How much does a texting while driving ticket increase auto insurance premiums?

Does a cell phone ticket affect insurance?

Yes, a cell phone ticket for texting while driving will increase your car insurance rates. Insurers treat texting violations as risky behavior, and every major insurer in our data raises rates after a texting ticket, with increases ranging from 18% at State Farm to 48% at Nationwide.

In addition to higher insurance rates, you will face a fine for a texting ticket. Fine amounts vary by state and by whether it is a first or repeat offense; see the state laws table below for enforcement details by state.

People ask

Is texting while driving the same as a cellphone ticket?

In most states, texting while driving and using a handheld phone while driving are treated as the same violation. The state laws table on this page identifies which states ban handheld use for all drivers and which limit the ban to specific groups such as drivers under 18 or school bus operators.

How much does a texting while driving ticket increase auto insurance premiums?

Not all insurance companies view texting tickets the same way. At GEICO, the average annual cost of car insurance with a texting violation is $2,917 a year, while at Farmers, that same ticket will mean rates of $4,460 a year.

USAA is the cheapest company for drivers with a texting ticket, but is only available to military members and their families. Nationwide is the cheapest option open to all drivers.

Company	Base premium (clean record, annual)	Premium after texting ticket	Estimated premium increase after ticket	Texting ticket increase (%)
Allstate	$3,159	$4,012	$853	27%
Farmers	$3,207	$4,460	$1,253	39%
GEICO	$2,159	$2,917	$758	35%
Nationwide	$2,524	$3,726	$1,202	48%
Progressive	$2,569	$3,546	$977	38%
State Farm	$2,875	$3,397	$522	18%
Travelers	$1,962	$2,798	$836	43%
USAA	$1,628	$1,952	$324	20%

Read our methodology

How much does a texting while driving ticket increase auto insurance premiums in your state?

The car insurance rate increase after a texting while driving ticket depends on where you live. On average, rates increase by 28% for drivers with a texting ticket on their driving record. California has the greatest average increase at 51%, while New York has the smallest at 9%.

States where insurance rates increase the most with a texting ticket

Your rates will go up the most after a texting and driving ticket in Vermont, where the average increase is 56%, followed by California at 54% and Indiana at 53%.

Vermont: 56%
California: 54%
Indiana: 53%
Rhode Island: 49%
Delaware: 46%

States where insurance rates increase the least with a texting ticket

Wyoming has the smallest rate increase after a texting ticket at 12%, followed by Pennsylvania at 18% and Hawaii at 19%.

Wyoming: 12%
Pennsylvania: 18%
Hawaii: 19%
Utah: 20%
Nebraska: 20%

Car insurance rate increase after a texting ticket by state
State	Base premium (Clean record)	Premium after texting ticket	Premium increase after ticket	Texting ticket increase (%)
Alabama	$2,116	$2,888	$772	36%
Alaska	$2,167	$2,710	$543	25%
Arizona	$2,420	$3,333	$913	38%
Arkansas	$2,942	$3,875	$933	32%
California	$3,444	$5,308	$1,864	54%
Colorado	$3,181	$3,833	$652	21%
Connecticut	$2,742	$3,667	$925	34%
Delaware	$3,157	$4,611	$1,454	46%
Florida	$3,916	$5,212	$1,296	33%
Georgia	$2,503	$3,163	$660	26%
Hawaii	$1,757	$2,099	$342	19%
Idaho	$1,901	$2,526	$625	33%
Illinois	$1,938	$2,585	$647	33%
Indiana	$1,894	$2,905	$1,011	53%
Iowa	$2,460	$3,200	$740	30%
Kansas	$2,496	$3,066	$570	23%
Kentucky	$2,624	$3,289	$665	25%
Louisiana	$3,999	$4,975	$976	24%
Maine	$1,808	$2,440	$632	35%
Maryland	$1,999	$2,518	$519	26%
Massachusetts	$2,429	$3,164	$735	30%
Michigan	$3,964	$5,466	$1,502	38%
Minnesota	$2,591	$3,434	$843	33%
Mississippi	$2,397	$2,920	$523	22%
Missouri	$2,151	$2,592	$441	20%
Montana	$2,476	$3,051	$575	23%
Nebraska	$2,095	$2,522	$427	20%
Nevada	$3,963	$5,032	$1,069	27%
New Hampshire	$1,689	$2,145	$456	27%
New Jersey	$3,122	$4,219	$1,097	35%
New Mexico	$2,577	$3,274	$697	27%
New York	$2,596	$3,411	$815	31%
North Carolina	$2,638	$3,658	$1,020	39%
North Dakota	$2,439	$3,064	$625	26%
Ohio	$1,783	$2,349	$566	32%
Oklahoma	$2,993	$3,689	$696	23%
Oregon	$2,048	$2,736	$688	34%
Pennsylvania	$2,327	$2,743	$416	18%
Rhode Island	$2,878	$4,275	$1,397	49%
South Carolina	$2,417	$3,398	$981	41%
South Dakota	$2,575	$3,189	$614	24%
Tennessee	$2,235	$2,931	$696	31%
Texas	$3,106	$4,266	$1,160	37%
Utah	$2,356	$2,832	$476	20%
Vermont	$1,660	$2,595	$935	56%
Virginia	$1,835	$2,370	$535	29%
Washington	$2,389	$3,240	$851	36%
Washington, D.C.	$3,465	$4,183	$718	21%
West Virginia	$2,415	$3,213	$798	33%
Wisconsin	$2,343	$3,322	$979	42%
Wyoming	$2,061	$2,302	$241	12%

Read our methodology

Use our traffic ticket calculator to find out how traffic violations like texting while driving affect rates.

People ask

Should I plead guilty to a cell phone ticket?

If you go to court for a cell phone ticket, it's up to you to decide how you will plead. If you don't want to fight the ticket, you can usually simply pay the fine and avoid court.

Average premiums after texting while driving ticket violation by age

At 18, the average cost of insurance for a driver with a texting violation is $7,498 a year, or $786 a month. By age 40, the average premiumThe payment required for an insurance policy to remain in force. Auto insurance premiums are quoted for either 6-month or annual policy periods. goes down to $3,417 a year, or $285 a month.

Average cost of insurance with a texting ticket by age
Age	Annual premium, clean record	Premium after texting ticket, annual	Premium after texting ticket, monthly
18	$7,498	$9,427	$786
25	$3,044	$3,967	$331
40	$2,578	$3,417	$285
65	$2,353	$3,184	$265

Read our methodology

How long does a ticket affect your insurance?

A texting while driving ticket is classified as a minor moving violation and typically affects your insurance rates for three years. If you caused an accident while texting, the violation may carry a longer impact on your record. A texting-related accident can extend that impact to five years or more.

Does a texting while driving ticket add points on your license?

A texting while driving ticket adds points to your license in some states, but not all states use a points system. States that do assign points vary in how many they apply for a texting violation; the state laws table below shows point assignments by state.

Texting while driving may fall under the umbrella of distracted driving or may stand on its own. Even if points are not added to your license, your car insurance rates may go up, as the ticket will still appear on your driving record.

Is texting and driving a moving violation?

Texting and driving is a moving violation in every state where it is illegal. Montana has no texting ban. In Missouri, the ban is a primary offense for drivers 21 and under and a secondary offense for all other drivers.

In most states, texting while driving is a primary offense, which means the police can pull you over for that alone.

Texting while driving and cell phone use laws by state

Below are the laws by state for cell phone use, including which states have laws against texting and driving, how those laws are enforced and if the penalty carries license points.

Texting while driving and cell phone use laws by state
State	Hand-held ban/Talk only hands-free	All cellphone ban	Texting ban	Enforcement	License points
Alabama	No	Drivers age 16 and 17 who have held an intermediate license for less than 6 months.	All drivers	Primary	2
Alaska	No	No	All drivers	Primary
Arizona	All drivers	School bus drivers; and drivers under 18	Yes	Primary
Arkansas	Drivers ages 18 to 20 years of age; school and highway work zones	School bus drivers, drivers younger than 18	All drivers	Primary: for texting by all drivers and cell phone use by school bus drivers.
California	All drivers	School and transit bus drivers and drivers younger than 18	All drivers	Primary
Colorado	Drivers under 18 (effective Jan 01, 2025)	Drivers younger than 18	All drivers	Primary	4
Connecticut	All drivers	Drivers younger than 18, and school bus drivers	All drivers	Primary
Delaware	All drivers	Learner's permit and intermediate license holders and school bus drivers	All drivers	Primary
District of Columbia	All drivers	School bus drivers and learner's permit holders	All drivers	Primary
Florida	School and work zones only	No	All drivers	Primary	3 points for second offense; 6 points if accident
Georgia	All drivers	School bus drivers. Drivers younger than 18.	All drivers	Primary	1
Hawaii	All drivers	Drivers younger than 18	All Drivers	Primary
Idaho	Yes	No	All Drivers	Primary
Illinois	All drivers	Learner's permit holders younger than 19, drivers younger than 19, and school bus drivers	All drivers	Primary
Indiana	Yes	Drivers under the age of 21	All drivers	Primary
Iowa	No	Learner's permit and intermediate license holders	All drivers	Primary
Kansas	No	Learner's permit and intermediate license holders	All drivers	Primary
Kentucky	No	Drivers younger than 18, school bus drivers	All drivers	Primary	3
Louisiana	Learner or intermediate license drivers regardless of age; school zone drivers	School bus drivers, drivers under the age of 18	All drivers	Primary
Maine	All drivers	Learner's permit and intermediate license holders	All drivers	Primary
Maryland	All drivers	Drivers under 18	All drivers	Primary	1 for third offense
Massachusetts	All drivers	School bus drivers, drivers younger than 18.	All drivers	Primary
Michigan	For school bus drivers and novice drivers	No	All drivers	Primary
Minnesota	All drivers	School bus drivers, learner's permit holders and provisional license holders	All drivers	Primary
Mississippi	No	School bus drivers	All drivers	Primary
Missouri	Yes	School bus drivers	School bus drivers, and learner's permits and intermediate license holders	Primary: For drivers 21 years or younger. Secondary: For other drivers
Montana	No	No	No	Not applicable
Nebraska	No	Learner's permit and intermediate license holders younger than 18	All drivers	Secondary	3
Nevada	All drivers	No	All drivers	Primary	4 for second offense
New Hampshire	All drivers	Drivers younger than 18	All drivers	Primary
New Jersey	All drivers	School bus drivers, and learner's permit and intermediate license holders	All drivers	Primary	3 for third offense
New Mexico	No	Learner's permit and intermediate license holders.	All Drivers	Primary
New York	All drivers	No	All drivers	Primary	5
North Carolina	No	Drivers younger than 18 and school bus drivers	All drivers	Primary
North Dakota	No	Drivers younger than 18	All drivers	Primary
Ohio	Yes	Drivers younger than 18	All drivers	Primary
Oklahoma	Learner's permit and intermediate license holders	School bus drivers	All drivers	Primary
Oregon	All drivers	Drivers younger than 18	All drivers	Primary
Pennsylvania	Yes (Effective June 5, 2025)	No	All drivers	Primary
Puerto Rico	All drivers	No	All drivers	Primary
Rhode Island	Yes	School bus drivers and drivers younger than 18	All drivers	Primary
South Carolina	No	No	All drivers	Primary
South Dakota	No	Learner's permit and intermediate license holders	All drivers	Secondary
Tennessee	All drivers	All drivers; while the vehicle is moving	All drivers; while vehicle is moving	Primary
Texas	Drivers in school crossing zones and public school property	Bus drivers with minor passengers and Drivers younger than 18	All drivers	Primary
Utah	No	School bus drivers, Drivers under 18 years of age	All drivers	Primary
Vermont	All drivers	Drivers younger than 18	All drivers	Primary
Virgin Islands	Yes	No	All drivers	Primary
Virginia	No	School bus drivers	All drivers	Primary	3
Washington	All drivers	Learner's permit and intermediate license holders.	All drivers	Primary
West Virginia	All drivers	Drivers younger than 18 who hold either a learner's permit or an intermediate license	All drivers	Primary	3 for third offense
Wisconsin	No, except in work zones	Learner's permit or intermediate license holder	All drivers	Primary	4
Wyoming	No	No	All drivers	Primary

Read our methodology

What is primary enforcement of a ticket?

Primary enforcement means a police officer can pull you over solely for texting while driving, without needing another traffic violation as justification. Secondary enforcement means an officer can only issue a texting citation if they stopped you for a separate violation first. Most states use primary enforcement, which means you can be ticketed any time an officer observes you texting, regardless of your other driving behavior. Nebraska and South Dakota are the two states in this table that use secondary enforcement for the texting ban.

How to get a cell phone ticket dismissed

To get a cell phone ticket dismissed, you will have to fight it in court. Here's what you need to do:

Don't pay the ticket.
Check your citation to find out when you need to be in court if you want to fight the ticket.
Prepare a defense, including any evidence or witnesses that can cast doubt that you were using your phone while driving.
Consult with a traffic ticket attorney before your court date; an attorney can assess whether the citation has procedural weaknesses, such as unclear officer notes or lack of corroborating evidence, that could support a dismissal.
Attend your court date and present your evidence.

How to reduce car insurance premiums after a texting while driving ticket

A ticket for texting while driving will raise your rates, but there are a few things you can do to combat the increased cost:

Shop around for new coverage. Shop around for new coverage. Insurers price texting tickets differently: in our data, post-ticket annual premiums range from $1,952 at USAA to $4,460 at Farmers.
Raise your deductible. A higher deductible means lower rates; just ensure you can afford to pay it if you need to.
Ask about discounts. If you had a good driver discount, you may lose it after getting a ticket, but that doesn't mean you can't qualify for other discounts to lower your rates.
Bundle your coverage. You'll save on both policies when you bundle your home and auto insurance with one company.

Methodology

National and state average rates are based on three coverage levels: state minimum, 50/100/50 liability-only, and full coverage with 100/300/100 liability and $500 deductibles. Rates were fielded by Quadrant Information Services across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Unless otherwise indicated, averages are based on our full coverage data set. This data set is based on:

Bodily injury liability of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per incident
Property damage liability of $100,000 per incident
Comprehensive and collision deductibles of $500
40-year-old driver
Honda Accord LX
Good credit
A clean driving record
12-mile commute, 10,000 annual mileage

Rates were then adjusted for the rate increase resulting from a texting while driving ticket.

FAQ: Texting while driving tickets

Does a cell phone ticket affect insurance in California?

Yes. Using a cell phone while driving is illegal in California, and the resulting ticket will affect car insurance premiums. Rates increase by an average of 51% after a texting while driving ticket in California; a cell phone ticket is likely to be similar.

Is texting while driving illegal in all states?

Texting while driving is illegal in almost every state. The exceptions are Montana, which has no law, and Missouri, where it's illegal only if you are under 21.

How much is a ticket for texting while driving?

Fine amounts for a texting while driving ticket vary by state and are not compiled on this page. For state-specific enforcement details, see the state laws table above. Fines typically increase for repeat offenses

Can you fight a texting and driving ticket?

Yes, you can fight a texting and driving ticket in traffic court. To do so, do not pay the fine, check your citation for your court date, gather evidence or witnesses, and consider consulting a traffic ticket attorney. The full process is covered in the "How to get a cell phone ticket dismissed" section above.