	null	null
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-222 — Reckless driving	shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more than three hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days or be both fined and imprisoned for the first offense	[ "state" ]	connecticut	null	https://codes.findlaw.com/ct/title-14-motor-vehicles-use-of-the-highway-by-vehicles-gasoline/ct-gen-st-sect-14-222.html	The operation of a motor vehicle upon any such highway, road or parking area for ten cars or more at a rate of speed greater than eighty-five miles per hour shall constitute a violation of the provisions of this section. (b) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be fined not less than one hundred ...	Connecticut	https://referencesource.org/reckless-driving-speed-thresholds-by-state/connecticut/	[ "absolute_threshold", "citation", "classification" ]	greater than eighty-five miles per hour	null
HRS § 291C-105 — Excessive speeding	petty misdemeanor	[ "state" ]	hawaii	The applicable state or county speed limit by thirty miles per hour or more	https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol05_Ch0261-0319/HRS0291C/HRS_0291C-0105.htm	No person shall drive a motor vehicle at a speed exceeding: (1) The applicable state or county speed limit by thirty miles per hour or more; or (2) Eighty miles per hour or more irrespective of the applicable state or county speed limit. (b) For the purposes of this section, "the applicable state or county speed limit"...	Hawaii	https://referencesource.org/reckless-driving-speed-thresholds-by-state/hawaii/	[ "absolute_threshold", "citation", "classification", "relative_threshold" ]	Eighty miles per hour or more irrespective of the applicable state or county speed limit	null
625 ILCS 5/11-601.5 — Driving 26 miles per hour or more in excess of applicable limit	Class B misdemeanor	[ "state" ]	illinois	26 miles per hour or more but less than 35 miles per hour in excess of the applicable maximum speed limit established under this Chapter or a local ordinance	https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=062500050K11-601.5	(a) A person who drives a vehicle upon any highway of this State at a speed that is 26 miles per hour or more but less than 35 miles per hour in excess of the applicable maximum speed limit established under this Chapter or a local ordinance commits a Class B misdemeanor. (b) A person who drives a vehicle upon any high...	Illinois	https://referencesource.org/reckless-driving-speed-thresholds-by-state/illinois/	[ "citation", "classification", "higher_tier", "relative_threshold" ]	null	35 miles per hour or more in excess of the applicable maximum speed limit established under this Chapter or a local ordinance commits a Class A misdemeanor
29-A M.R.S. § 2074 — Rates of speed	Class E crime	[ "state" ]	maine	exceeds the maximum rate of speed by 30 miles per hour or more	https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/29-A/title29-Asec2074.html	A person commits a Class E crime if that person operates a motor vehicle at a speed that exceeds the maximum rate of speed by 30 miles per hour or more.	Maine	https://referencesource.org/reckless-driving-speed-thresholds-by-state/maine/	[ "citation", "classification", "relative_threshold" ]	null	null
NRS 484B.600(8) — Basic rule; penalties; discretion of court to reduce violation in certain circumstances; maximum fine; unlawful act. [Effective July 1, 2026.]	misdemeanor	[ "state" ]	nevada	30 miles per hour or more over that posted by a public authority	https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-484B.html	8. A person who commits a violation of any provision of this section and, at the time the violation was committed, was operating a vehicle at a rate of speed that was 30 miles per hour or more over that posted by a public authority is guilty of a misdemeanor.	Nevada	https://referencesource.org/reckless-driving-speed-thresholds-by-state/nevada/	[ "citation", "classification", "relative_threshold" ]	null	null
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-141(j1) — Speed restrictions	Class 3 misdemeanor	[ "state" ]	north-carolina	more than 15 miles per hour more than the speed limit established by law for the highway where the offense occurred	https://codes.findlaw.com/nc/chapter-20-motor-vehicles/nc-gen-st-sect-20-141.html	(j1) A person who drives a vehicle on a highway at a speed that is either more than 15 miles per hour more than the speed limit established by law for the highway where the offense occurred or over 80 miles per hour is guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor.	North Carolina	https://referencesource.org/reckless-driving-speed-thresholds-by-state/north-carolina/	[ "absolute_threshold", "citation", "classification", "relative_threshold" ]	over 80 miles per hour	null
Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.21(P) — Speed limits	a misdemeanor of the fourth degree	[ "state" ]	ohio	null	https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4511.21	(P)(1) A violation of any provision of this section is one of the following: (a) Except as otherwise provided in divisions (P)(1)(b), (1)(c), (2), and (3) of this section, a minor misdemeanor; (b) If, within one year of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to two violations of an...	Ohio	https://referencesource.org/reckless-driving-speed-thresholds-by-state/ohio/	[ "absolute_threshold", "citation", "classification" ]	faster than thirty-five miles an hour in a business district of a municipal corporation, faster than fifty miles an hour in other portions of a municipal corporation, or faster than thirty-five miles an hour in a school zone during recess or while children are going to or leaving school during the school's opening or c...	null
ORS 811.109(5) — Penalties for speed violations	a specific fine traffic violation	[ "state" ]	oregon	null	https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors811.html	(5) Notwithstanding subsections (1) to (3) of this section, if a person drives 100 miles per hour or greater when the person commits a violation described in this section, the person commits a specific fine traffic violation.	Oregon	https://referencesource.org/reckless-driving-speed-thresholds-by-state/oregon/	[ "absolute_threshold", "citation", "classification" ]	100 miles per hour or greater	null
23 V.S.A. § 1097 — Excessive speed	imprisoned upon a first conviction not more than three months or fined not more than $300.00, or both	[ "state" ]	vermont	a speed of 60 miles per hour or more and at least 30 miles per hour in excess of a State speed zone or local speed limit	https://codes.findlaw.com/vt/title-23-motor-vehicles/vt-st-tit-23-sect-1097.html	No person shall operate a motor vehicle on a public highway at a speed of 60 miles per hour or more and at least 30 miles per hour in excess of a State speed zone or local speed limit. A person who violates this section shall be imprisoned upon a first conviction not more than three months or fined not more than $300.0...	Vermont	https://referencesource.org/reckless-driving-speed-thresholds-by-state/vermont/	[ "citation", "classification", "relative_threshold" ]	null	null
Va. Code § 46.2-862 — Exceeding speed limit	guilty of reckless driving	[ "state" ]	virginia	20 miles per hour or more in excess of the applicable maximum speed limit	https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/section46.2-862/	A person is guilty of reckless driving who drives a motor vehicle on the highways in the Commonwealth (i) at a speed of 20 miles per hour or more in excess of the applicable maximum speed limit or (ii) in excess of 85 miles per hour regardless of the applicable maximum speed limit.	Virginia	https://referencesource.org/reckless-driving-speed-thresholds-by-state/virginia/	[ "absolute_threshold", "citation", "classification", "relative_threshold" ]	in excess of 85 miles per hour regardless of the applicable maximum speed limit	null

Reckless / excessive-speeding mph thresholds that trigger a criminal charge, by state

Canonical, always-current version: https://referencesource.org/reckless-driving-speed-thresholds-by-state/ Machine-readable: https://referencesource.org/reckless-driving-speed-thresholds-by-state/data.json — this mirror is a point-in-time copy.

Last verified: 2026-08-20
Stale after: 2027-08-20 (past this date, prefer the canonical copy — it re-verifies on a cadence this snapshot does not)
Records: 12

For each US state: the speed -- stated as an absolute mph, as mph over the posted limit, or both -- at which ordinary speeding stops being ordinary and the statute attaches a separate, heavier offence, quoted exactly as the statute states it, with the classification the statute gives. Answers 'how many over is reckless driving in [state]', 'what speed is reckless driving in [state]', and 'is speeding a crime in [state] or just a ticket'. The mechanism varies sharply. Virginia sets both a relative trigger (20 mph over) and an absolute one (85 mph regardless of the limit), either one alone being reckless driving. North Carolina sets the same pair as alternatives -- more than 15 over OR over 80, a Class 3 misdemeanor. Illinois sets no absolute at all, only a tiered relative one (26-34 over a Class B misdemeanor, 35+ over a Class A). Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Colorado and Vermont each set a single threshold and each name a different kind of offence for it. And in three states the answer is that there is no criminal threshold: Arizona's excessive-speed statute has no absolute-mph clause at all (contradicting the widely repeated claim that Arizona has an '85 mph absolute' rule), Oregon keeps even 100 mph a traffic violation rather than a crime, and Ohio makes ordinary speeding a minor misdemeanor with a fourth-degree upgrade tied to district speeds rather than to mph over the limit.

Provenance — what every record carries

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Licence position

US state statutes -- government edicts, not copyrightable (Banks v. Manchester); a short attributed quote per record, linking back

Facts are not copyrightable; what this dataset takes from each source is a fact plus a short attributed quote linking back to the page that states it.

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