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CVC 22350 is California's basic speed law: you may not drive faster than is reasonable or prudent for the conditions, and never at a speed that endangers people or property. A conviction is an infraction that totals $226.16 to $467.90 on the 2026 statewide schedule and adds 1 point.
What does CVC 22350 say?
Vehicle Code 22350 is one sentence long:
"No person shall drive a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic on, and the surface and width of, the highway, and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property."
The sentence sets two tests. The first is that your speed must be reasonable or prudent for the conditions. The second is that your speed must never endanger the safety of people or property. The statute names five conditions that count:
- Weather, such as rain, fog or wind.
- Visibility, such as glare, darkness or a blind curve.
- Traffic on the highway.
- Surface of the road.
- Width of the road.
This is why people call 22350 the "basic speed law." Other sections, such as CVC 22349, set fixed numbers. Section 22350 sets a standard that moves with the road.
How much is a CVC 22350 ticket?
The Judicial Council's 2026 Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule lists three rows for "Unsafe Speed for Prevailing Conditions." The amount depends on how far over a speed the officer says you were.
| Speed over | Base fine | Statewide total bail | DMV points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–15 mph | $35 | $226.16 | 1 point |
| 16–25 mph | $70 | $350.03 | 1 point |
| 26 mph or more | $100 | $467.90 | 1 point |
Total bail is the base fine plus penalty assessments, a state surcharge and two fixed assessments. That is why the totals are several times the base fine. A county can set a different total: Santa Clara County's 2026 schedule lists lower figures for the same bands. The ticket cost calculator shows the statewide and Santa Clara totals side by side, and explains each assessment.
Two limits apply to these numbers. A judge sets the final amount on conviction, and prior convictions can raise the base fine. Treat the table as the schedule amount.
Before you decide how to respond, collect what you will need: the code section printed on your citation, the date, time and place, and your own recollection of the weather, visibility, traffic, road surface and road width at that spot. Those are the factors the statute names, and they are easier to recall soon after the stop.
How many points is CVC 22350?
A point is a mark the DMV adds to your record. Under VC 12810(f), any other conviction for a moving violation counts as one point, and the schedule lists 1 point on all three 22350 rows. Only one violation per occasion is counted, so a single stop is a single point.
A single point on its own does not trigger DMV action. The presumption of a negligent operator begins at 4 points in 12 months. See how DMV points work for the thresholds and for what a point can do to your insurance.
Can you get a 22350 ticket while driving under the posted limit?
Read on its face, the statute does not mention a posted limit at all. The text asks whether your speed was reasonable or prudent "having due regard for" the five conditions listed above, and whether it endangered anyone. Nothing in the sentence ties the rule to a posted number.
That means the question on a 22350 ticket is about fit: did your speed match the weather, visibility, traffic, surface and width of that road at that moment? An officer can cite 22350 for a speed that is lawful on a sign but that the officer judges unsafe for the conditions. The reverse is also true. Staying under the number on the sign does not by itself answer the statute's question.
How is 22350 different from 22349 and 22348?
Three sections cover most speeding tickets, and each asks a different question.
| Section | What it prohibits | DMV points |
|---|---|---|
| CVC 22350 | A speed that is not reasonable or prudent for the conditions, or that endangers people or property | 1 point |
| CVC 22349 | Driving faster than the statewide maximum: 65 mph under subdivision (a), or 55 mph on a two-lane undivided highway under subdivision (b) | 1 point |
| CVC 22348(b) | Driving over 100 mph | 2 points |
Section 22349 is a number test: you were above the maximum or you were not. Section 22350 is a conditions test. Our page on CVC 22349 covers the fixed limits, the 70 mph exception and the 100 mph rule in more detail.
How do drivers contest a 22350 ticket?
There are two procedural routes to contest a 22350 ticket, and you choose between them. Neither changes what the statute says.
- A trial in court. You ask the court for a trial date. Some courts offer appearances by video as well as in person; Sacramento Superior Court, for example, lists Zoom appearances.
- A trial by written declaration. VC 40902 lets you contest most Vehicle Code infractions in writing. You file the court's request form and post bail with your request. Our guide to trial by written declaration walks through the steps and the forms.
Whichever route you use, the statute's own wording defines the issue: whether your speed was reasonable or prudent for the weather, visibility, traffic, surface and width of the road, and whether it endangered anyone. Facts about those conditions, such as photos or a diagram of the road, speak to the statute's factors. This guide cannot tell you whether a given fact helps your case. A lawyer can advise on that, and no result is promised for any approach.
Before you choose a route, check your due date. Paying in full ends your chance to contest, according to Sacramento Superior Court's description of bail forfeiture. If you miss the date instead, you risk a failure to appear.
Is traffic school an option?
Sometimes. Under VC 41501, a court may hold a conviction confidential when you complete traffic violator school. The court must tell you that only one conviction within 18 months will be held confidential.
Statewide, California Rules of Court, rule 4.104 bars traffic school for a violation of more than 25 mph over the limit, one within 18 months of a prior traffic school, a commercial-vehicle violation, and a failure-to-appear case unless the civil assessment is paid. Courts add their own rules. Sacramento Superior Court's list requires a valid non-commercial license, a moving violation that carries a point, no traffic school in the prior 18 months and no mandatory court appearance. You also pay the full bail plus fees. The page on traffic school or fighting the ticket lays out the trade-offs.
Who can handle a 22350 ticket for you?
Some drivers prefer to have a lawyer deal with the court. These are our picks for you.
Traffic ticket lawyers in California
Firms that handle these cases, with the details each publishes about itself. Picks are not rankings.
Ticket Crushers, A Law Corporation
4.9 stars · 605 reviewsA California traffic ticket defense firm led by Adam Cohen, Esq. It lists speeding, red light and camera tickets, failure-to-appear notices and negligent operator hearings among the matters it handles. English and Spanish.
- San Jose2033 Gateway Pl Ste 500, 95110Directions
- San Francisco350 Rhode Island St #240, 94103Directions
- Sacramento980 9th St, 95814Directions
- Los Angeles515 Flower St #1951, 90071Directions
Shouse Law Group, A.P.C.
The firm's site says its team of California criminal lawyers includes several former prosecutors and former career police officers.
Wallin & Klarich
The firm says it was established in 1981.
Start from the guide home page if your ticket cites a different section.
Frequently asked questions
Is CVC 22350 a misdemeanor?
On the Judicial Council's 2026 schedule, a basic speed law violation is listed as an infraction, not a misdemeanor, with a total bail of $226.16 to $467.90 depending on the speed band. Confirm the exact section and charge printed on your citation, because an officer can cite a different section. Do not assume; read the ticket.
Is 22350 a moving violation?
Yes, in the sense that matters for your record. Under VC 12810(f), a conviction for a violation involving the safe operation of a vehicle on the highway carries a point, and the Judicial Council schedule lists 1 point on each 22350 row.
How long does a 22350 point affect me?
This guide could not confirm the retention period from the DMV, so it states no number. The DMV sets how long a conviction stays on your record, and different sources conflict. Request your own driver record from the DMV to see what it shows, and ask your insurer how far back it looks.
Can a lawyer appear for me on a 22350 ticket?
Many California firms handle traffic infractions, and some state that their flat fee covers every required court appearance. Whether you must attend yourself depends on your citation and the court. Look for any mandatory appearance on the ticket, and ask the firm in writing what its fee includes.
What is the difference between VC 22350 and CVC 22350?
There is none. Both refer to Vehicle Code section 22350. 'CVC' stands for California Vehicle Code and 'VC' for Vehicle Code, and officers, courts and websites use the two interchangeably. A citation may print either form, and both point to the same statute and the same basic speed law.
Last reviewed · Reviewed by the California Ticket Guide editorial team