Car insurance for drivers with tickets

How tickets impact car insurance

Insurance companies charge higher rates for drivers with recent tickets. Typically, the lookback period for tickets is between three and five years, with a surcharge applied for any tickets within that period. But your ticket won’t go on your insurance immediately after it’s issued — in general, you won’t receive a surcharge until your policy comes up for renewal and your insurance company reviews your driving record. 

Typically, your surcharge will age off your policy within three to five years. If you have repeated tickets, however, it will take longer to achieve a clean record — and insurance companies may even label you as a high-risk driver. High-risk drivers are seen as a significant risk to insurers, so you may have difficulty finding affordable coverage.

But not all tickets are equal in the eyes of an insurance company — and not all insurance companies evaluate tickets in the same way. In general, a speeding ticket usually results in a smaller rate increase than a DUI, but every carrier will run a slightly different set of calculations to determine the risk your ticket adds to your insurance profile.

Cheapest car insurance after a speeding ticket

After a speeding ticket, a driver’s rate increase depends on several factors, including your location, driving record and insurance company. In addition to a higher rate, most speeding tickets also come with a fine. Based on Bankrate’s study of premium data from Quadrant Information Services, the chart below shows some of the best cheap car insurance with speeding tickets.

Average annual car insurance premium based on driving record

Cheapest car insurance after a DUI ticket

A DUI is one of the most serious violations you can receive. After getting a DUI or DWI (depending on the state), you can expect your car insurance premium to increase significantly. Getting a DUI also typically comes with other potential consequences, including expensive fines, jail time and license suspension.

The car insurance rate increase after getting convicted of a DUI is based on your driving record, insurance company and state. Based on Bankrate’s research of average annual premiums after a single DUI ticket, the chart below shows the companies that offer some of the cheapest average rates.

Average annual car insurance premium based on driving record

Best discounts for drivers with tickets

Getting a ticket won’t just cause your auto insurance premium to go up via a surcharge — if you currently have any safe driving discounts applied to your policy, you’ll lose those as well. But there are still ways to lower the cost of car insurance with tickets on your record. You may want to ask your insurer if they offer any of the following common discounts: 

• Autopay discounts: If you set up autopay on your car insurance policy, some insurance carriers will discount your premium slightly because you’re less likely to miss a payment. 
• Organization-based discounts: Some insurers, like Geico and Liberty Mutual, may offer discounts to members of certain groups, often affiliated with universities or government organizations. 
• Pay-in-full discounts: If you’re able to pay your entire annual premium as a lump sum, most insurance companies will give you a discounted rate. 
• Bundling discounts: Purchasing home, renters or other insurance products from your auto insurance company could earn you a discount. If you have another type of insurance through a different carrier, you may want to ask about the discount you’d earn by switching it over to your auto insurer. 
• Telematics discounts: Telematics uses GPS technology to generate discounts based on how you actually drive — not just your past driving record. Keep in mind that these programs often require a lot of data sharing and could raise your premium in some cases if the program detects unsafe habits like hard braking or speeding. 

Other ways to save on car insurance after a ticket

Outside of qualifying for discounts or switching to a new provider, there are a few more ways to secure cheap auto insurance with tickets on your record. 

In most states, your credit history is a primary driver of the price of your insurance. Bankrate’s research shows that drivers with poor credit pay 105 percent more for full coverage, on average, than drivers with excellent credit (by comparison, drivers with a single DUI pay just 95 percent more than drivers with perfect records). If you’re in a lower credit tier, improving your credit could be key to unlocking more affordable coverage — just keep in mind that California, Hawaii and Massachusetts don’t use credit as a rating factor, so this strategy might not be effective in those states. 

You may also want to consider reviewing your coverage limits and deductibles to see if you’re paying for more than you need. A higher deductible will increase the amount you need to pay on any comprehensive or collision claim before your insurance kicks in, but it can also lower the cost of coverage. You might also want to consider dropping nonessential coverage like roadside assistance, rental reimbursement or original equipment manufacturer (OEM) coverage. In general, however, it’s not cost-effective to drop full coverage or lower your liability limits unless you’re out of other options — if you’re not sure how much coverage you really need, it’s a good idea to talk to a licensed insurance agent.

Frequently asked questions

Methodology

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze rates for all ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region. Quoted rates are based on a single, 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:

• $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $50,000 property damage liability per accident
• $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
• $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
• $500 collision deductible
• $500 comprehensive deductible

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually. 

These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes. 

Credit-based insurance scores: Rates were calculated based on the following insurance credit tiers assigned to our drivers: “poor, good (base) and excellent.” Insurance credit tiers factor in your official credit scores but are not dependent on that variable alone. Four states prohibit or limit the use of credit as a rating factor in determining auto insurance rates: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan. 

Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), single speeding ticket and single DUI conviction.