Speed Limits
Veh. & Traf. Law § 1180 — 55 mph unless a limit is posted, and never faster than is reasonable and prudent
Reasonable and prudent. No one may drive faster than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and the actual and potential hazards, whatever the posted limit. A driver slows to an appropriate speed at intersections, railway crossings, curves and hill crests, and around a stopped emergency vehicle with its lights on.
55 unless posted. Where no other maximum has been established, the limit is fifty-five miles per hour.
A school zone limit applies on school days at the times on the sign, which fall within seven o'clock in the morning and six o'clock in the evening, or while the sign's beacons flash, which they may do during student activities and up to thirty minutes before and after them. A work zone limit applies in a highway construction or maintenance area.
| Over the posted limit | Fine | Jail, at most |
|---|---|---|
| Over the posted limit10 mph or less | FineForty-five to one hundred fifty dollars | Jail, at mostNone |
| Over the posted limitMore than 10, up to 30 mph | FineNinety to three hundred dollars | Jail, at most15 days |
| Over the posted limitMore than 30 mph | FineOne hundred eighty to six hundred dollars | Jail, at most30 days |
Those are the bands for the general limit and posted limits. Speeding in a work zone, or on a restricted highway, carries higher minimum fines, and the court records the speed on the conviction.
Sources for this section (1)
- Veh. & Traf. Law § 1180 — Basic rule and maximum limits
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed New York attorney.