Does a Speeding Ticket Affect Your Insurance?

A ticket can cost you twice: once in court, and again at renewal. But not every ticket counts, and your state matters a lot.

Key takeaways

• One speeding ticket raised full coverage rates 24% in ValuePenguin’s June 2026 sample [1].
• In CarInsurance.com’s April 2026 sample, a texting ticket raised rates 32%, or $610 a year [2].
• A ticket usually shows up at your next renewal and affects your rate for about three years [1][3].
• Camera and parking tickets often carry no points. NYC speed camera tickets aren’t used for insurance [8].

Does a speeding ticket affect your insurance?

Usually, yes. A speeding ticket is a moving violation, and moving violations on your driving record are one of the main things insurers price. California makes your driving safety record the first mandatory rating factor for auto insurance [10].

But “usually” isn’t “always.” Some states build in breaks for small, first-time tickets:

• North Carolina. Speeding 10 mph or less over the limit, outside a school zone, carries no insurance points unless the same driver has another moving violation in the look-back period. That period is five years for convictions on or after July 1, 2025 [3].
• New York. Insurers can surcharge for “certain violations” under state insurance law. The regulator says a surcharge can also apply for two or more accidents or minor convictions within about three years [4].

Your insurer also matters. Two companies can price the same ticket very differently, which is why shopping matters after a ticket (more on that below).

How much does insurance go up after a ticket?

There’s no single national number, because each insurer sets its own surcharge inside state rules. Comparison sites publish samples, though (checked October 2026):

Treat these as industry samples, not quotes. Both use rate data compiled by Quadrant Information Services for a single sample driver with full coverage [1][2].

The state spread is wide. ValuePenguin found one speeding ticket added 44% in California but 11% in New York [1]. CarInsurance.com’s texting data ranged from 11% in New York to 51% in California and Connecticut [2].

When the state sets the number

North Carolina is one of the few states that publishes fixed increases. Its Safe Driver Incentive Plan assigns insurance points per conviction, and each level carries a set rate increase [3]:

The first two speeding rows can still be point-free under the minor speeding exemption above [3]. A DUI is in a different league: North Carolina assigns 12 points, a 340% increase [3].

Accidents run on a similar schedule. If you also had a crash, see how much insurance goes up after an accident.

A worked example: 9 mph over vs. 11 mph over

This is an illustration, not a quote. It applies North Carolina’s percentages [3] to the NAIC’s 2024 average auto insurance expenditure of $1,431.63 [16], over three policy years, North Carolina’s surcharge period for most convictions [3].

Picture two first-time tickets on a 55 mph road:

• 64 mph (9 over). That’s a 2-point offense, but the minor speeding exemption applies. Extra premium: $0 [3].
• 66 mph (11 over). That’s 2 points, a 55% increase. The math: $1,431.63 x 0.55 = $787.40 a year, and $787.40 x 3 = $2,362.19 over three years.

Two miles per hour separates $0 from about $2,362. That’s the kind of detail no national average shows you.

Speed doesn’t matter everywhere, though. In ValuePenguin’s Pennsylvania sample, the annual premium barely moved by speed: $2,696 for 5 to 10 mph over and $2,733 for 21 to 25 mph over [1].

Which tickets affect insurance?

Moving violations tied to you as the driver usually do. Tickets tied only to the vehicle often don’t.

Texting and cell phone tickets

New York puts 5 points on your license for using a phone or portable electronic device while driving [5]. That’s more than a speeding ticket of 1 to 10 mph over, which carries 3 [5].

Insurers treat phone tickets seriously too. In CarInsurance.com’s sample, the 32% texting increase was higher than ValuePenguin’s 24% for a first speeding ticket [1][2]. Different studies, different drivers, so don’t compare them too precisely.

Red light and speed camera tickets

It comes down to whether the camera identifies the driver. New York City’s speed camera FAQ says a camera ticket isn’t added to your DMV record or used for insurance, because the camera identifies the vehicle, not the driver [8]. The city’s red light camera tickets carry no points either, and the owner pays no matter who was driving [7].

California works differently. San Francisco’s transit agency says red light running is a moving violation that puts points on a driver’s DMV record, so its cameras photograph the driver’s face [9].

Parking and other non-moving tickets

Parking tickets don’t put points on your New York license [5]. Neither do violations that don’t come from driving a motor vehicle [5].

When will a ticket show up on your insurance?

Usually at your next renewal, not the day you’re ticketed. ValuePenguin says the court reports the conviction to the DMV, and insurers typically check your driving record before your policy renews [1].

Rules on how often insurers check vary. California requires insurers to pull your driving record when you apply, when a driver is added, and at least every 36 months [10]. So a ticket may not show up at the very next renewal, but you shouldn’t count on that.

Pro tip: Don’t switch insurers the week you get a ticket. Shop when your renewal offer arrives, because that’s when the ticket gets priced in [1]. Our policy renewal checklist covers what to compare.

How long does a ticket stay on your insurance?

About three years in most cases, but the clock depends on the rule you’re looking at.

• Surcharge period. North Carolina applies most conviction surcharges for three policy years. Serious 4-point-plus convictions on or after July 1, 2025 (excluding speeding) run five [3].
• Insurer look-back. California bars insurers from rating a renewal on a driving record more than 36 months old [10]. Its Good Driver rules also look back three years [11].
• License points. New York counts points toward suspension for 24 months after the violation date. The conviction stays on your record longer, and insurers can still use it [5].

In ValuePenguin’s sample, the increase held for about two years, eased in year three, and was gone by year four at several large insurers [1]. Others lowered the surcharge a little each year [1].

Can you keep a ticket off your insurance?

Sometimes. Your options depend on your state and the ticket.

1. Go to traffic school (California). If you qualify, the point won’t show on your DMV record, so insurers can’t see it or raise your rate over it. You generally can’t have gone in the last 18 months [15].
2. Take an approved course (New York). The Point and Insurance Reduction Program cuts your base auto and motorcycle insurance premium by 10% a year for three years. Only the policy’s principal operator gets the discount. The course can reduce your active points by up to 4, but the violation stays on your record [6].
3. Ask about a prayer for judgment (North Carolina). A PJC on a moving violation generally carries no insurance points, unless there’s another PJC in the look-back period [3].
4. Contest it. In California, paying a ticket without fighting it counts as a conviction [14]. Rating rules in California and North Carolina are built on convictions [3][11].

Important: Paying the fine is not neutral. It closes the case as a conviction, and that’s what your insurer rates [14].

Here’s what the New York course is worth on the NAIC average premium [16]: $1,431.63 x 0.10 = $143.16 a year, or $429.49 over three years. That’s an illustration, since the discount applies to your base rate [6].

How to lower car insurance after a speeding ticket

You can’t make the ticket disappear, but you can limit what it costs.

1. Shop at renewal. In CarInsurance.com’s texting sample, the increase ranged from 15% to 49% depending on the insurer [2]. The same ticket can cost far less elsewhere.
2. Protect your Good Driver status in California. You qualify with three years licensed, no more than one point and no at-fault injury accident [12]. Voters set that discount at 20% with Proposition 103 in 1988 [13]. Traffic school can keep a first ticket from costing you it [11][15].
3. Rethink your deductible, not your liability limits. Try the trade-offs in our deductible calculator. Before cutting any of the types of coverage you carry, check the liability limits calculator and run a coverage gap check.
4. Stay clean. A second ticket pushed ValuePenguin’s sample increase from 24% to 45% [1]. In North Carolina, a second violation can also cancel the minor speeding exemption [3].

Get a local agent to re-shop your rate after a ticket

A surcharge is one insurer’s decision. An independent agent can quote several insurers at once and tell you which ones go easier on a single ticket.

Timing matters most at two points: when the renewal with the ticket arrives, and when the ticket is due to age off. Browse local agencies on our auto insurance hub, search the independent agent directory by state, or find insurance agents near you. Bring your declarations page and your ticket’s conviction date.

Frequently asked questions

Does a first-time speeding ticket affect insurance?

Often, but not always. In North Carolina, a first ticket for 10 mph or less over, outside a school zone, carries no insurance points [3]. Elsewhere, a first speeding ticket raised rates 24% on average in ValuePenguin’s 2026 sample [1]. Your record and insurer decide the rest.

Does a red light camera ticket affect insurance?

It depends on your state. New York City red light camera tickets carry no points, and the owner pays regardless of who drove [7]. In California, red light running is a moving violation with DMV points, so cameras photograph the driver [9]. California insurers can count those DMV points [11].

Does a parking ticket affect your insurance?

No, not directly. Parking tickets are non-moving violations and don’t put points on your New York driving record [5]. Insurers rate your driving record, so a paid parking ticket shouldn’t change your premium. Rules vary, so check your own state’s point schedule.

If a ticket is dismissed, does it affect insurance?

Usually not. Insurance rules in states like California and North Carolina rate convictions, not tickets [3][11]. A dismissed ticket isn’t a conviction. Paying the fine is, at least in California [14]. Ask the court how the outcome will be reported to the DMV.

Do out-of-state tickets affect insurance?

They can. California counts out-of-state violations that would earn points under its own rules when deciding Good Driver eligibility [11]. New York generally doesn’t add points for out-of-state convictions, except from Canada [5]. Whether your insurer sees them depends on your state and record.

The bottom line

A speeding ticket usually raises your insurance at the next renewal and stays priced in for about three years. How much depends on your state’s rules and your insurer. Camera and parking tickets often don’t count, and traffic school or a reduction course can soften the hit where it’s offered.

Sources

1. ValuePenguin, “Car Insurance Rate Increases with a Speeding Ticket in 2026” (Lindsay Bishop, updated June 30, 2026; Quadrant Information Services data, 30-year-old male driver, 2018 Honda Civic, full coverage). Publisher is a comparison business. Live page returned 403; read via Internet Archive snapshot of Sept. 8, 2026. web.archive.org
2. CarInsurance.com, “How much car insurance goes up after a texting ticket in your state” (updated Apr. 17, 2026; Quadrant Information Services data, 40-year-old male and female drivers, 100/300/100 full coverage, $500 deductibles). Publisher is a comparison and lead-gen business. Live page returned 403; read via Internet Archive snapshot of June 16, 2026. web.archive.org
3. North Carolina Department of Insurance, “Safe Driver Incentive Plan.” ncdoi.gov
4. New York State Department of Financial Services, “Can my insurance company raise my premium due to an accident or traffic ticket?” dfs.ny.gov
5. New York State DMV, “The New York State Driver Point System.” dmv.ny.gov
6. New York State DMV, “Point and Insurance Reduction Program (PIRP).” dmv.ny.gov
7. NYC Department of Finance, “Red Light Camera Violations.” nyc.gov
8. NYC Department of Transportation, speed camera FAQ (PDF). nyc.gov
9. San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, “Automated Red Light and No Turn Enforcement” Surveillance Technology Policy (PDF, file dated Mar. 21, 2025). media.api.sf.gov
10. Cal. Code Regs. tit. 10, § 2632.5, Rating Factors (Cornell LII). law.cornell.edu
11. Cal. Code Regs. tit. 10, § 2632.13.1, Eligibility to Purchase Good Driver Discount Policy (Cornell LII). law.cornell.edu
12. California Department of Insurance, press release, Dec. 21, 2023 (Good Driver eligibility). insurance.ca.gov
13. California Department of Insurance, press release, Aug. 1, 2022 (20% Good Driver discount, Proposition 103). insurance.ca.gov
14. Judicial Branch of California, “Guide to traffic tickets.” selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
15. Judicial Branch of California, “Traffic school.” selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
16. NAIC, “NAIC Releases 2024 Auto Insurance Database Average Premium Supplement” (Oct. 1, 2026). content.naic.org