Traffic Defense
75 Pa.C.S. § 3736 carries up to 90 days in jail, a possible license suspension, and CDL consequences that follow you for years. We defend reckless driving citations in Adams, York, Cumberland and Dauphin Counties — not the whole state, just the courts we know inside out.
Free & confidential · Usually a same-day callback
A reckless driving citation looks like a $200 traffic ticket on paper. In practice, it is one of the few summary offenses that suspends a license on a single conviction, it travels with misdemeanor and felony counts when § 3735.1 aggravated assault by vehicle is charged, and it's a CDL career risk. Pleading by mail almost never makes sense.
For broader citations — speeding, suspended license, CDL violations — see our Pennsylvania traffic citations page.
Reckless driving adds no points under the § 1535 schedule[4] — instead, § 1532(b)(1)[5] requires PennDOT to suspend your license for 6 months. See the PA license points & suspension guide for the full point schedule and thresholds, and the PA hit and run lawyer page if reckless driving was charged alongside a leaving-the-scene count.
Negotiate down to careless driving
Reducing § 3736 to § 3714 trades an automatic 6-month suspension for 3 points, eliminates jail exposure, and protects a CDL from disqualification.
Challenge the 'willful or wanton' element
Speed alone is rarely enough — the Commonwealth must prove conscious disregard, not just bad driving.
Attack radar, lidar, and pacing
Calibration certificates, officer certification, and pacing distance are all fair game on cross.
Defend companion charges
Reckless driving often comes with fleeing, DUI, or accident-related citations — those need their own defense plan.
Protect your CDL
A reckless driving conviction is a 'serious traffic violation' under 49 CFR § 383.51. Two in 3 years = 60-day disqualification.
Plan around the PennDOT suspension
If a conviction is unavoidable, we plan around the 6-month § 1532(b)(1) suspension — timing, restoration requirements, and work-travel realities.
We don't take reckless driving citations from anywhere in Pennsylvania — only the four Central PA counties where we appear regularly enough to know the MDJs, the assistant DAs, and the summary appeal calendars.
Adams County Court of Common Pleas — 117 Baltimore St., Gettysburg
Summary reckless driving citations are heard before the magisterial district judge in the township where the stop occurred; appeals go de novo to the Court of Common Pleas in Gettysburg.
York County Judicial Center — 45 N. George St., York
York's MDJs handle a high volume of I-83 reckless driving and racing citations. Summary appeals are scheduled quickly out of the Judicial Center downtown.
Cumberland County Courthouse — 1 Courthouse Square, Carlisle
I-81 and the Carlisle Pike produce most of our reckless driving cases here. Carlisle's summary appeal calendar typically lands 60–90 days after the MDJ verdict.
Dauphin County Courthouse — 101 Market St., Harrisburg
Dauphin pairs reckless driving citations from I-83, I-81, and Route 322 with frequent companion charges. Summary appeals are heard at the Harrisburg courthouse.
FAQ
Reckless driving (75 Pa.C.S. § 3736) in Adams, York, Cumberland and Dauphin Counties — points, suspensions, CDL impact, and what a defense actually looks like.
75 Pa.C.S. § 3736 defines reckless driving as operating a vehicle in 'willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.' It's more than careless driving (§ 3714) — the Commonwealth has to prove you knew of and consciously ignored a substantial risk. Common fact patterns: excessive speed (often 30+ mph over), aggressive weaving, street racing, and crashes caused by clearly dangerous maneuvers.
No — a standalone § 3736 reckless driving charge is a summary offense, not a misdemeanor. But it still carries up to 90 days in jail, a $200 fine, and an automatic 6-month license suspension under § 1532(b)(1) on conviction. It also counts as a 'serious traffic violation' for CDL holders.
None. Reckless driving is not on the § 1535 point schedule, so a § 3736 conviction adds zero points — but that is not good news. Instead of points, § 1532(b)(1) requires PennDOT to suspend your driving privileges for 6 months on conviction, which is a harsher result than the 3 points a careless driving conviction carries.
Yes. Under § 1532(b)(1), PennDOT suspends driving privileges for 6 months once a § 3736 conviction is reported — it is automatic and does not depend on your point total. CDL holders also face 60–120 day disqualifications for repeat 'serious traffic violations,' which includes reckless driving.
Yes — that's often the goal. Careless driving (§ 3714) carries 3 points and no automatic suspension, no jail exposure, and isn't a CDL 'serious traffic violation.' Trading a 6-month suspension for 3 points is usually a clear win. Whether the Commonwealth agrees usually depends on the facts (speed, crash, injuries), your driving history, and the citing officer's position at the summary hearing.
For a $200 fine, maybe not. For an automatic 6-month license suspension, jail exposure if there's an injury, and an insurance hit that lasts years — almost always yes. Summary trials in front of MDJs in Gettysburg, York, Carlisle and Harrisburg are short, but the conviction follows you for a long time.
Related pages
Summary appeals — Harrisburg
Appeal an MDJ guilty verdict to Common Pleas. 30-day deadline.
PA points & suspension guide
Point values, 6/11-point thresholds, and how points come off.
DUI defense
When a traffic stop turns into a DUI arrest.
Criminal defense
Reckless driving, fleeing, and related charges.
Areas we serve
Where we appear across Central PA.
Free consultation
Statutes are summarized for public reference. Confirm current text at palegis.us. This page is attorney advertising, not legal advice.
Free consultation · Calls answered now
Every hour matters in a DUI or criminal case. Call directly and speak with Attorney Quinlan — not an intake desk.
