Reckless Driving Laws by State

(AL Code Sec. 32-5A-190)

• First conviction: Jail time for five to 90 days and a fine between $25 and $500
• Second convictions and beyond: Jail time between 10 days and six months and a fine between $50 and $500. The court can ban you from driving on public highways for up to six months, and the court may suspend your driver's license during that period.

(AK ST Sec. 28.35.400)

(ARS 28-693)

• Class 2 misdemeanor
• Class 1 misdemeanor with a recent prior conviction

(AR Code 27-50-308)

• First conviction: Imprisonment of between five and 90 days and a fine of between $25 and $500
• First conviction if physical injury to a person results: Imprisonment of between 30 and 90 days and a fine of between $100 and $1,000
• Second conviction within three years from first conviction: Imprisonment of between 30 days and six months, and a fine of between $500 and $1,000.
• Second conviction if physical injury to a person results: Imprisonment of between 60 days and one year and a fine of between $500 and $1.000

Reckless driving (California Vehicle Code Section 23103)

Reckless driving: Bodily injury (California Vehicle Code Section 23104)

• Conviction without bodily harm: Imprisonment in county jail of between five and 90 days and a fine between $145 and $1,000
• The conviction with bodily injury: Imprisonment of between 30 days and six months and a fine between $220 and $1,000

(CRS 42-4-1401)

• First motor vehicle offense: Between 10 and 90 days in jail and up to $300 in fines
• Multiple convictions: A fine between $50 and $1,000 and jail time between 10 days and six months

(GSC section 14-222)

• First conviction: imprisonment of no more than 30 days and a fine between $100 and $300
• Second or subsequent conviction: Fine of no more than $600 and imprisonment of up to one year

• Class D misdemeanor
• If previous conviction, Class A misdemeanor.

(DE Code Title 21 section 4175)

• First offense: A fine between $100 and $300 and imprisonment between 10 and 30 days
• Every subsequent offense within a three-year term: A fine between $300 and $1,000 and imprisonment of between 30 and 60 days

(DC Code section 50-2201.04)

• First conviction: Incarceration of no more than 90 days and a fine of $500
• Subsequent convictions within two years: A fine of $500 and incarceration for up to 180 days

(FS 316.192)

• Any person who drives any vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property
• Fleeing a law enforcement officer in a motor vehicle is reckless driving per se

• First conviction: Imprisonment for up to 90 days and a fine between $25 and $500
• Second conviction: Imprisonment for up to six months and a fine between $50 and $1,000
• If damage to the property or person of another happens: Imprisonment of up to one year
• If a serious bodily injury happens: Imprisonment of up to five years

• If damage to the property or person of another happens: Misdemeanor of the first degree
• If serious bodily injury happens: Felony of the third degree

Reckless driving

(Georgia Code 40-6-390)

(HRS section 291-2)

(ID Statutes section 49-1401)

• First conviction: Imprisonment of up to six months and fine of up to $1,000
• Subsequent convictions within five years from first conviction: Imprisonment of no more than one year, or up to a $2,000 fine, or both. You may also face driver's license suspension.

• First conviction: Misdemeanor
• Subsequent convictions within five years from first conviction: Misdemeanor

(625 ILCS 5/11-500 to 5/11-505)

• Reckless driving: Up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500
• Aggravated reckless driving: Up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000

• Reckless driving: Class A misdemeanor
• If violation causes bodily harm to a child or school crossing guard, or if it causes greatly bodily harm: Class 4 felony.

(Indiana Code 9-21-8-52)

• Drives at such an unreasonably high rate of speed or at such an unreasonably low rate of speed under the circumstances as to endanger the safety or the property of others or block the proper flow of traffic
• Passes another vehicle from the rear while on a slope or on a curve where vision is obstructed for a distance of fewer than 500 feet ahead
• Drives in and out of a line of traffic, except as otherwise permitted
• Speeds up or refuses to give one-half of the roadway to a driver overtaking and desiring to pass

• The court may suspend the person's driving privileges for 90 days. If you have at least one previous offense, you may face license suspension for one year.
• A level 5 felony carries up to a $10,000 fine and between six months and one year in jail (IC 35-50-2-6). A level 6 felony requires jail time between six and 30 months and up to a $10,000 fine (IC 35-50-2-7)

• Class C misdemeanor
• Class A misdemeanor if it causes a bodily injury
• Class B misdemeanor if it causes property damage.
• Level 5 or 6 felony if it causes injury or death and involves recklessly passing a stopped school bus

(IA Code section 321.277)

(KS Statutes 8-1566)

• First conviction: Imprisonment of five to 90 days, or a fine of between $25 and $500, or both
• Subsequent conviction: Imprisonment between 10 days and six months, or a fine of between $50 and $500, or both

(KRS 189.290)

Penalties for traffic violations

(KRS 189.990)

• First conviction: A fine between $20 and $100
• Subsequent convictions: License suspension up to six months

(LRS 32:58)

• First conviction: A fine of up to $175, or up to 30 days in jail, or both
• Subsequent conviction: A fine of up to $500, or no more than 90 days in jail, or both

(MRS Title 29-A section 2413)

(MD Transp. Code section 21-901.1)

1. In wanton or willful disregard for the safety of persons or property
2. In a manner that indicates a wanton or willful disregard for the safety of persons or property

(MGL chapter 90 Sec. 24)

Reckless driving involves any of the following:

1. A person who operates a motor vehicle recklessly, or operates such a vehicle negligently so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered
2. A person who, without stopping and making known his name, residence, and the register number of his motor vehicle goes away after knowingly colliding with or otherwise causing injury to any other vehicle or property
3. A person who loans or knowingly permits his license or learner's permit to operate motor vehicles to be used by any person
4. A person who makes false statements in an application for such a license or learner's permit, or whoever knowingly makes any false statement in an application for registration of a motor vehicle

(MI Vehicle Code sections 257.625 to 257.626c)

• If no serious bodily injury results: Imprisonment of up to 93 days, a fine of up to $500, or both
• If serious bodily injury results: Imprisonment up to five years, a fine between $1,000 and $5,000, or both

• If no serious bodily injury results: Misdemeanor
• If serious bodily injury results: Felony

(MN Statute 169.13)

• Reckless driving: A person who drives a motor vehicle or light rail transit vehicle while aware of and consciously disregarding a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the driving may result in harm to another or another's property. The risk must be of such a nature and degree that disregard of it constitutes a significant deviation from the standard of conduct that a reasonable person would observe in the situation
• Careless driving: Any person who operates or halts any vehicle upon any street or highway carelessly or heedlessly in disregard of the rights of others, or in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger any property or any person, including the driver or passengers of the vehicle

• Reckless driving: Up to 90 days in jail and $1,000 in fines.
• Reckless driving resulting in serious injuries: Up to one year in jail and $3,000 in fines

• Reckless driving without bodily harm and careless driving: Misdemeanor
• Reckless driving resulting in bodily harm: Gross misdemeanor

(MS Code 63-3-1201)

• First conviction: A fine between $5 and $100
• Subsequent convictions: Imprisonment up to 10 days, or a fine of up to $500, or both

(MRS 304.012)

• Reckless driving: Up to six months in jail and a maximum fine of $1,000
• Reckless driving involving an accident: Up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of $2,000

• Class B misdemeanor
• Class A misdemeanor if an accident is involved

(MCA section 61-8-301 and section 61-8-715)

1. Operates a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property
2. Operates a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property while passing, in either direction, a school bus that has stopped and is displaying the visual flashing red signal

• First conviction: Imprisonment up to 90 days, or a fine between $25 and $300, or both
• Subsequent convictions: Imprisonment between 10 days and six months, or a fine of between $50 and $500, or both
• Reckless driving resulting in death or serious bodily injury: A fine up to $10,000, imprisonment up to one year, or both

(R.R.S. Nebr. § 60-6, 213; 60-6,215; 60-6,217 )

• Second offense: Total loss of driving privileges for at least 60 days to two years from the date of the court's order
• Third and subsequent offenses: Total loss of driving privileges for one year from the date of the court's order and a driver's license revocation for a similar period of time

• First offense: Class III misdemeanor
• Second offense: Class II misdemeanor
• Third and subsequent offenses: Class I misdemeanor

(NRS 484B.653)

• Drives a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property on a highway or premises to which the public has access
• Drives a vehicle in an unauthorized speed contest on a highway or premises to which the public has access
• Drives a vehicle in an unauthorized trick-driving display on a public highway

• First offense: A fine of between $250 and $1,000, or between 50 and 99 hours of community service, and possible imprisonment of up to six months
• Second offense: A fine of between $1,000 and $1,050, or between 100 and 199 hours of community service, and potential imprisonment of up to six months
• Third offense: a fine of between $1,500 and $2,000, or 200 hours of community service, and possible imprisonment of up to six months

(NH Statutes 265:79)

• First offense: At least $500 in fines plus a penalty assessment and a 60-day license revocation
• Second offense: At least $750 in fines plus a penalty assessment and a license revocation of 60 days to one year
• Subsequent offenses: At least $1,000 in fines plus a penalty assessment

(NJ Statutes 39:4-96)

• First offense: Imprisonment up to 60 days, or a fine between $50 and $200, or both
• Second offense: Imprisonment up to three months, or a fine between $100 and $500, or both

(NMS 66-8-113)

• First conviction: Imprisonment of between five and 90 days, or a fine between $25 and $100, or both
• Second and subsequent convictions: Imprisonment between 10 days and six months, or a fine between $50 and $1,000, or both

(NY Vehicle & Traffic Law Section 1212)

• First offense: Up to 30 days in jail and a fine of $100 to $300.
• Second offense: Up to 90 days in jail and a fine of $100 to $525
• Third offense: Up to 180 days in jail and a fine of $100 to $1,125

(NCGS section 20-140)

• Any person who drives any vehicle upon a highway or any public vehicular area carelessly and heedlessly in willful or wanton disregard of the rights or safety of others
• Any person who drives any vehicle upon a highway or any public vehicular area without due caution and circumspection and at a speed or in a manner so as to endanger or be likely to endanger any person or property

• First offense: Up to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000
• Subsequent offense: Up to 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000

(ND Code Chapter 39-08 scroll to 39-08-03)

• Recklessly in disregard of the rights or safety of others
• Without due caution and circumspection and at a speed or in a manner so as to endanger or be likely to endanger any person or the property of another.

• Reckless driving: Eight to 30 days in jail with a maximum fine of $1,000
• Aggravated reckless driving: Eight days to one year in jail with a maximum fine of $2,000

• Class B misdemeanor
• Class A misdemeanor if it causes bodily injury

(ORC section 4511.20)

• First offense: A maximum fine of $100
• If you have a prior conviction: Up to 30 days in jail and a maximum fine of $250

• First offense: Minor misdemeanor
• Second offense: Misdemeanor in the fourth degree

(OK Statute 47-11-901)

• First conviction: Between five and 90 days in jail, or a fine between $100 and $500, or both
• Second conviction: Between 10 days and six months in jail, or a fine between $150 and $1,000, or both

(OR Vehicle Code 811.140)

(PA Vehicle Code Ch. 37; Section 3736)

(RI Code 31-27-4)

• First conviction: A fine of up to $500 and six months in jail
• Second and subsequent offenses: A fine of up to $1,000 and up to five years in jail

• First conviction: Misdemeanor
• Second conviction and subsequent convictions: Felony

(SC Code section 56-5-2920)

• A fine between $25 and $200
• Imprisonment for up to 30 days

(SD Codified Laws Ch. 32-24)

(TN Code section 55-10-205)

Class B Misdemeanor sentencing

(TN Code section 40-35-111)

(TX Transp. Code Ch. 545.401)

(UT Code 41-6a-528)

• In willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property
• While committing three or more moving traffic violations under Title 41, Chapter 6a, Traffic Code, in a series of acts occurring within a single continuous period of driving covering three miles or less in total distance

(23 VSA section 1091)

• First offense: Imprisonment up to one year, or a fine up to $1,000, or both
• Subsequent offense or an offense resulting in serious bodily injury or death: Imprisonment up to two years, or a fine up to $3,000, or both

• First conviction: Misdemeanor
• Subsequent convictions: Felony

Reckless driving; penalties (VA Code 46.2-868)

(RCW section 46.61.500)

(WV Code section 17C-5-3)

• First conviction: Imprisonment for between five and 90 days, or a fine between $25 and $500, or both
• Subsequent conviction or an offense that results in serious bodily injury: Imprisonment between 10 days and six months, or a fine between $50 and $1,000, or both

(WI Code Chapter 346 Section 346.62)

• First offense: $25 to $200 in fines
• Repeated offenses: $50 to $500 in fines and up to one year in prison
• Offenses resulting in minor injuries: $300 to $2000 in fines and 30 days to one year in prison
• Repeated offense leading to great bodily injury: Up to three and a half years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines

(WY Statutes Title 31, Ch. 5 Section 31-5-229)