What are penalties for reckless driving? 68 Answers as of February 06, 2012

It depends on the state. In Michigan it is a misdemeanor with penalties a little harsher than owi in the license sanctions.

In Michigan, reckless driving is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in prison and a fine of up to $500. Reckless driving is defined by the Michigan statute as driving on highway, road, or other place open to the general public (including parking lots) in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.

You are not likely to be allowed to plea to a reckless driving with a 0.015% B.A.C.. Your facing 7 to 60 days in jail and a loss of your drivers license for one year.

There is no penalty for a summons, per se. A summons is a court order to show up to court. Rather than the summons, you should be concerned about the misdemeanor charge of reckless driving and possible DUI. Even though you were far below a .08 BAC level, the District Attorney may still succeed under the (a) count of VC 23152 if she can prove you were not driving with the same care as a sober person.

The exact penalties will vary depending upon the specific circumstances of your arrest. Generally, the guidelines are as follow: 1st Offense: -Fines of up to $200 and/or -Jail time of up to 90 days 2nd Offense: -Fines of $25-$500 and/or -Jail time of 10 days to 6 months.

You'll get a fine and have to pay court costs if you plead guilty or no contest. How much the fine and court costs are will depend on where you're prosecuted. It all depends on the judge and the court.

Reckless driving is a Class A Misdemeanor. It can be a felony under some circumstances. The maximum penalty for a Class A Misdemeanor is a sentence of up to one year in prison and up to a $5,000.00 fine.

Hire a lawyer. You can end up having your license suspended as well as fines and costs. You might also have to pay an annual driver's responsibility fee the the Secretary of State, although there is talk that the State legislature was going to abolish that. Jail is always a possibility, depending on your past driving/criminal history.

In New Mexico, a reckless driving conviction can lead to some serious penalties. Pursuant to Section 66-8-113 NMSA 1978, "[e]very person convicted of reckless driving shall be punished, notwithstanding the provisions of Section 31-18-13 NMSA 1978, upon a first conviction by imprisonment for not less than five days nor more than ninety days, or by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100), or both and on a second or subsequent conviction by imprisonment for not less than ten days nor more than six months, or by a fine of not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both." In addition, ".the director may suspend the license or permit to drive and any nonresident operating privilege for not to exceed ninety days."

93 days in jail and loss of license for 90 days.

In Illinois, this charge is a class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 6 months in jail or a thousand dollar fine. I would suggest that you will not get jail time, but cannot guarantee that. Hire a good defense lawyer to go with you to court.

5 to 90 days in jail plus a fine.

The maximum penalty for operating recklessly in Massachusetts is up to 2 years in jail and a fine of up to $200. It is rare that someone goes to jail for this type of offense, assuming no serious accident and no serious bodily injury. They are often resolved without a conviction and with payment in court costs.

Normally it would be a fine. However a good lawyer could probably get a reduction to an infraction. That would not show on your record as a crime.

Simple reckless driving falls under Vehicle Code section 23103 and comes with a maximum sentence of 90 days in jail. That charge assumes no alcohol was involved, and no accident or injury took place. In addition to jail time, the court might impose an ignition interlock device be install in your vehicle.

About half of what a DUI would have cost you. Stop drinking. It is very expensive if you get stopped by a cop.

Generally speaking Reckless Driving is a Class A misdemeanor in Illinois. The same class offense as a DUI.

Reckless is a major traffic violation and carries 8 points on you DL (if you get 12 points in 12 months or 18 in 24 months, then you can be revoked for points). As a major traffic violation, it counts towards Habitual Traffic Offender status. You could get 90 days of jail. The real question is whether you were actually driving recklessly. This means that you knew there were risks to driving a certain way and you drove that way anyway - you knew the risk and took the risk. This is usually charge with really bad driving, not just somewhat bad driving (example, 10 mph over speed limit could be careless driving, where as 30 mph over the limit is likely reckless). Reckless is often the result where the cops cannot prove DUI or DWAI - it is often a plea bargain result. But, if your driving was sufficiently bad, maybe you were reckless. I suspect the offer will be to careless driving. They will try to make you do alcohol classes, but I think that is BS.

The maximum penalty for any misdemeanor is 12 months in jail and/or a $1000 fine. In practice, the penalty is usually much less severe, especially if you have no priors.

A reckless driving charge is a class a misdemeanor which carries up to 12 months jail and up to $2500 fine. I doubt you would receive the maximum penalty, but you should have the advice of an attorney as this is a serious charge which could affect your driving privileges.

Reckless driving is a gross misdemeanor in Washington. The maximum penalty is 365 days in jail and a $5,000 fine. There are no mandatory minimums but there is a mandatory 30 day license suspension with a conviction for reckless driving.

You are charged with a Misdemeanor and can face license suspension as well as traditional criminal penalties. You should contact a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible to best protect your interests.

Usually just a fine, but it is up to the prosecutor and depends on how severe the facts are regarding the driving. It is a misdemeanor though that will give you a criminal record, so make sure to consider that before agreeing to any outcome.

Don't assume you will have any penalties if you can hire an attorney and fight the charge.

Standard punishment for a reckless driving charge, if charged as a misdemeanor, are: In Los Angeles County 2-years summary (informal) probation (although you can face up to 90 days in county, for a first offense, with no car accident, it is unlikely that you would be sentenced to any jail term) $250 fine (plus penalty assessment - with court costs and fees, the overall fine will likely come to just over $1,000) The DA may also push to have you enroll in and complete the SB-1176 Program (a 12-hour wet-reckless driving program - but if you are charged with V.C. 23103 (and not 23103/23103.5), there is no requirement you do this program.

Reckless driving is a criminal misdemeanor punishable by up to 3 months in county jail. You should hire an experienced defense attorney, who may be able to get your case reduced down to an infraction.

In Massachusetts the charge of reckless driving is contained in Chapter 90, Section 24 of the General Laws. The penalty provision for reckless driving provides for a sentence to the house of correction from 2 weeks to 2 years and a fine of not less than $20 nor more than $200. A conviction also carries with it a 60 day loss of license for a first offense of reckless driving.

The possible penalty depends upon whether there are prior offenses, but the penalties range from fines only all the way up to 6 months in jail (if there are priors). In addition, it is 8 points against your driving privilege which has greater consequences depending upon your age. Good luck!

In Michigan the penalties for reckless driving include a possible 93 days in jail, up to 2 years probation fines of $500 costs, 6 points on your record and 1-year of a suspended license. You should hire an attorney to represent you should you wish to fight the charges or negotiate a more favorable plea. I hope that this was helpful.

Depending on the jurisdiction and the severity of the reckless driving, accident, extreme speed etc. usual max fine is $500, but there can also be a jail sentence and depending on the circumstances 2 (or 4 points if an accident) are assessed to your license if a Mo. driver. If from another state it can be reported as a serious driving offense which could cause loss of license in some states and will also be affected by past history. All of this presumes there is not a CDL involved which will carry its own issues for employment and insurance. The comment about being influenced by alcohol is still a concern and hopefully your recollection of the breath test result is correct. In some jurisdictions the immediate charge is not the only one that may be filed. If it is being reviewed by a prosecutors office there is still a possibility a charge could be filed for the DUI which may be a combination result of drugs with alcohol.

These are serious offenses in NY. Both the DWI and the Reckless Driving are crimes. The worst case scenario is that you would be sentenced to jail. You should find out whether you were charged with the misdemeanor or the felony reckless driving.

In New Hampshire the minimum penalties for Reckless Operation is a 60 day loss of license and a $500 fine with a 24% penalty assessment.

You are charged with Reckless Driving and DWI and you blew twice the legal limit. Drinking and driving is like firing a gun at a moving train and hoping no one gets hit by the bullets. It is a serious crime, but on a first offense they will just revoke your license for 6 months and fine you $500. You will go to driving school and your insurance will increase dramatically. Retain a good attorney to try to get an Impaired violation at trial and maybe even get an acquittal on the Reckless Driving unless you endangered other motorists or almost hit something. You may have to get an interlock device which costs $750 and you will have a criminal record that will make it very hard to get a good job. Employers do not want to have to risk millions of dollars in liability by hiring you.

Reckless driving is a 6 point civil infraction with fines in excess of $300.00. Court cost will also apply if you contest the ticket. Pay it and drive carefully.

Reckless driving is punishable by a maximum fine of $1,000.00. If a guilty finding is entered, the MVA will assess 6 points on your license. If you have an otherwise clean driving record, you may be eligible for Probation Before Judgment, which would allow you to avoid the points. I would recommend consulting with an experienced traffic attorney to discuss your case.

0 to 365 days in jail plus a 30-day license suspension.

0-1 year and up to $1,000 fine.

The potential penalties are a year in jail, a $5,000 fine, probation and various probationary conditions, and a suspension of your driver's license.

It is a 6 point misdemeanor crime. You certainly need a lawyer to try and avoid a conviction.

You need an attorney. Reckless driving is a 2 point violation and most of the time filed as a misdemeanor. An attorney might be able to fight and/or reduce this charge. Your insurance will increase. You must do everything to lessen this charge.

If you have a relatively good driving record, you are likely looking at a couple of hundred dollars in court costs and probation at worst.

You seem to indicate that you blood alcohol level was less than .08 percent. That would be the reason why you were not charged with dui. The penalties for reckless driving are a fine and four points on your New Jersey driving record. A suspension of your driving privileges, if your driving was actually reckless. Usually, the officer has gotten cared away and charged reckless driving when the charge sould be the lesser careless driving.

It's a hybrid class B misdemeanor. You got real lucky not getting a DWI. Punishment range is still the same though ($2,000 180 days) but it's not nearly as bad as a DWI.

The Court will inform you of the penalties you potentially face when you make your initial court appearance.

60 day loss of license, 500 fine. If bac is that low you may have defense. Contact a defense lawyer.

Reckless driving is what is classified as a gross misdemeanor, which means it is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $5,000.00 fine. Unlike a DUI, there is not mandatory jail time. All jail time could be suspended. Depending upon the circumstances/facts of your case, and whether you have any other driving related offenses, you could also look at the suspension of your license. You should consult with an attorney.

It is a class A misdemeanor, punishable from supervision and a fine to up to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,500 plus costs.

8 points against your privilege to drive in Colorado, and a jail sentence is possible, plus fines, surcharges, and court costs. An attorney could help to minimize the sentence for you. Additionally, if you have a clean driving record, usually the Assistant District Attorney may offer to reduce the charge to a 4 point offense, such as careless driving (again an attorney can help). I would definitely consult with an attorney ASAP.

Under Oregon Law, a Reckless Driving charge is a Class A Misdemeanor under ORS 811.140. The maximum penalty for a Class A Misdemeanor is up to one year in jail and a $6,250 fine. You should contact an experienced criminal defense attorney to help you through this charge.

A reckless driving citation is a criminal misdemeanor and is punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $1000 fine.

Reckless driving is a Misdemeanor offense. A misdemeanor is any charge punishable by up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. (i.e. Careless Driving, Simple Assault, Prostitution, Theft, DUI, etc.) Unlike petty misdemeanors a misdemeanor is a crime and it is important to consult an attorney to discuss your case.

Reckless driving is a class 2 misdemeanor with a maximum jail sentence of 4 months. You can also lose your license and receive fines. If you have a prior reckless driving conviction the penalties are harsher. See the link below. You should retain counsel to assist you in your case; don't represent yourself.

This is a traffic misdemeanor so you face 6 months in jail, $1,000 file, suspension of your license and points on your DMV record. However, it usually gets plea bargained.

Reckless Driving in NH is a violation level or non criminal offense. The minimum mandatory sentence under NH law is $500 plus $120 penalty assessment and a 60 day loss of license. New Hampshire does not have a hardship or work license. Reckless Driving is also a major motor vehicle offense under NH law for the purposes of Habitual Offender and carries 6 points on your driving record if you plead guilty before trial or are found guilty after trial. I would advise that you speak with an attorney to review your case. I

If it's code section 23103 of the Vehicle Code, you're still looking at a misdemeanor. Yes, it's much better than a DUI, but in the code, there's a mandatory 5 days in jail and/or a thousand dollar fine. It's also two points on your license as well. It's worth getting an attorney - either on you hire or the public defender if you financially qualify and the judge appoints them.

That offense could put points on your driver's license which may cause your insurance rates to go up. You're probably better off paying an attorney to try and get it amended to a nonmoving violation.

In Arizona ,Reckless Driving is a class 1 misdemeanor. It carries a penalty of up to 6 moths in jail and a $2500 fine. It also carries 8 points on your license. This means you will have to complete Traffic Survival School. If you already have points on your license the conviction may result in a suspension. You should contact a criminal defense attorney to assist you. Good luck.