Sometimes yes and sometimes no. But most often, yes, a speeding ticket will affect your car insurance rates and not in a good way.
It is smart to assume that any speeding ticket or other traffic violation will negatively affect car insurance rates but there are times when you may get lucky and avoid an insurance increase if it is your first ticket. We'll talk more about that later and will also provide the average increase to your rates for common traffic violations, such as speeding tickets and tailgating.
- A speeding ticket will almost always result in a rate increase at your next car insurance policy renewal.
- You should expect a speeding ticket to remain on your driving record for a minimum of three years, depending on the state and insurer.
- In addition to an insurance premium increase due to a surcharge, a speeding ticket may cause you to lose discounts like the safe driving discount.
- To offset some of the increase, look for other discounts, take a defensive driving course and consider increasing your deductible if you can afford to pay it out-of-pocket if there is a claim.
- If you get a speeding ticket and your rate increases, shopping around with different insurance companies can put money back into your pocket.
Insurance.com’s new ticket calculator, below, allows you to compute the increase to your auto insurance rate for common violations and compares that to the average percentage hike in your state, as well as nationwide.
Let's talk about what to expect after a speeding ticket.
- How much does insurance go up after a ticket?
- How average rates vary for drivers with speeding tickets
- How does a speeding ticket affect your insurance?
- How long does a speeding ticket affect your insurance?
- Do out of state tickets affect insurance?
- Do parking tickets affect insurance?
- How to lower your car insurance rates after a speeding ticket
- How to keep a ticket off your driving record
- Frequently asked questions
- Methodology
How much does insurance go up after a ticket?
Just how much tickets affect your insurance will depend on the severity of the violation and how many violations are on your driving record. More severe violations, like a DUI/DWI, will affect your insurance more negatively than something like texting and driving. Here is the breakdown, based on an Insurance.com rate analysis:
| Violation | Percent increase | Dollar increase |
|---|---|---|
| DUI/DWI first offense | 79% | $1,131 |
| Reckless driving | 73% | $1,046 |
| Operating a vehicle in a race (highway racing) | 71% | $1,012 |
| Speeding 30+ over limit | 30% | $427 |
| Careless driving | 26% | $372 |
| Texting while driving | 23% | $344 |
| Distracted driving | 22% | $320 |
| Speeding ticket 16-29 MPH over limit | 22% | $317 |
| Improper/illegal pass | 20% | $293 |
| Speeding ticket 1-15 MPH over limit | 20% | $288 |
| Following too closely | 20% | $284 |
| Improper turn | 20% | $281 |
| Failure to yield | 20% | $281 |
| Failure to stop | 19% | $272 |
| Talking on cellphone while driving | 16% | $224 |
| Driving without a license or permit | 12% | $178 |
| Driving without insurance | 10% | $143 |
| Seatbelt infraction | 3% | $47 |
How average rates vary for drivers with speeding tickets
Major speeding tickets, 30 miles or more over the limit, will increase your rate on average by 30%, while minor speeding tickets trigger a hike of 20 to 22%, on average.
The table below shows how much average rates vary among insurance companies for a driver with a speeding ticket for exceeding the limit by 16 to 29 miles per hour. You'll see there is a $790 difference between the highest and lowest. That's a great example of how much you can potentially save on car insurance by comparing quotes from multiple insurers.
| Company | Average rate after speeding ticket (16 - 29 mph over limit) |
|---|---|
| Geico | $1,449 |
| State Farm | $1,807 |
| Nationwide | $1,900 |
| Progressive | $1,916 |
| Farmers | $2,146 |
| Allstate | $2,239 |
How does a speeding ticket affect your insurance?
Typically, you won't see the car insurance rate increase for speeding tickets or other traffic violations until your policy is up for renewal. That's generally when insurance companies review your driving record and adjust the pricing of your policy, says Penny Gusner, consumer analyst for Insurance.com.
How long does a speeding ticket affect your insurance?
The look-back period differs by state and by company.
You should expect at minimum to be rated on violations such as speeding for the last three years. Some companies go back to the date of the incident, and others go back to the day of conviction.
For major violations, such as a DUI, many companies will look back five or even 10 years. For instance, in California insurers aren’t allowed to offer a good driver discount until 10 years have passed after a DUI violation.
And, just as a violation doesn’t raise your rates until your insurer sees the offense on your motor vehicle record, the surcharge won’t stop immediately when a violation falls off your record.You will have to wait until the next policy period when your insurer reviews your record.
Do out of state tickets affect insurance?
Expect it to show up on your record.
Most states have reciprocal agreements that automatically share information on citations.The Driver’s License Compact has been signed by 45 states and Washington, D.C.Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee and Wisconsin are not members, but they share and receive information just the same.
If your driving privileges are suspended in a state you are visiting, your home state typically will suspend your license as well.
Some states may not assign driver’s license points to out-of-state convictions, especially minor ones. But insurance companies will rate you on a violation no matter where it occurred if it appears on your motor vehicle record and is considered a surchargeable offense.
Do parking tickets affect insurance?
Parking tickets are considered non-moving violations and therefore, pose little risk for insurance companies. As a result, many insurers do not increase car insurance rates due to parking tickets and other non-moving violations. However, this varies by insurer and state.
How to lower your car insurance rates after a speeding ticket
If you’ve been cited for one of the infractions on our list, do not assume that you are doomed to paying much higher rates.
Each insurance company assesses risk differently. So, an offense that causes your rates to soar at one insurance company might have a much smaller impact than another. Some won’t raise your rates after a single minor violation. Others will. That's why we recommend shopping with multiple carriers before buying a policy, and even after a ticket or accident.
“Because insurers take different approaches, it provides consumers with choices,” says Jeffrey Brewer, vice president of public affairs for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America.
In addition to comparing car insurance quotes, Gusner offers several tips for lowering your car insurance rate. These pointers can help you save money if you have recently gotten a ticket – or even if you have not.
They include:
- Keep your driving record accident- and ticket-free.Perhaps the best way to keep rates low is to maintain a solid history of good driving.
- Raise your deductible.Paying a higher deductible often results in lower premium costs. For example, III says raising your deductible from $200 to $500 could trim your collision and comprehensive insurance costs by up to 30%.
- Build a strong credit history. Insurance companies used credit-based insurance scores to determine how much to charge you for auto insurance. So, developing good spending habits – such as avoiding debt and paying bills on time – can keep your insurance costs lower.
- Reduce coverage on older cars.Consider dropping comprehensive and collision coverage once your car’s value has dropped to less than 10 times the cost of the premium.
- Look for additional discounts.Insurance companies often offer many other ways to cut costs. For example, your premium might fall if you take a defensive driving course, or if you drive relatively few miles each year. Ask your insurer about the discounts it offers.
- Take a defensive driving class: A defensive driving class, even taken after the fact, can remove points from your motor vehicle record, in some cases. While it cannot erase a conviction from your insurance company’s calculations, the class might bring a discount that softens the blow from the surcharge.
How to keep a ticket off your driving record
If the speeding ticket you got is legitimate, it's not likely you'll be able to keep it off your driving record. However, if the ticket was given in error or you believe it is inaccurate, it may be worth going to court to see if you can get the ticket revoked. It is also possible that even if your ticket is not thrown out, you can get the points the ticket will add to your license lowered. If you think you may fight the ticket in court, don't pay the fine for it any earlier than you must.
Check into your other options, like traffic school. Some states and jurisdictions allow ticketed drivers to complete a traffic school course in lieu of adding points to their license.
Here are some other ways to keep a speeding ticket off your driving record.
Frequently asked questions
How does texting and driving affect insurance?
If you live in a state that allows insurance companies to consider texting and driving violations when setting rates, your insurance premium could increase. Most insurers consider this type of violation a minor violation. However, our rate analysis showed premium hikes of 23%, on average.
Does failing to stop or yield impact insurance, too?
This depends on your state and insurance company. Many states do not consider this violation when setting rates unless it resulted in an accident.
How do insurance companies find about speeding tickets?
Upon issuing you a new policy or renewing an existing policy, insurance companies will check your driving record. This is why you will often not get a premium increase after a ticket until your next renewal. If the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) has listed a violation on your record, insurers will see it.
Do other non-moving violations affect insurance?
Non-moving violations generally do not affect insurance rates. However, state and local laws, as well as insurance company policies, may vary.
Does a red-light ticket affect insurance rates?
Though most red-light tickets come with a fine, they don't often add points to your license or cause an insurance cost increase. In most states, red-light tickets are put in the same category as non-moving violations.
Will my first speeding ticket affect insurance?
Typically, yes. You should expect insurance rates to go up, on average, 30% (or $427 per year) after your first speeding ticket for traveling 30mph or more over the speed limit.
How much do 2 points affect insurance?
Though there is a relationship between license points and insurance rates, rates are not determined based on the number of insurance points. Instead, insurers look at driving history, the type and number of violations and more. So, it depends on what violation you received the two points for.
Do camera speeding tickets affect insurance?
Though camera tickets do sometimes come with a fine, they don't often add points to your license or cause an insurance cost increase.
Methodology
Insurance.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services to gather rates comparing a driver with a clean record to a driver with certain violations from six major carriers in 10 ZIP codes in each state. Rates were returned on a 2017 Honda Accord LX, for a driver with 100/300/100 liability coverage, collision and comprehensive coverage with a $500 deductible,uninsured motoristand additional mandatory coverages as required in each state. Slight differences in averages are due to rounding.