Speeding Tickets: How They Impact Your Insurance in 2024 

If you’re like many drivers, you may have pushed a little too hard on the gas pedal and ended up with a speeding ticket at some point in your life. Often this results in nothing more than a simple citation with associated fines. However, sometimes when you get busted for going too fast, you also begin to see your car insurance rates creeping up. 

That leads to natural questions, including do speeding tickets affect insurance, and if so, for how long? Keep reading to discover the answers! 

Unveiling the Impact of Speeding on Insurance Costs 

The sad answer to your big question is that getting a speeding ticket does, in fact, increase how much you pay for your car insurance. Because so many factors can increase your premiums, it can be difficult to figure out how much extra you are paying after getting ticketed. 

Below, you will find the truth behind some misleading myths and a breakdown of factors you need to understand to help you learn how (and why) your premium has changed. 

The Dynamics Behind Rate Increases After a Ticket 

For the average driver, getting a speeding ticket could increase your monthly coverage premium by 15%–25%. However, this isn’t universal because tickets may affect drivers in different ways due to various factors. These are the same factors that impacted your coverage before the citation, including where you live, your driving record, and your carrier. 

Keep in mind that most drivers pay for their coverage every month. That means you can shop around for rates and choose a new insurer whenever you want. If you really hate how much your rate has increased, this may be the best time to find a new carrier! 

Debunking Myths: Not All Speeding Incidents Are Equal 

It’s easy to imagine one speeding ticket is like another. However, traveling at higher speeds can add more points to your license, for example (make sure you’ve studied the most important things you need to know about driver’s license points). Furthermore, traveling at high enough speeds in certain areas (like residential areas and school zones) can get you cited for reckless endangerment. 

Generally speaking, the worse the citation, both in terms of points added to your license and how much you have to pay, the worse the increase to your premium. That’s because the carrier sets rates on how safe they think you are as a driver. If your record reflects dangerous and even reckless moving violations, your new premium will represent how risky your insurer thinks you have become behind the wheel. 

Navigating Through Your Driving History 

You should know carriers check your driving record before you receive car insurance. However, most drivers don’t know how their record affects their premium, much less how long moving violations like a speeding ticket will haunt them. 

How Insurance Companies Evaluate Your Record 

Insurance carriers generally evaluate your driving record by looking for any moving violations and how often you have submitted claims. The types of violations will have different effects on your premium. For example, it’s bad to be busted for illegal parking, but getting a speeding ticket is worse. It’s that much more significant to get cited for reckless endangerment. 

In addition to major violations, carriers may check on minor things such as your failure to yield properly at intersections or even come to a complete stop. All of this adds up to whether they view you as a safe driver. 

The Duration of a Speeding Ticket’s Influence on Your Premium 

How long do speeding tickets affect insurance? In California, simple speeding violations typically stay on your record for only three years. Major violations, however, stay on there for a decade. Keep in mind that carriers are limited by the availability of state records. If you move out of California, tickets in your new state will affect your premium for as long as the state retains your driving record. 

Do camera speeding tickets affect insurance? These moving violations extend to camera tickets, so the answer is yes. 

Mitigating the Financial Blow 

It’s bad enough when you must pay the cost of a speeding ticket out-of-pocket. But when you consider how these tickets can affect your rates, it’s fair to say that you could end up paying much more than the cost of the initial ticket over time. 

That’s the bad news. The good news is that there are a few easy, proven methods to lower how much you have to pay for insurance after getting a ticket! 

Proactive Measures to Lower Insurance Rates Post-Ticket 

Once you get a speeding ticket, there are a few proactive measures you can take to lower your insurance or even keep the ticket from impacting it in the first place. For example, you could lawyer up and dispute the ticket (easier to do if you know what to do after being pulled over). Alternatively, you could ask the traffic court to defer your ticket (which would keep it off your record if you can go at least a year without getting another one). 

You can also try to explain the circumstances behind your ticket and hope the court will mitigate it. If these options don’t work, however, the single best way to lower your premium is to take a defensive driving course and begin researching discounts through your insurance carrier. 

Exploring Discounts and Traffic Courses for Offenders 

As you may or may not know, insurance companies offer discounts for a variety of different things. One of those is the successful completion of a driving safety course. Taking such a course in California can help remove a point from your license and illustrate to your insurer that you are committed to becoming a safer driver. 

While you’re at it, ask them about other discounts that might be available. There are typically discounts for things like getting good grades, installing safety features in your car, and so much more. In fact, you might already qualify for certain discounts without knowing it! 

Shopping Smart: How the Right Insurer Will Save You Money 

Now you know how speeding tickets impact your insurance. But do you know where you can find a carrier offering the best rates, no matter your driving record? 

Here at Cost-U-Less, we help California drivers get the best service at even better prices. Ready to work with a carrier who will help you save money? Call us at (800) 390-4071 or get a fast and free car insurance quote online. You can also find a Cost-U-Less office near you.