Will Your Insurance Rate Increase After Your First Speeding Ticket?

If only there were a simple answer, right? We all want to know exactly what would happen to our car insurance rates if we got a speeding ticket. Unfortunately, like seemingly everything involving insurance, there's no cut-and-dry answer. In all likelihood, yes, your rates will go up. How much, and the extent of which? Impossible to tell. But this guide can at least help you navigate the process and understand what could happen.

Remember that insurance costs incorporate more than a speeding ticket or two. Your age, the type of car you drive, the location of your home, your daily commute, your marital status and even your credit rating can play a role in how much your insurance costs each year. Car insurance companies analyze statistics in literally dozens of categories when creating a premium. Keep this in mind as you prepare to receive your insurance renewal notice. It might not be only the speeding ticket that's affecting your rates.

Insurance costs and speeding tickets

As you think about how a speeding ticket could affect your insurance costs, be sure to consider each of these factors carefully. Some might be particularly relevant to your situation.

• Your state's laws: Does your state use a "point" system that basically tracks your vehicle/driving safety record? Nearly every state uses some system like this, which means that your ticket is likely to be reflected on your driving record. But some states also offer programs and incentives that keep the point from appearing on your record. You could take a driver's education or road-safety course and bypass the point altogether. Make sure you ask about this.
• What were the circumstances of the ticket? So, were you driving 5 mph over the speeding limit on a highway, or were you pulled over for a DUI? There's a big difference, and that difference can affect your insurance rates. The extent and severity of your infraction can result in extra points, make you ineligible for specialized programs, and your insurance company will most definitely find out about it.
• Is this becoming a habit? Have you had other moving violations recently? Any other issues? Were you in an accident? If your insurance company starts finding out that you're having an interesting tie on the road, they're likely to pay more attention to you. And you'll pay more for insurance.
• Your overall driving history: Is this really your first ticket, or your first ticket with this insurance company? Remember that an insurance company is going to look at everything, absolutely everything, to determine your auto insurance premiums. So don't think that something that happened a year or two ago can't come back to haunt you. All of these influences can make cheap car insurance quotes harder to find.