How a Speeding Ticket Affects Your Insurance
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If you’ve gotten a speeding ticket recently, you’re probably wondering if you’ll see an increase in your car insurance rates. The short answer is yes, you’ll likely pay more for car insurance after being convicted of speeding.
However, how much more you’ll pay can vary based on your driving history, location and other factors. If you do get a speeding ticket, you should compare car insurance quotes from several companies to see if you can find a cheaper policy.
How much does a speeding ticket affect your insurance?
The cost of car insurance typically goes up about 25% after a speeding ticket, according to NerdWallet’s May 2024 analysis of full coverage rates. On average, a driver convicted of speeding will pay $2,486 a year for full coverage insurance.
Keep in mind, a speeding ticket could affect your insurance differently than it does another driver. Your premium increase might be more or less than theirs, depending on factors like where you live and who your insurer is. And while most insurers raise rates after two or more speeding tickets, our analysis found that some don’t raise rates at all after a single ticket.
When will a speeding ticket show up on insurance?
Your car insurance premium will likely increase after you get a speeding ticket, but typically not until it’s time to renew your policy. To get a cheaper policy, make sure you wait until after you’ve been convicted of the speeding violation to shop for new quotes so they accurately reflect what you’ll likely pay.
If you just got your first speeding ticket, there’s a chance it won’t affect your car insurance costs at all. Some insurers don’t raise rates after a single speeding violation. If your current insurer does raise your premium after one ticket, shop around for a new policy. You might find a company that won’t penalize you.
Car insurance rates after a speeding ticket, by company
After a speeding ticket, the cheapest car insurance company for you may not be the same one that was cheapest before you got a ticket.
A few insurers in our analysis more than doubled their rates for drivers with a speeding ticket, while others seemed to shrug it off. Several smaller, regional insurers — including Idaho Farm Bureau, Maryland Auto Insurance and Umialik — showed no difference in car insurance rates for drivers with or without a speeding ticket.
Among the nation’s largest car insurance companies, State Farm had the smallest average rate hike after a speeding ticket: around $22 more a month. The biggest increase among large insurers came from Farmers.
Although it’s one of the largest insurers in the country, Liberty Mutual is not included in our analysis because it does not provide rate data.
USAA often has the cheapest rates available, but it is available only to active military, veterans and their families. Because of this, we include its numbers in this article but don’t rank it.
Here are the average rates we found for a 35-year-old driver with full coverage insurance after one speeding ticket, ranked from smallest average increase to largest.
Company | Average annual rate after a speeding ticket | Annual increase compared to a driver with a clean record |
|---|---|---|
1. State Farm | $1,693 | $262 |
$1,868 | $321 | |
3. Travelers | $2,270 | $519 |
4. Geico | $2,580 | $571 |
5. Nationwide | $2,585 | $569 |
6. Progressive | $2,661 | $587 |
7. Allstate | $3,483 | $373 |
8. Farmers | $3,568 | $761 |
*USAA | $1,351 | $232 |
*USAA is available only to active military, veterans and their families. | ||
» MORE: Compare car insurance rates
If you’re looking for the cheapest rates, don’t be afraid to shop around. Taking the time to compare car insurance quotes can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars — even if you’ve had a few flashing lights in your rearview mirror.
Car insurance rates after a speeding ticket, by state
In Vermont, a speeding ticket may mean only an extra $19 per month on your car insurance premiums.
But in Michigan, where average car insurance costs are relatively high for drivers, you may have to shell out $124 a month more for coverage after you’re caught speeding.
To give you an idea of what to expect in your state, here are average rates and price increases for full coverage insurance after a speeding ticket.
State | Average annual rate after a speeding ticket | Annual increase compared to a driver with a clean record |
|---|---|---|
$2,748 | $479 | |
$2,254 | $299 | |
$2,711 | $557 | |
$2,647 | $487 | |
$2,301 | $643 | |
$3,493 | $795 | |
$3,196 | $593 | |
$3,064 | $463 | |
$4,417 | $812 | |
$3,123 | $613 | |
$1,830 | $199 | |
$1,640 | $291 | |
$2,244 | $497 | |
$1,838 | $406 | |
$1,909 | $313 | |
$2,848 | $558 | |
$4,110 | $753 | |
$4,232 | $833 | |
$1,647 | $324 | |
$3,694 | $695 | |
$1,758 | $365 | |
$4,721 | $1,492 | |
$2,417 | $487 | |
$2,490 | $541 | |
$3,275 | $568 | |
$3,446 | $614 | |
$2,195 | $407 | |
$3,686 | $628 | |
$1,883 | $325 | |
$3,677 | $868 | |
$2,548 | $420 | |
$3,228 | $627 | |
$2,218 | $731 | |
$2,288 | $419 | |
$1,776 | $352 | |
$3,022 | $583 | |
$2,430 | $542 | |
$2,632 | $365 | |
$4,161 | $861 | |
$3,495 | $780 | |
$1,897 | $304 | |
$2,521 | $524 | |
$2,721 | $323 | |
$2,851 | $611 | |
$1,601 | $224 | |
$2,528 | $606 | |
$2,186 | $427 | |
$2,660 | $400 | |
$2,502 | $427 | |
$2,057 | $375 | |
$1,999 | $446 |
Minimum vs. full coverage after a speeding ticket
If you have full coverage auto insurance and you don’t like the price you see after a speeding ticket, you may want to consider reducing your coverage. Minimum coverage car insurance is typically cheaper than full coverage.
Here are the average annual rates for car insurance after a speeding ticket:
$2,693 for full coverage.
$868 for minimum coverage.
Think carefully before you decrease your coverage, however. If you change to a policy that only meets your state’s minimum requirements, then you won’t have comprehensive and collision coverage. This means if you cause a crash, your insurance won’t help pay for damage to your car. It might make sense if your vehicle isn’t worth much, but if you have a car loan or lease, your lender likely requires you to keep full coverage.
How to save on car insurance after a speeding ticket
If you’re wondering how to get cheap car insurance, here are six things you can try:
Compare quotes from multiple insurers. Use NerdWallet’s car insurance comparison tool to easily shop for cheap auto insurance online. You may find that you already have the best car insurance deal, but prices can change, so check roughly once a year.
Ask for discounts. You could save money from car insurance discounts you’re not taking advantage of. For example, maybe you work from home and don’t drive much. Mention that and you might get a low-mileage discount. Other common discounts are given for bundling car insurance with homeowners insurance, insuring multiple cars on the same policy and being a student.
Cash in on major life changes. Certain life events could translate to cheaper car insurance, so shop for quotes whenever something major changes in your life. For instance, many companies offer a lower rate for married couples or domestic partners. Or perhaps you moved to a suburb with lower accident and crime rates. Even if you moved to a more expensive area for car insurance, shopping around can help you get cheaper coverage.
Raise your deductible. The higher your car insurance deductible, the more you pay out of pocket before insurance pays for a covered claim. The upside is that by raising your deductible, you’ll usually be able to lower your premium. Just make sure you have enough money set aside to cover the higher deductible if you ever get in an accident.
Revisit quotes after your driving record improves. Shop for cheap auto insurance quotes online three to five years after any accidents, tickets or moving violations. They may have dropped off your driving record.
Reconsider the car you drive. The type of car you drive affects how much you pay for auto insurance. For example, new and expensive cars tend to cost more to insure than older or less expensive cars, among other factors. Check out NerdWallet’s analysis of the cheapest cars to insure to see if your vehicle made the list.
NerdWallet averaged rates based on public filings obtained by pricing analytics company Quadrant Information Services. We examined rates for men and women for all ZIP codes in any of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Although it’s one of the largest insurers in the country, Liberty Mutual is not included in our rates analysis due to a lack of publicly available information.
In our analysis, “good drivers” had no moving violations on record; a “good driving” discount was included for this profile. Our “good” and “poor” credit rates are based on credit score approximations and do not account for proprietary scoring criteria used by insurance providers.
These are average rates, and your rate will vary based on your personal details, state and insurance provider.
Sample drivers had the following coverage limits:
$100,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person.
$300,000 bodily injury liability coverage per crash.
$50,000 property damage liability coverage per crash.
$100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person.
$300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per crash.
Collision coverage with $1,000 deductible.
Comprehensive coverage with $1,000 deductible.
In states where required, minimum additional coverages were added. We used the same assumptions for all other driver profiles, with the following exceptions:
For drivers with a ticket, we added a single speeding violation for driving 16 mph over the speed limit.
For drivers with minimum coverage, we adjusted the numbers above to reflect only the minimum coverage required by law in the state.
We changed the credit tier from “good” to “poor” as reported to the insurer to see rates for drivers with poor credit. In states where credit isn’t taken into account, we only used rates for “good credit.”
We used a 2021 Toyota Camry LE in all cases and assumed 12,000 annual miles driven. We analyzed rates for the following ages: 20, 30, 35, 40, 50, 60 and 70. However, only rates for drivers aged 35 were used in these comparisons.
These are rates generated through Quadrant Information Services. Your own rates will be different.
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