Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on The Zebra.
If you’ve been caught speeding or forgetting to use your turn signal, traffic ticket fines are not the only price you’ll pay for breaking the rules of the road. You can also face steep penalties when it comes to your car insurance costs.
Drivers who have recent tickets or car accidents on their driving record are considered higher risk (i.e., more likely to file an insurance claim). That means insurers will typically charge them higher rates.
How much more drivers have to pay for car insurance depends both on the type of violation and where they live. For example, a Pennsylvania driver could pay 13% more for insurance after getting a speeding ticket, while a North Carolina driver could pay 48% more for the same offense.
Here we take a look at how common traffic tickets and claims affect car insurance rates nationally, and the violations with the biggest impact in each state.
A single traffic ticket can raise car insurance costs as much as 82%
The traffic violation with the single biggest impact on car insurance rates is leaving the scene of an accident — a “hit and run.” Drivers charged with this crime can expect to pay on average 82% (or $1,200+) more per year for car insurance.
However, insurance penalties for traffic violations don’t always line up with what drivers may assume is the most dangerous driving behavior. Getting a ticket for driving too slowly, for example, can spike rates nearly as much as speeding in a school zone.
Here is how much violations raise typical car insurance rates.
- Hit and run: 82.2% ($1,209)
- Refusal of breathalyzer/chemical test: 74.1% ($1,089)
- DUI: 73.9% ($1,086)
- Racing: 73.7% ($1,084)
- Reckless driving: 70.4% ($1,034)
- Driving with a suspended license: 62.4% ($918)
- At-fault accident: 42.0% ($617)
- Driving with an open container: 34.9% ($513)
- Operating a vehicle without permission: 32.8% ($482)
- Passing a school bus: 27.0% ($398)
- Improper passing: 23.4% ($344)
- Following too closely: 23.3% ($342)
- Speeding*: 23.2% ($341)
- Failure to stop at a red light: 22.7% ($333)
- Illegal turn: 22.6% ($332)
- Driving wrong way/wrong lane: 22.5% ($331)
- Failure to yield: 22.4% ($330)
- Speeding in school zone: 21.0% ($308)
- Driving too slowly: 20.7% ($305)
- Distracted driving/cellphone violation: 19.7% ($290)
- Driving with expired registration: 10.9% ($161)
- Failure to show documents: 8.7% ($128)
- Not-at-fault accident: 6.7% ($98)
- Failure to use child safety restraint: 4.3% ($63)
- Failure to wear a seat belt: 4.0% ($59)
- Driving without lights: 3.4% ($51)
*Speeding violations aggregated. See below.
Drivers can also face insurance penalties for getting into car accidents and filing claims for the damage. Who was at fault, the size of the claim, and the terms of the driver’s insurance policy can all impact whether and how much a claim raises rates.
A medical or personal injury claim pays for medical treatments and recovery costs for those injured in a car accident. A comprehensive claim pays for damage not caused by an accident. This includes theft, vandalism, animal, and weather damage.
The more severe the violation, the bigger the insurance penalty
While violations like not buckling your seatbelt are pretty straightforward, others come with degrees of severity. If you’re caught speeding, for example, just how fast you were going over the speed limit will impact the size of your insurance penalty.
Getting ticketed for driving 6-10 mph over the speed limit increases car insurance rates about 20%, while speeding 21-25 mph over the limit raises rates almost 26%.
The most expensive violations vary by state
Getting a ticket for a driving violation can raise your car insurance rate no matter where you live, but the additional costs vary dramatically across state lines.
For example, a drunk or drugged driving violation (DUI) can increase rates 181% ($3,200+) in California, while in Indiana the same offense raises rates only 42% ($480+).
Why? It all comes down to differences in risk, and how insurance is rated and regulated from state to state.
It’s important to remember that some insurance companies may assign lower penalties — or none at all — even in states where drivers tend to see steep cost spikes for violations, so it’s always important to compare insurance quotes.
Following are the violations with the biggest impact on car insurance rates in each state across the U.S. After that, we cover what drivers need to know about driving violations, including how long they affect rates.
Alabama
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 71.5%
Cost increase with violation: $992
Alaska
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 65.2%
Cost increase with violation: $781
Arizona
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 140.5%
Cost increase with violation: $1,820
Arkansas
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 52.7%
Cost increase with violation: $788
California
Most expensive violation: Hit and run; refusal of breathalyzer/chemical test; DUI; reckless driving
Percentage increase with violation: 181.0%
Cost increase with violation: $3,286
Colorado
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 58.0%
Cost increase with violation: $975
Connecticut
Most expensive violation: Hit and run; racing
Percentage increase with violation: 94.3%
Cost increase with violation: $1,461
Delaware
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 89.4%
Cost increase with violation: $1,635
District of Columbia
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 68.9%
Cost increase with violation: $1,031
Florida
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 55.6%
Cost increase with violation: $1,146
Georgia
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 91.8%
Cost increase with violation: $1,421
Hawaii
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 397.4%
Cost increase with violation: $4,296
Idaho
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 65.8%
Cost increase with violation: $670
Illinois
Most expensive violation: Driving with a suspended license
Percentage increase with violation: 55.7%
Cost increase with violation: $681
Indiana
Most expensive violation: Hit and run; racing; driving with a suspended license
Percentage increase with violation: 52.8%
Cost increase with violation: $607
Iowa
Most expensive violation: Hit and run; racing; reckless driving
Percentage increase with violation: 72.4%
Cost increase with violation: $715
Kansas
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 43.8%
Cost increase with violation: $646
Kentucky
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 55%
Cost increase with violation: $1,053
Louisiana
Most expensive violation: Driving with a suspended license
Percentage increase with violation: 50.4%
Cost increase with violation: $1,179
Maine
Most expensive violation: Hit and run; racing
Percentage increase with violation: 58.4%
Cost increase with violation: $523
Maryland
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 53.5%
Cost increase with violation: $710
Massachusetts
Most expensive violation: Driving with a suspended license
Percentage increase with violation: 99.9%
Cost increase with violation: $1,275
Michigan
Most expensive violation: Hit and run; reckless driving
Percentage increase with violation: 182.6%
Cost increase with violation: $4,917
Minnesota
Most expensive violation: Hit and run; reckless driving; driving with a suspended license
Percentage increase with violation: 62.8%
Cost increase with violation: $809
Mississippi
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 58.9%
Cost increase with violation: $905
Missouri
Most expensive violation: Driving with a suspended license
Percentage increase with violation: 43.6%
Cost increase with violation: $614
Montana
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 53.5%
Cost increase with violation: $743
Nebraska
Most expensive violation: Reckless driving
Percentage increase with violation: 61.3%
Cost increase with violation: $788
Nevada
Most expensive violation: Hit and run; racing; reckless driving; driving with a suspended license
Percentage increase with violation: 63.9%
Cost increase with violation: $1,223
New Hampshire
Most expensive violation: Racing
Percentage increase with violation: 102.4%
Cost increase with violation: $1,132
New Jersey
Most expensive violation: Refusal of breathalyzer/chemical test; DUI
Percentage increase with violation: 74.2%
Cost increase with violation: $1,239
New Mexico
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 65.7%
Cost increase with violation: $887
New York
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 82.0%
Cost increase with violation: $1,385
North Carolina
Most expensive violation: Hit and run; racing
Percentage increase with violation: 360.3%
Cost increase with violation: $3,411
North Dakota
Most expensive violation: Hit and run; racing; driving with a suspended license
Percentage increase with violation: 64.7%
Cost increase with violation: $857
Ohio
Most expensive violation: At-fault accident
Percentage increase with violation: 84.0%
Cost increase with violation: $867
Oklahoma
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 55.6%
Cost increase with violation: $868
Oregon
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 54.3%
Cost increase with violation: $756
Pennsylvania
Most expensive violation: Hit and run; racing; driving with a suspended license
Percentage increase with violation: 81.1%
Cost increase with violation: $1,127
Rhode Island
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 94.5%
Cost increase with violation: $1,995
South Carolina
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 60.3%
Cost increase with violation: $826
South Dakota
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 59.1%
Cost increase with violation: $792
Tennessee
Most expensive violation: Racing
Percentage increase with violation: 57.4%
Cost increase with violation: $820
Texas
Most expensive violation: At-fault accident
Percentage increase with violation: 43.8%
Cost increase with violation: $801
Utah
Most expensive violation: Driving with a suspended license
Percentage increase with violation: 46.6%
Cost increase with violation: $564
Vermont
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 87.9%
Cost increase with violation: $946
Virginia
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 67.6%
Cost increase with violation: $620
Washington
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 64.3%
Cost increase with violation: $776
West Virginia
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 76.8%
Cost increase with violation: $1,090
Wisconsin
Most expensive violation: Driving with a suspended license
Percentage increase with violation: 64.3%
Cost increase with violation: $687
Wyoming
Most expensive violation: Hit and run
Percentage increase with violation: 72.5%
Cost increase with violation: $996
What drivers need to know about driving violations
Driving violations can impact insurance rates for years (but not forever)
Insurers typically consider violations on your record for three years after the infraction, though certain activities can impact auto insurance rates even longer. A DUI violation in California, for example, will impact a driver’s insurance rate for 10 years.
While violations often no longer count after three years, drivers usually aren’t eligible for “good driver” discounts, which can further lower rates, until they’ve been violation-free for five years.
Insurance penalties can cost more than the traffic ticket itself
The insurance impact of most driving violations is often far more costly than the ticket itself, especially when you consider how costs endure for several years.
The legal fine for a speeding ticket is about $150 on average. On top of that, ticketed drivers are likely to see their car insurance costs rise $340+ per year — for three years — after the violation. That means one speeding ticket can cost drivers more than $1,000 in insurance penalties alone.
Insurance penalties after a violation differ from company to company
How heavily you’re penalized for a traffic ticket differs from one insurance company to the next, just like it differs from state to state. While most insurers increase rates for drivers with violations, some may charge you less than others.
In addition to comparing rates to find the best deal, you may be able to lower your insurance rate by participating in a driver safety course accepted by your insurer.
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