How a speeding ticket impacts your insurance in Minnesota
Speeding tickets are more than a minor nuisance in Minnesota. According to a January 2024 report by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) / Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), speeding is the most common of the “Big 4” dangerous driving behaviors that contribute to traffic deaths in Minnesota. Since 2015, 35,343 Minnesotans have been killed or injured in crashes attributed to speeding, and the problem is getting worse: since 2020, over 15 percent of all crashes in the state were caused by speeding. In addition to the safety risks, a speeding ticket can have major financial consequences in the form of fines and insurance rate increases for most drivers.
How much is a speeding ticket in Minnesota?
Speeding ticket fines vary by county in Minnesota, but they’ll typically start around $125 just for speeding up to 10 mph over the speed limit, thanks to a mandatory $75 surcharge imposed by Section 169.99 Subdivision 6 of the Minnesota Statutes. However, you’ll also pay for the ticket long-term when your car insurance premiums increase at your next renewal.
On average, Minnesota drivers with a single speeding ticket pay $2,711 per year for full coverage car insurance and $844 for the minimum amount of insurance required by the state. That’s an average increase of 23 percent for full coverage and 25 percent for minimum coverage compared to the average cost of car insurance in Minnesota for drivers with clean records.
Your exact rate increase will depend on a range of variables, including the other rating factors in your driver profile and how fast you were going at the time of the incident. In MN, speeding ticket fines also typically increase based on speed, as seen in the average fines table below:
| Mph over speed limit | Typical county fine |
|---|---|
| 1 – 10 | $125 |
| 11 – 14 | $135 |
| 15 – 19 | $145 |
| 20 – 25 | $225 |
| 26 – 30 | $285 |
| 31+ | $385 |
Keep in mind that the fines above include a $75 surcharge — and that if your speeding contributes to an injury or even death, the legal and financial consequences may be much more serious.
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Powered by Coverage.com (NPN: 19966249)
Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in states where it is licensed. Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.
The cheapest car insurance for Minnesota drivers with a speeding ticket
If you’ve got a speeding ticket on your driving record, finding cheap auto insurance in Minnesota can be a challenge. Bankrate’s insurance editorial team analyzed April 2024 data from Quadrant Information Services to identify the carriers with the lowest average rates for full coverage auto insurance after a speeding ticket.
| Company | Minnesota premium before speeding ticket* | Minnesota premium after speeding ticket* | % increase from state average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Farm Bureau | $1,329 | $1,473 | 11% |
| American Family | $1,281 | $1,497 | 17% |
| Allied | $1,634 | $1,834 | 12% |
| Auto-Owners | $1,744 | $1,910 | 10% |
| Encompass | $2,002 | $2,264 | 13% |
*All premiums displayed are average annual full coverage premiums.
What to do after a speeding ticket in Minnesota
If you recently received a speeding ticket in Minnesota, you’ve got a few options. If you feel the ticket was issued in error, you can try to contest the citation. In most cases, however, it may be more practical to pay your fine and focus on finding ways to lower your insurance costs when your rate goes up at renewal.
Fight your Minnesota speeding ticket
Anyone who receives a speeding ticket in Minnesota has a right to appear in court to fight the citation. Contesting your speeding ticket citation could lead to a reduced fine, a payment plan or even dismissal of the ticket.
If you received your speeding ticket in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott or Washington County, call the MN Court Payment Center (CPC) within 30 days using one of the phone numbers listed below:
- (651) 281-3219
- (800) 657-3611
You’ll get the opportunity to discuss your options and make an appointment with a Hearing Officer. Make sure to call during business hours (M-F, 8am to 4:15pm) and be ready to take notes.
If you don’t live in one of the counties listed above, you’ll need to reach out to your local court for help contesting your ticket or consider hiring an attorney to assist.
Pay your Minnesota speeding ticket
If you’d rather not appear in court and know the citation was accurate, paying your speeding ticket is a quick way to resolve the issue. The MN Court Payment Center offers online, phone, mail-in and in-person payment options. If you can’t pay the full amount at the time it’s due, talk to the CPC about setting up a payment plan, typically for $50 each month until the total amount is paid off. Be sure to have your citation number on hand when you complete your payment plan request.
Keep in mind, however, that paying a speeding ticket fine constitutes pleading guilty to the citation and your speeding ticket conviction will be added to your Minnesota driving record.
Lower MN car insurance costs after a speeding ticket
A speeding ticket conviction will cause your auto insurance premium to go up at your next policy renewal, typically by an average of 24 percent in the state of Minnesota. The best way to prepare for this rate increase — and to minimize your ticket’s impact on your finances — is to compare rates from different insurance companies once the ticket is on your record.
Not all insurance companies handle speeding tickets in the same way. For example, while Allstate customers with speeding tickets in Minnesota pay roughly 35 percent more for full coverage than Allstate policyholders with clean records, Auto-Owners raises rates by an average of just 10 percent after a speeding ticket. Comparison shopping could help you find an insurer that’s a better fit with a speeding ticket on your record.
Your speeding ticket will likely stay on your driving record for at least five years. During that time, the surcharge applied to your auto insurance could shrink, bringing the overall cost of your coverage down.
Frequently asked questions
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There’s no single best insurance company for Minnesota drivers with a speeding ticket, since rates and coverage options will vary based on individual rating factors. That said, average customer data for Minnesota Farm Bureau and Auto-Owners both show comparatively small rate increases and low overall rates for drivers with speeding ticket convictions.
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Minnesota doesn’t use a points system to track driver violations, so a speeding ticket won’t add any points to your driver’s license. That’s not to say that a lack of points will prevent your car insurance from going up; insurance companies will still check your driving record in Minnesota before binding your auto insurance quote and writing your policy.
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In addition to MN speeding ticket fines, you’ll likely see a rate increase on your auto insurance policy at your next renewal. On average, Minnesota drivers with speeding tickets pay around 23 to 25 percent more for coverage than drivers with clean records. This surcharge typically lasts from three to five years.
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Unless you contest the citation and get the ticket dismissed, your speeding ticket will go on your driving record. If you pay your ticket fine, you are pleading guilty to the citation and it will show up on your record.
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In Minnesota, a speeding ticket conviction will remain on your driving record for at least five years, with serious violations remaining for 10 years or more.
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Methodology
Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze April 2024 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 2022 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.
Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base) and single speeding ticket.
