Does 1 speeding ticket raise insurance?

[leahjade]

my husband just got one (first in 20 years) and we have Geico? I hope not - ours is high enough with teens!

 

[Disneefun]

We have Geico and several years ago DH got a ticket. Our insurance did go up (not what you wanted to hear, I know) and the ticket stayed on the ins. for 3 years. After 3 years (w/no further incidents), it came off and our rate dropped. IIRC, the increase wasn't hideous, just a pain in the you know where. It will probably show on your next renewal notice-- there'll be a section where they list your discounts and then a section where they list penalties. I think the increase largely represented the loss of our "safe driver discount" that we had b/c we'd never had any incidents. Once the ticket came off, that discount was restored and our rate was back to normal.

 

[Todd&Copper]

Our rates didn't go up when DH got a speeding ticket a couple of years ago. We have Geico as well. We've been Geico customers for over 10 years.

 

[kmvand1]

my husband just got one (first in 20 years) and we have Geico? I hope not - ours is high enough with teens!

OH my gosh - I could have written this post! I too, got my first speeding ticket in just under 20 years, this April. Picked my 16 yo son up from school with a stomach ache, he had just gotten his learner's permit (so imagine how I felt) and I too have Geico - funny! Anyway, just made my payment today, I pay in 4 installments, and there was no change. Not sure if they (dept. of transportation) are responsible for transmitting the ticket information or not, but so far no changes.

 

[tar heel]

In North Carolina, it depends on the number of points. 2 points or more raises insurance rates. Speeding under 10 MPH over and not over a certain speed (can't remember what it is) is 1 point.

Also, it's a racket IMO, but you can usually get a 2-point ticket reduced to a 1-point ticket if you go to court or hire a lawyer to do it for you. The lawyer fee is generally less than the insurance increase which can be hundreds of dollars.

 

[CajunDixie]

In some if not all IN counties if you get a ticket you can apply for a deferral. It costs more than the ticket but if you do not get another ticket in 6months time then the ticket is forgiven and doesn't show on your record. Mine would have been $122 but I got the deferral and it was $175 or $179. This was my first ticket ever!!

 

[Chelley00]

In some if not all IN counties if you get a ticket you can apply for a deferral.

Unless of course, you get your first ever speeding ticket in a school zone (I was WAY past the school, but apparently it's still the school zone until you are WAY WAY past the school )

Our agent said ours would go up, but it only went up $2.50 a month.

 

[RedAlfalfa]

not sure about everywhere- but 12 years ago when I got a ticket, I was given a choice. Take the points (3) or go to a traffic class. I choose the class (run by a comedy school so it wasn't too bad). The class was more $ since you had to pay the ticket and the class fee. But no points meant no insurance increase.
That was for running an "orange" light- but my hubby did it for a speeding ticket once too (He did his via internet and video. Blockbuster had the class on tape and he'd watch it and answer the questions. )

 

[zurgswife]

Typically insurance only increases if the ticket has points attached. Usually if you go to court the points will be erased or lowered.

 

[4 DZNY NUTZ]

We have AAA Midatlantic auto insurance. My husband just recently got a moving violation (turned on arrow only light just as it was turning from yellow to red) & hasnt had any moving violations in at least 10 years. The cop gave him a ticket (could have given him a warning I think) the violation comes along with 2 points. We were going to fight it (& pay a lot more than the $85 ticket) but then I checked with our insurance company. They told us if it has been that long since any points on our license, they waive the first 2 points.

So. we paid the ticket, no insurance increase and have to drive more carefully for the next couple of years - until the points clear.

 

[thomas998]

There is no set answer... some states only give point when you go over a certain magical barrier... It also depends on whether it is a city cop or a state cop, usually the state issued one show up no matter what and the city are more random.

A lot of the insurance companies don't even check your record once you've been with them a while... most discount carriers like Gieco do check....

 

[NJMomma]

I strongly recommend going to Court to get a reduction in points. My DH has gone 3x in about 5 years (lead foot!) for point reductions. I have not been with him there myself, but from what he says it's a somewhat painless process. He recently got a 2 pt for Reckless Driving - he was really speeding, but the police office cut him break. He went to Court and the points were dropped in exchange for paying a higher fine. It's something worth looking into.

OT but funny - When DH got pulled over for the last ticket, the kids were in the car with him. My DD told the police officer "Daddy's car goes REALLY fast"

 

[Piecey]

There is no set answer... some states only give point when you go over a certain magical barrier... It also depends on whether it is a city cop or a state cop, usually the state issued one show up no matter what and the city are more random.

A lot of the insurance companies don't even check your record once you've been with them a while... most discount carriers like Gieco do check....

Yep. I've found that to be the case myself. God a ticket in June- have switched insurance policies twice (first to add a new car and go to full covereage and then again when I got married.)
She never found the ticket, didn't ask if I'd gotten a ticket, etc. We're with Erie.

 

[mrsstats]

It also depndes on how fast over the limit you were going. In NY over 15 is a major speed. I would go to court and try to plead it down.

 

[englishrose47]

I take the Defensive Driving clas every 3 years as a requirement of my job, they pay for the clas and my time and I save 10% a year plus have upto 4 points off any I might have !!I knoww AAA offers them and lots of others I see advertised. This is not the same as the class you have to go to for getting a ticket !!

 

[IDoDis]

I got a speeding ticket last summer from a highway patrol officer about 80 miles from where I live. I was in a rental car traveling to another state. The ticket never showed up on my Geico report and my rate didn't go up. I was speeding, I'll admit -- I was going 85 in a 75mph zone, so I deserved the ticket, but the very young officer said I was going 100! He said he'd give me a break and write the ticket showing I was going 95mph. I know I was not going that fast, but I wasn't about to argue with him or drive back there for a court date and then drive there again for traffic safety school, so I signed the ticket and paid it.

 

[CTrumble]

Twice, I went to court after I got a ticket. Both times, I asked if I could take a traffic school class and have my ticket dismissed.

The judge agreed each time (Texas first, then Virginia.) I had to agree to bring proof of attending the class & pay the court costs.

The first time I went to a local comedy traffic school. I REALLY enjoyed it. It was like going to a comedy club.

I took a class at www.trafficschoolonline.com the next time & then went to a Kinko's to take the test online (very easy, multiple choice, sample tests online...)

The cost of the school, test and court costs were about the same as it would have cost me to pay the ticket. The only difference is that it didn't affect my insurance.

 

[rt2dz]

We don’t have Geico. We have AIG, way cheaper than Geico. I got a ticket a year ago, right before renewal, aka shopping for new car insurance in our house. Our insurance actually went down—didn’t have AIG then another way cheaper than Geico company; we just don’t have good luck with Geico. This year, our insurance jumped up—with every company. AIG remained the cheapest so we stayed. It took a year for it to affect our rates; this was my first ticket in about 14 years and there were extenuating circumstances (the railroad arms started to go down just as I started to cross, so I punched it and just hadn’t finished slowing down yet).

In our state, we don’t have points. But the ticket will drop off for insurance purposes in another two years. Same reason I didn’t fight the ticket—that, and it is a small town that has a very unfriendly court system. I could have taken Defensive Driving to have the ticket remain off my record, but I was just too crazy busy at the time. I’m considering a class to lower insurance anyhow.

 

[cajunpeach]

It depends on each insurance company's policies. I work for one and if you are in their "preferred" company, tickets don't count against you. The "non preferred" company, each tickets counts. Also, points don't matter, at least in GA with my company. Even if you go to court and plead "no lo" to have the points removed, or a driving course, your ticket still shows on your Motor Vehicle Report and the insurance company will still see it as a ticket... most insurance company's don't run an M.V.R. but at your renewal or every couple of years... so, if the rate doesn't go up now, it could anytime between now and the next 3 years...

Chances are, if you've been with your insurance company a long time, you are in their preferred company and it won't count against you, Good luck OP

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I've had 2 speeding tickets: 1 in 1994 and 1 in 2001. Neither caused my insurance to increase. I have State Farm and have been with them for 20 years. I think longevity with a company counts when they are looking at whether to raise your rates or not.