Jamie is a meticulous researcher who has published 2,000+ personal finance articles. Her expertise is trusted by major brands like Bankrate and Rocket Mortgage.
Evelyn PimplaskarEditor-in-Chief, Director of Content
10+ years in insurance and personal finance content
30+ years in media, PR, and content creation
Evelyn leads Insurify’s content team. She’s passionate about creating empowering content to help people transform their financial lives and make sound insurance-buying decisions.
Updated December 1, 2024 | Reading time: 4 minutes
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It’s common knowledge that if you’re caught speeding, you’ll have to pay a fine. But that’s far from the only cost of a speeding ticket. Depending on where you live, a speeding ticket can stay on your driving record for one to 10 years — and increase your insurance costs for three to five years.
Speeding tickets are a fairly common driving infraction, and they can increase your car insurance premiums. All licensed drivers should understand the effect of speeding tickets, how long they’ll stay on your record, and how comparing quotes from multiple insurers can help mitigate a ticket’s effect on your car insurance rates.
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How long a ticket stays on your driver’s license record
The amount of time a speeding ticket stays on your driving record can vary depending on where you live and the severity of the offense. The number of miles per hour you were driving above the posted speed limit can determine the severity of the ticket.
If you’re convicted of speeding, your state’s motor vehicle agency will assign a certain number of driver’s license points to your record. If you accrue too many points, insurance companies will see you as a high-risk driver.
Depending on your state, a speeding ticket can stay on your record anywhere from one to 10 years. If you want to see where you stand, you can request a copy of your driving record from the state for a small fee.
The following table outlines how long a speeding ticket will stay on your record in different states.
State
▲▼
Years
▲▼
State
▲▼
Years
▲▼
Alabama
Permanent, but driver’s license points drop off record after 2 years
Nebraska
5 years
Alaska
1 year
Nevada
Permanent, but points drop off after 1 year
Arizona
1 year
New Hampshire
3 years
Arkansas
3 years
New Jersey
Permanent
California
3 years or longer
New Mexico
3–4 years
Colorado
5–10 years
New York
4 years (points drop off after 18 months)
Connecticut
2 years
North Carolina
3 years
Delaware
5 years
North Dakota
3 years
Florida
5 years or longer
Ohio
3 years
Georgia
2 years
Oklahoma
3 years
Hawaii
10 years
Oregon
5 years
Idaho
3 years
Pennsylvania
5–10 years
Illinois
4–5 years
Rhode Island
3 years
Indiana
2 years
South Carolina
2 years
Iowa
5 years
South Dakota
3 years
Kansas
3 years
Tennessee
2 years
Kentucky
2 years
Texas
3 years
Louisiana
3 years
Utah
3 years
Maine
5 years
Vermont
2 years
Maryland
3 years
Virginia
5 years
Massachusetts
6 years
Washington
5 years
Michigan
7 years
Washington, D.C.
2 years
Minnesota
5 years
West Virginia
5 years
Mississippi
3 years
Wisconsin
5 years
Missouri
3 years
Wyoming
3 years
Montana
Indefinitely
How a speeding ticket affects car insurance
Receiving even one traffic ticket will cause your car insurance costs to increase. Speeding is a form of reckless driving and endangers other people on the road. Speeding causes accidents and contributed to 29% of all traffic fatalities in 2021.[1]
The following table shows full-coverage car insurance quotes for drivers with a clean driving record as opposed to one speeding ticket. As you can see, drivers with a clean record pay lower rates for car insurance than someone with a bad driving record. Plus, maintaining a clean driving record for several years can help you qualify for a good driver discount if your insurer offers one.
The below rates are estimated rates current as of: Sunday, December 1 at 11:00 AM PST.
Insurance Company
▲▼
Clean Record
▲▼
With Speeding Ticket
▲▼
COUNTRY Financial
$38
$49
NJM
$53
$78
Auto-Owners
$72
$88
Erie
$93
$118
Mile Auto
$94
$114
USAA
$99
$118
Root
$104
$145
Metromile
$113
$153
GEICO
$118
$141
State Farm
$119
$139
CSAA
$128
$160
Allstate
$133
$159
Safeco
$145
$178
Progressive
$152
$180
American Family
$160
$193
Mercury
$162
$223
The Hartford
$170
$253
National General
$173
$209
Nationwide
$181
$221
Clearcover
$185
$224
Direct Auto
$185
$223
Travelers
$191
$233
State Auto
$200
$279
Elephant
$200
$278
Shelter
$210
$272
The General
$227
$285
Chubb
$232
$286
21st Century
$236
$304
Dairyland
$239
$286
Farmers
$239
$284
Bristol West
$252
$307
Liberty Mutual
$257
$357
Infinity
$257
$330
Foremost
$268
$373
AssuranceAmerica
$275
$325
Amica
$278
$394
GAINSCO
$280
$389
Commonwealth Casualty
$287
$399
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
How long does a speeding ticket affect car insurance?
The length of time a speeding ticket affects your insurance depends on your auto insurance company. On average, a speeding ticket can increase your auto insurance costs for three to five years. But the exact effect will vary depending on your driving history and the severity of the offense.
It’s a good idea to contact your insurer with any questions about how a speeding ticket will affect your premiums. Some car insurance companies offer ways to mitigate the cost of speeding tickets, like taking a defensive driving course.
Other effects of a speeding ticket
An increase in car insurance premiums isn’t the only potential consequence of a speeding ticket — here are other ways a single ticket can affect you:
Fines: Anytime you receive a speeding ticket, you’re responsible for paying the fine. Most fines cost between $75 and $400, depending on how much faster you were driving over the posted speed limit.[2]
Driver’s license points: When you’re caught engaging in a moving violation, your state’s motor vehicle agency adds a certain number of points to your driving record. The number of points depends on the violation. Each state has its own points system and rules regarding the number of years these points will stay on your record.
License suspension: Receiving too many demerit points can result in a suspension of your driver’s license and registration. Most states will send a warning letter if you’re in danger of this happening.
How to find cheap car insurance after a speeding ticket
Here are some steps you can take to find affordable car insurance after a ticket:
Comparison shop
Every insurance company allows speeding tickets to affect rates a bit differently. Compare quotes from at least three different insurers to see which car insurance company offers you the best auto insurance rates.
Look for discounts
Taking advantage of car insurance discounts can help mitigate some of the effects of a ticket. For example, you could earn a discount for bundling your auto and home insurance.
Adjust your deductible
A deductible is an out-of-pocket expense you pay when filing a collision or comprehensive insurance claim. Increasing a $500 deductible to $1,000 can lower your insurance premiums.
Take a defensive driving course
Some states require insurance companies to give you a discount for completing a defensive driving course. Contact your insurer to see if this is an option.
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How to get a speeding ticket off your record
In most states, you can remove a speeding ticket from your driving record by taking a traffic school course. But there may be a limit on how many times you can have a ticket removed from your record.
You can also contact an attorney to see if they can have the charges dropped from your motor vehicle record. This process will likely be easier if it’s your first speeding ticket.
Speeding tickets and insurance FAQs
Here’s some additional information about speeding tickets and how they affect car insurance rates.
How long will your car insurance rates be high if you have a speeding ticket?
After a speeding ticket, most drivers will see their insurance rates go up once they renew their policy. A ticket can affect your insurance rates for three to five years, depending on your insurance company and driving history.
How long does a speeding ticket stay on your record in New York?
In New York state, a speeding conviction will stay on your driving record for 18 months.[3] Speeding results in three to 11 license violation points, depending on how many miles per hour you drove over the speed limit, according to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. The Driver Violation Point System calculates your points based on the date of the violation, and if you receive 11 points in 18 months, your license could be suspended.
How long does a speeding ticket stay on your record in Nevada?
In Nevada, a speeding ticket will stay on your record for one year after conviction. Once the 12-month period is up, the demerit points will fall off, but the conviction remains part of your permanent record.[4]
Can you get a speeding ticket off your record?
Some states will wipe a speeding ticket off your record if you attend traffic school. But most states limit the number of times you can remove a ticket from your driving record. For example, Nevada will only allow you to attend traffic school once within a 12-month period.
Methodology
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 50+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.
Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).
Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:
Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
No additional coverage
Full-coverage premium averages correspond to the same bodily injury and property damage limits in addition to:
Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.
Jamie Johnson is a Kansas City-based personal finance writer whose work has been featured on several of the top finance and business sites in the country, including Insider, Credit Karma, Bankrate, Rocket Mortgage, Fox Business, Quicken Loans, and The Balance. For the past six years, she's dedicated more than 10,000 hours of research and writing to more than 2,000 articles about personal finance topics.
Jamie has been a contributor at Insurify since October 2022.
Evelyn PimplaskarEditor-in-Chief, Director of Content
10+ years in insurance and personal finance content
30+ years in media, PR, and content creation
Evelyn leads Insurify’s content team. She’s passionate about creating empowering content to help people transform their financial lives and make sound insurance-buying decisions.