North Dakota's speeding and traffic fines are so low they make drivers laugh, and are out of step with penalties in several cities that set their own fines, law enforcement officers say.

"I don't doubt that there's somewhat of a reputation out there," said Fargo Police Chief Keith Ternes. "As soon as you hit the border in North Dakota, press on the accelerator, because even if you get caught, the fine is little to nothing."

Ternes spoke Friday at a House Transportation Committee hearing on legislation, introduced by Rep. Ed Gruchalla, D-Fargo, to greatly increase fines for speeding and other traffic violations. Gruchalla is a retired Highway Patrol sergeant.

The fines in North Dakota law prevail in regions where the local government has not established its own. State fines go into a trust fund that benefits schools, and they often are much lower than those in Fargo, Bismarck, Minot and other cities, which may set their own fines and keep the money.

For example, running a stop sign in most of rural North Dakota now carries a $20 fine. Gruchalla's bill would raise the fine to $50. Bryan Klipfel, the commander of the North Dakota Highway Patrol, said the fine has not been changed since he joined the patrol in 1977.

In Fargo, a stop sign violation is now $100. In Jamestown and West Fargo, the current fine for running a stop sign is $30; in Dickinson and Minot, $40; in Bismarck, $50; and in Grand Forks, $71.

Two Bismarck men, Dwayne Wahl and Jack Potter, said there was nothing wrong with differences in the traffic fines charged by the state and local governments.

"Let them decide what they need to do for Fargo. But don't let them decide what to do for Linton or Hazen or Beulah. Let each entity decide what is good for their people," Wahl said. "It sounds like Fargo needs what they have. It sounds like a dangerous place."

Drivers worry more about penalty points on their licenses - which can lead to a suspension - and getting slapped with an insurance rate increase than they do about traffic fines, Wahl said.

Potter said to "raise fines for parity, or balance, makes no sense."

"How many people that (Gruchalla) represents have called him and asked him to raise the fines?" Potter said.

Gruchalla's legislation would also fine speeders $5 for every mile per hour they are above the limit. That matches the present fine for speeding on interstates and divided highways, such as U.S. Highway 83, but it would increase the penalty on two-lane roads.

Someone speeding 70 mph on a two-lane road where the limit is 55 mph, for example, is fined $15 under current law. Under Gruchalla's bill, the offender would get a $75 ticket.

The patchwork of state and local rules can create some odd situations, because the amount of a fine also depends on who writes the ticket.

Mitchell Rumple, a North Dakota highway patrolman, told legislators at Friday's hearing that he once pulled over a driver who was speeding 63 mph in a Fargo neighborhood's 35-mph zone.

Had he written the ticket, Rumple said, it would have cost the driver $49. A Fargo police officer was behind Rumple and stopped to back him up. Rumple turned the ticket-writing over to the Fargo officer when he was told the city fine would be $150.

"The other day, I stopped a fella … for 67 in a 55 zone. The fine was $12. He absolutely couldn't believe it," Rumple said. "During the last 10 years, I just can't tell you how many times people have told me, 'I can't afford not to speed in your state. First off, the chances of getting caught are minimal. And then if you do get caught, the fine is nothin'.'"

The bill is HB1113.