How Much over the Speed limit is a Felony in Oregon?

In Oregon, speeding is not generally treated as a felony or criminal offense. Instead, it is considered a traffic violation. There is no specific threshold at which speeding alone is considered a felony under Oregon law. However, a speeding offense may contribute to or escalate to a felony or misdemeanor criminal offense under certain conditions. The Oregon Department of Transportation is responsible for setting the speed limits and determining how they are affected by safety conditions, weather patterns, and traffic in the area.

Oregon's Vehicle Code, in Title 59 of the state laws, defines speed limits, traffic violations, offenses, and penalties. Some of the speed zones set down by Oregon law include.

• 15 mph in alleyways
• 20 mph in school zones and business districts
• 25 mph in residential districts
• 65 mph for most highway sections

Speeding offenses are assigned classes based on how much over the speed limit a driver was going. Fines will also increase based on the severity of the offense.

• Class D: 1-10 mph over the limit
• Class C: 11-20 mph over the limit
• Class B: 21-30 mph over the limit
• Class A: Over 30 mph over the limit

Although speeding alone is not considered a felony, the offense may be escalated if combined with other factors such as reckless driving, attempting to elude the police, and, in cases where someone is killed, criminally negligent homicide or manslaughter.

Is Speeding a Felony in Oregon?

Typically, speeding alone is not considered a criminal offense; it is classified as a civil traffic violation. The speeding offense may be escalated to a criminal misdemeanor or felony if there are additional circumstances. If a driver receives a speeding violation, they generally receive heavy fines for how fast they were going and administrative punishments such as license suspensions. Punishments may range from a $115 fine for going 10 mph to $440 and a license suspension for going 30 mph over the limit. The suspension's fine and length will be increased for repeat offenses. The location of the offense, such as a school or construction zone, may also double the fines.

Additionally, speeding violations may escalate to criminal offenses if they involve certain actions. For instance, if a driver is speeding dangerously, such as over 100 mph, they may incur a reckless driving charge, a class A misdemeanor. The speeding offense may be raised to a felony crime when the driver was fleeing the police or if a person died due to the speeding offense. In these cases, the speeding is elevated to felonies, such as eluding the police or manslaughter/negligent homicide.

Can a Speeding Ticket Become a Felony in Oregon?

Speeding tickets are typically civil traffic violations classified by how fast the driver was going. They may be elevated to a more serious offense based on whether the speeding was particularly excessive or led to more serious crimes. Speeding tickets in Oregon escalate to more serious offenses in the following situations.

• If the driver was driving at speeds over 100 mph, the ticket will be escalated to reckless driving, which is a Class A misdemeanor (Oregon Revised Statutes 811.140)
• If the driver was fleeing the police at high speeds, the offense may be escalated to attempting to elude police in a vehicle, which is a Class C felony. (Oregon Revised Statutes 811.540(1)(b)(A))
• If a person dies due to the speeding offense, the driver may face felony charges such as negligent homicide or manslaughter. (Oregon Revised Statutes 163.125 or 163.145)
• When the driver was speeding with a revoked or suspended license from a previous vehicle-involved felony, the offense escalates to criminal driving while suspended, which is a Class B felony. (Oregon Revised Statutes 811.182(3))

Types of Speeding Tickets in Oregon: Infraction, Misdemeanor, or Felony

Under the Oregon Vehicle Code, drivers caught speeding may receive speeding tickets based on the speed they were going and the location where the offense occurred. Further dangerous actions by the driver may escalate the offense from a speeding ticket to a criminal offense, such as a misdemeanor or felony.
The following table details speeding offenses and their classifications in Oregon.

Penalties for Felony Speeding Tickets in Oregon

In cases where a speeding ticket escalates to a felony criminal offense in Oregon, the penalties increase exponentially. Offenders convicted of felony spending offenses may face a combination of the following penalties.

• Fines of up to $125,000 for Class C felonies, such as attempting to elude police, and up to $250,000 for Class B felonies, such as criminally negligent homicide
• Up to 5 years in prison for Class C felonies and up to 10 years for Class B felonies
• License suspensions or revocations
• Court-ordered requirements such as the Traffic School Diversion Program
• The offenses will also appear on the driver's record, leading to various consequences such as increased insurance premiums and difficulty obtaining housing or employment.

How Long Does a Speeding Ticket Stay on Your Record in Oregon? In Oregon, speeding tickets typically remain on an individual's driving record for 5 years. After five years, the ticket information may be entirely dropped from the driver's record. More serious traffic offenses, such as DUI offenses, may remain on the record indefinitely, depending on the severity of the offense. It should be noted that Oregon does not use a point-based system for driving offenses, so drivers do not accumulate any demerits over time.

The record is accessible via the Certified Court Print Driving Record, which compiles this record. This repository is available to authorized entities, including employers and insurance companies, when they have dealings with the drivers, such as settling insurance premiums. The information may affect a driver's insurance premiums during renewal for 3 to 5 years. This time typically varies by the severity of the offense and the insurance company's rules. Details of various forms of driver's records are available on the Oregon DMV-Records and Fees website.

Although contesting a traffic ticket in court or attending traffic school may affect how a violation affects a driver's record, neither directly reduces the length of time it remains on the record. Typically, completing these processes may dismiss the conviction or reduce the offense and its penalties. Information about obtaining and contesting driver's records may be found in Oregon Traffic Court Records.

Can a Speeding Ticket Be Expunged from Your Record in Oregon?

No, Oregon law, specifically ORS 137.225 (7)(a), excludes convictions for state or municipal traffic offenses, including speeding, DUI offenses, eluding police, and reckless driving from expungement.

Although they cannot be expunged, speeding tickets do not remain on a driver's record in Oregon indefinitely. The speeding offense may remain on the driver's record with the DMV for about five years, where it will be accessible to the public, including insurance companies, who may use it when assessing policy renewals. This typically leads to increased insurance costs among drivers with speeding offenses. While the ticket remains on the driver's record for five years the adverse effect on insurance costs may decrease over time, usually after 3 years depending on the insurance company and severity of the offense, However, it must be noted that records of more serious crimes, such as DUI or speeding offenses that caused death or injury, may remain on the record indefinitely.