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Written bySarah Archambault
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Sarah ArchambaultInsurance Writer, Editor
Experienced personal finance writer
Background working with banks and insurance companies
Sarah enjoys helping people find smarter ways to spend their money. She covers auto financing, banking, credit cards, credit health, insurance, and personal loans.
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Edited byKatie Powers
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Katie PowersLicensed P&C Agent, Senior Insurance Editor
Licensed auto and home insurance agent
4+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
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Reviewed byDavid Marlett
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David MarlettAdvisor
David Marlett is the Managing Director of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center. He is a professor in the Department of Finance, Banking, and Insurance at Appalachian State University and holds the IIANC Distinguished Professorship. David also serves on the Board of Directors for the Invest program and previously chaired the Loman Advisory Committee for the CPCU Society.
David has taught courses in Risk Management and Insurance for the last 25 years, starting at Florida State University while in the doctoral program. Prior to graduate school, David worked as a commercial lines underwriter for USF&G in Tampa.
He serves as a resource on insurance issues and is a frequent media contributor. He has been quoted by a wide range of outlets, including The New York Times, CNN, Reuters, and NPR.
David has been reviewing articles for Insurify since March 2025.
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Data reviewed byKonstantin Halachev
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Konstantin HalachevVP of Engineering & Data Science
7+ years experience in data analysis
Ph.D. in Computational Biology
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
Updated
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Table of contents
Quick Facts
Parking tickets are non-moving violations that don’t appear on your driving record.
Unpaid tickets could lower your credit score and lead to a rate increase if they’re reported to the credit bureaus.
Paying your parking tickets in a timely manner can prevent them from going to collections and hurting your credit.
Do parking tickets directly affect your insurance?
A parking ticket alone won’t directly affect your car insurance premiums. Insurers look at many factors when determining rates, like your driving record. But non-moving violations, like parking tickets, aren’t part of those considerations since they don’t show up on your motor vehicle record.
Tickets for moving traffic violations, however, do show up on your driving history and can trigger rate increases. When you get a citation for a moving violation, like speeding, running a red light, or driving under the influence (DUI), it signals to insurance companies that you may be a higher-risk driver.
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Do parking tickets go on your driving record?
No, parking tickets won’t appear on your driving record since they don’t get reported to your local department of motor vehicles.
When determining car insurance rates, insurers consider your driving record. But insurance companies consider only traffic tickets, recent accidents, and other serious traffic violations, like reckless driving, to gauge your risk level and determine rates.[1]
Even though parking tickets don’t show up on your driving record, they could still affect your rates if left unpaid.[2]
How unpaid parking tickets can indirectly affect your rates
Most states allow insurers to consider credit-based insurance scores when determining car insurance rates. A good credit history can help you get a lower rate, while poor credit could increase what you pay for car insurance.[3]
But unpaid parking tickets could indirectly affect your insurance costs if they end up in collections and lower your score.
Generally, parking tickets go to collections if your fine is at least 30 days past due. An account in collections will cause your credit score to dip and will stay on your credit report for seven years. So even one unpaid parking ticket might trigger higher insurance rates for years to come.
How to prevent parking tickets from affecting insurance
To prevent tickets for parking violations from affecting insurance rates, be sure to pay them right away. Here’s a closer look at what to do when you get a parking ticket to avoid a rate increase.
Pay your parking ticket immediately
Pay your parking ticket as soon as you get it. You can pay most parking tickets immediately online. But you may also be able to pay the ticket by mail, in person, or by phone. If you can’t pay the ticket immediately, make note of the payment deadline and be sure to pay on time.[4]
Contest the ticket if you believe it’s an error
If you believe you received a parking ticket in error, you may be able to contest the ticket. Check the ticket to see what steps you need to follow, like submitting a form online or by mail. Depending on the outcome, you may still have to pay a fine, so be sure to meet all payment deadlines since unpaid parking tickets can affect your rates.
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Will insurance companies check your parking tickets?
Car insurance companies won’t check non-moving violations like parking tickets. During underwriting, insurers don’t factor in this type of citation when determining your car insurance rates. Unlike tickets for speeding or more serious infractions, parking tickets don’t reflect your driving abilities or overall risk level.
To calculate your premium, insurers generally consider factors like your age, gender, driving history, type of car, credit history, and amount of coverage.
What happens if you don’t pay a parking ticket?
Learn more about the potential consequences of parking tickets below.
Penalty fees: You’ll likely face a late fee if you fail to pay your parking ticket on time. For example, an unpaid ticket in San Diego, California, past its due date results in a $100 civil assessment fee. Make sure you pay your parking ticket before the due date.
Effect on credit score: Having good credit helps you qualify for things like credit cards, loans, and apartment rentals. A parking ticket in collections can lower your credit score, affecting your ability to access those services.
Vehicle impoundment or booting: Failure to pay multiple parking tickets can lead to the city booting or towing your vehicle. This can happen regardless of whether you’re in a permitted parking zone or if you’ve repeatedly parked in a restricted area in the past.
Registration holds: After multiple infractions, the DMV may refuse to renew your vehicle registration. Driving a vehicle without a valid registration is illegal and could result in hefty fines. Driving without registration for a significant time could result in demerit points on your driving record and increased insurance rates.
Moving violations vs. non-moving violations
Drivers can be issued tickets for two types of violations: moving and non-moving. A moving violation occurs when law enforcement catches you disobeying traffic laws while operating your vehicle. Examples include speeding, running a red light, and reckless driving. Moving violations are reported to the department of motor vehicles and show up on your official driving record.
A non-moving violation happens when you fail to obey local parking laws or have faulty safety equipment, like a broken headlight. You can be ticketed for a non-moving violation, like parking illegally, but it won’t show up on your driving record.
Having a moving violation on your record will likely increase your car insurance rates since insurers consider your driving history when determining premiums. But non-moving violations, like parking tickets, won’t directly affect your rates.
Check out the table below to see key differences between moving violations and non-moving violations.
Feature  | Moving Violations | Non-Moving Violations (Parking Tickets) |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | Law enforcement | Law enforcement or local traffic enforcement authority |
| Reported to | Department of motor vehicles | Local traffic enforcement authority |
| Appears on driving record | Yes | No |
| Affects car insurance rates | Yes | No, but unpaid tickets for non-moving violations can indirectly affect rates |
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The impact of moving violations on car insurance rates
Moving violations on your driving record can affect how much you pay for car insurance. The table below shows how the average insurance rate for a clean driving record compares to different types of moving violations, like a speeding ticket or DUI.
Driving Record | Average Monthly Quote |
|---|---|
| Clean driving record | $142 |
| Speeding ticket | $184 |
| At-fault accident | $190 |
| DUI | $205 |
Disclaimer: Table data is based on real-time quotes from Insurify’s network of 500+ insurance partners. Actual rates may vary depending on the policyholder’s individual profile and coverage needs.
Parking tickets and insurance FAQs
Consider these commonly asked questions about how parking tickets affect your insurance costs.
Do parking tickets directly affect your car insurance rates?
No. Parking tickets won’t directly affect your car insurance rates. But unpaid parking tickets could lower your credit score and indirectly affect how much you pay for car insurance.
What types of traffic violations affect insurance rates?
Traffic violations like speeding, running a stop sign, and DUIs can affect insurance rates. These types of traffic violations are considered moving violations and appear on your driving record.
Can a parking ticket result in losing your driver’s license?
No. Parking tickets won’t cause you to lose your driver’s license. But unpaid parking tickets can result in late fees, your vehicle being towed or booted, and other consequences from local traffic authorities.
Do you have to tell insurance about a parking ticket?
No. You don’t have to tell your insurance company about a parking ticket. Insurers don’t consider non-moving violations, like parking tickets, when determining rates.
How can you find out if you have unpaid parking tickets?
If you think you have unpaid parking tickets, check with your traffic authority. Most traffic authority websites let you search by license plate to check for unpaid parking tickets. In some jurisdictions, you can also ask about outstanding tickets in person or by phone.
How long do unpaid parking tickets appear on your credit report?
After being reported late to the credit bureaus, unpaid parking tickets can stay on your credit report for up to seven years.
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Sources
- III. "What determines the price of an auto insurance policy?."
- III. "Background on: Insurance scoring."
- NAIC. "Credit-Based Insurance Scores."
- Portland.gov. "Tickets & Payments."
)
Sarah ArchambaultInsurance Writer, Editor
Experienced personal finance writer
Background working with banks and insurance companies
Sarah enjoys helping people find smarter ways to spend their money. She covers auto financing, banking, credit cards, credit health, insurance, and personal loans.
Featured in
Sarah enjoys helping people find smarter ways to spend their money. She covers auto financing, banking, credit cards, credit health, insurance, and personal loans.
Katie PowersLicensed P&C Agent, Senior Insurance Editor
Licensed auto and home insurance agent
4+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
Featured in
David MarlettAdvisor
David Marlett is the Managing Director of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center. He is a professor in the Department of Finance, Banking, and Insurance at Appalachian State University and holds the IIANC Distinguished Professorship. David also serves on the Board of Directors for the Invest program and previously chaired the Loman Advisory Committee for the CPCU Society.
David has taught courses in Risk Management and Insurance for the last 25 years, starting at Florida State University while in the doctoral program. Prior to graduate school, David worked as a commercial lines underwriter for USF&G in Tampa.
He serves as a resource on insurance issues and is a frequent media contributor. He has been quoted by a wide range of outlets, including The New York Times, CNN, Reuters, and NPR.
David has been reviewing articles for Insurify since March 2025.
Konstantin HalachevVP of Engineering & Data Science
7+ years experience in data analysis
Ph.D. in Computational Biology
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.