Can I still get a ticket for speeding if there’s no sign? What CA law says
California’s Vehicle Code lays out exactly what drivers can — and can’t — do on the road.
From yielding the right-of-way to parking on public streets, some rules aren’t always obvious — or maybe you’ve just forgotten them.
What happens if you’re driving on a street without a posted speed limit? Can you still get a ticket?
The Sacramento Bee asked the California Highway Patrol for answers as part of How to California, a community-driven series to help readers navigate life in the Golden State.
Here’s what California law enforcement officials said:
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How fast can I drive if there is no posted speed limit?
CHP Lt. Matt Gutierrez said you must always drive at a safe speed, even if there is no posted speed limit.
According to California Vehicle Code 22350, you cannot drive faster than what’s safe for the road, weather, traffic, pedestrians and other related conditions — and never so fast that it puts people or property in danger.
“This is what’s called the prima facie speed law,” Gutierrez said. “Regardless of the posted limit, drivers must travel at a speed that’s safe for the current conditions.”
If there is no posted speed limit on a road, Gutierrez said, the prima facie speed law — or California Vehicle Code 22352 — sets the default speed limit at 25 mph.
“There’s some exceptions to that,” he said.
Exceptions include approaching a railway or crossing an intersection.
“Then the speed limit is 15 mph,” Gutierrez said.
Can I still get a ticket if there is no posted speed limit?
If there is no posted speed limit, Gutierrez said, you can still get a ticket.
“This is because of California’s prima facie speed law,” he said. “Even if you’re going 66 in a 65 mph zone, you can be cited — and I’d have to explain why that citation was issued.”
Any driver caught going faster than the speed limit or what is safe for current conditions can be issued a speeding ticket.
Fines for a speeding ticket range from $35 to more than $500, not including additional court costs and assessments, according to Shouse California Law Group.
Along with speeding fines, a ticket could also lead to one so-called “negligent operator” point being added to your California driver’s record.
Can I fight a speeding ticket in court?
“The legal system does allow anybody to contest citations in court,” Gutierrez said.
According to Shouse Law, if you are cited for speeding, you can either pay the fine, attend traffic school or fight the ticket in court.
“If you complete traffic school or fight the ticket successfully, you will avoid getting points on your DMV record,” the law firm said.
However, ignoring the ticket — by not paying the fine nor going to court — can lead to a failure to appear charge under California Vehicle Code 40508.
While speeding is an infraction, failure to appear can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor crime.
This story was originally published August 14, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Can I still get a ticket for speeding if there’s no sign? What CA law says."
